When piano and music theory teacher Jose Cubela teaches his students at the Dr. Marcelo Cavazos Center for Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA), he brings an international perspective, having performed and taught abroad.
Most recently, it was in Taiwan.
Six cities, more than 1,500 students, and countless performances shaped last summer for Cubela. He spent six weeks in Taiwan serving as an examiner for the International Performance Piano Examinations Committee. From late June through early August, he traveled across the country, working with piano students and teachers in churches, universities, and music schools.
The experience was both exciting and eye-opening.
“It is so cool,” Cubela said. “To visit different towns and big cities – it’s crazy.”
Throughout the summer, Cubela assessed performers ranging from beginners to advanced students and worked directly with both students and teachers to address technical and musical challenges. The Committee’s curriculum closely mirrors the Royal Conservatory system – a globally recognized, structured music education framework offering graded levels of study from beginner to advanced for various instruments and voice – with expectations increasing at each level.
“I worked with students all the way from beginner to advanced. Some teachers didn’t know how to fix technical issues or problem-solve, and that’s where I come in.”
Cubela’s journey began in Tainan, Taiwan’s oldest city, where he spent nearly three weeks examining students. From there, he traveled to Guiren and Hsinchu, where he visited the historic Hsinchu City God Temple, a cultural landmark located in the center of the city’s night market.
One of the most memorable stops was Hualien, a coastal city on Taiwan’s eastern shore. The train ride there – through mountains and along the Pacific Ocean – offered some of the most striking scenery of the trip.
The trip concluded in Taipei, Taiwan’s cultural and educational center and home to the Taipei Philharmonic Foundation. There, Cubela spent ten days continuing examinations and teaching, while also visiting landmarks such as Taipei 101, once the world’s tallest building.
For Cubela, the most rewarding moments came from seeing growth happen in real time.
“I loved it when the students and teachers left their work with me happy because they found something they could use. The problems that they were having – now they have a solution.”
He also emphasized the ripple effect of working with educators.
“It’s really cool when teachers can take information, see quick improvement, and then apply it to their own studio,” he said.
The lessons Cubela shared in Taiwan are part of the reason he is such a successful teacher here.
“I have worked with Mr. Cubela twice in Arlington ISD,” said CVPA principal Thomas Flagg. “I hired him to join the fine arts and dual language academy at Gunn Junior High, and then he left to assume this position at the CVPA. Our students are receiving world class piano instruction because not only is he a phenomenal teacher, but he is also an incredible pianist. In the few years I’ve worked with him, he’s performed in Spain, Portugal, and Taiwan. Our students are getting lessons from a well-respected practitioner, which makes a difference.”
Flagg also highlighted Cubela’s ability to connect with students at every level.
“Mr. Cubela is a kid magnet,” he said. “He can and will work with any student, even the most difficult students loved working with him. As a middle school teacher, he was a favorite among parents and students. Many of his former students come to study with him to this day. I know this is a high school, but he’s providing college-level piano and music theory, and we’re all the better for it.”
Music has always been central to Cubela’s life. He began playing piano as a child, learning from neighbors who played, and later built a career rooted in performance and education. That passion continues back home at Arlington ISD’s CVPA.
“I love teaching the students here,” Cubela said. “They are just so talented, and they love being here, too.”