Como Guitar Academy Objectives
The Academy’s main objective is to meet the student’s particular music goals. Each curriculum is individually designed to that end. For beginning students, the Academy focuses on establishing strong musical and technical foundations for whatever style students may want to pursue. For more advanced students, the Academy concentrates on how to transform mere note playing into playing music. At every level, Como Guitar Academy’s aim is to teach playing music well.
Guitar lessons are offered to the students of all levels, beginner-advanced. The Academy teaches the solo style of playing the guitar, primarily with classical guitar technique, while students may also choose to incorporate the elements of acoustic and folk guitar.
Ukulele lessons are offered to beginning –intermediate level students.
Piano lessons are offered to beginning-late intermediate level students.
Meet the Director
Darka Kooienga, DMA, has fifteen years of teaching experience in private and in group settings. She has taught students of different levels, from beginner to advanced. In her teaching, she focuses on developing her students as musicians as well as guitarists.
As a performer, Darka is a member of the Duo Mirić that performed in Ensemble Showcase at the Guitar Foundation of America Convention in Louisville (KY), Fort Worth Guitar Festival (TX), Schubert Club Courtroom Concert series (Saint Paul, MN), and Collage Concert (a showcase of elite performers from the University of Minnesota School of Music). The duo performed in the Midwest, South Dakota and Ohio, and at Marshall University, WV. Duo Mirić made their debut at the Saint Louis Classical Guitar Society’s 2015-2016 Concert Series where they were artist-in-residence for the public school community. Recently, the duo made their international appearance in Canada.
Duo Mirić has won multiple prizes at Mississippi guitar competitions as well as college duo and overall college division competitions at the University of Texas at Brownsville Ensemble Festival. They were semifinalists in the 2013 CAG Victor Elmaleh Competition in New York City. Recently, Duo Mirić premiered Partita for Two Guitars and Organ by Dr. James Scalter, a piece composed for them and organist Jacob Benda.
Duo Mirić’ transcriptions of Concerto in D Major, BWV 972 by Bach and Three Spanish Sonatas (music by Ferrer, Albero and Larraňga) have been published with Lathkill Music Publishers, UK.
Dr. Kooienga graduated Summa Cum Laude from Mississippi College. Her scholastic honors also include Who’s Who among American Colleges and Universities and B.G. Walden Memorial Scholarship. During her undergraduate studies, she was the winner at Mississippi Music Teachers Association and Mississippi Federated Music Club competitions, as well as a prizewinner at Mississippi Guitar Festival competition. She holds an MM from Southern Methodist University and a DMA from University of Minnesota. During her graduate studies at these institutions, she was the recipient of a full scholarships and teaching assistantships. Darka’s principal teachers were Robert Guthrie, Jeffrey Van, Dr. John Ingwerson, Dr. James Flegel, and Maja Radovanlija.
During her musical education, Darka received seven years of extensive piano training. She has taught piano for eight years, and her students have been very successful in the local music festival.
Darka regularly performs in the venues around the country.
She resides in St. Paul with her husband.