Let's create music together!
Salt Peanuts Composition School offers online music courses in groups of no more than 6 students per class and/or private lessons, ensuring a personalized and effective learning. My students span all levels and styles, ages and nationalities. I teach in both English and Spanish.
The idea of creating my own music school is the result of my teaching experience as an Instructor in the Composition Department at Berklee Online and Proffesor at the CSMC Conservatory in Madrid.
I have been teaching music for over twenty years.
Because I am aware of the student's needs, I offer a more personalized and affordable instruction according to their goals. My school is a place where students matter the most.
My teaching philosophy is to work with each student hand in hand together throughout their learning process, and to strive to them for the best. According to my students’ reviews, my classes are challenging and fun at the same time.
Lessons in a Variety of Subjects
I am committed to providing a wide variety of music courses and lessons including Classical Harmony and Composition, Jazz Harmony, Jazz Composition, Counterpoint, Orchestration and Arranging, and I ensure that students receive a comprehensive and enriching musical education.
Salt Peanuts accepts applications for Levels Beginner through Advanced
Listen to my students
"Working with Prof. Hengstenberg was truly an honor. Whereas some Berklee professors prefer to lecture, Carolina's one-on-one, hands on approach to my music really took my education to the next level. I felt like no stone was unturned in making sure that the rules of counterpoint were solid and that the music was good. At first, as many are, I was unsure of the rules of counterpoint, but after finishing, I felt confident in my work."
Mark Evitts, USA.
Miss Carolina was a true revelation and cardinal pillar in my Berklee education. She helped me love Counterpoint, which I initially approached very critically, and she also helped me see the beauty in discovering and analyzing works from the Baroque period, therefore influencing my following works. As a composer and conductor, she has the broad depth required to widen the horizons and stretch the limits of aspiring composers.
Despina Monriel, Greece.
Carolina is the most amazing and inspiring composition teacher I've had at Berklee. It's rare to have a composition teacher that is both well-practiced and inspiring. She has greatly informed my composition career, even to this day!
Brendan Child, USA.
Carolina was my teacher in musical analysis for audiovisual media. She has a very broad knowledge: she knows this world from the point of view of the composer, the teacher and the music business.
The material is very well organized and easy to follow. Not only did I learn a lot, but I also had a lot of fun because her classes are dynamic and very interesting. Carolina is a great teacher who I will continue to study with, she is a reference in my training as a musician.
Mónica Matabuena, Spain. https://monicamatabuena.com
I had the privilege of studying Composition for Audiovisual Media with Carolina while pursuing my Higher Degree in Jazz Performance at the Centro Superior Música Creativa in Madrid. Her classes were not only comprehensive and practical, but also rich in insights drawn from her extensive industry experience. They offered a fascinating and informative perspective on how the industry operates. This subject was undoubtedly a significant asset to my musical career.
Daniel Alvarez, Spain. danialvarezplaysguitar
“My musical studies have been a combination of formal classes during my childhood, along with self-taught studies of various topics such as harmony and counterpoint, which allowed me to perform at a basic to medium level within the world of choral music. About 5 years ago, I met Carolina while taking a Musicianship Course at Berklee College of Music, where she was assisting us. I then began taking private lessons with her in order to fill any gaps I may have had in my previous studies. She adapted the content and cadence of the classes to my previous knowledge and musical needs, working on various styles of harmony, counterpoint and composition. The lessons with Carolina were the basis on which I was later able to obtain my diploma in choral composition. Without her unvaluable teachings, I would not have been able to achieve the goal of composing.”
Oswaldo Aquique, Venezuela. https://www.notamarcata.com/es/
“Carolina is the most amazing teacher I’ve had at Berklee. Composition was quite challenging for me, but I learned so much from her. I've had a lot of bad teachers at Berklee in the past who simply didn't care about their students, so I am truly appreciative of her genuine dedication and care for students. I sincerely hope that Berklee gives her the recognition that she deserves. Her passion for counterpoint gave me the tools to take my writing to a whole new level! Carolina is an outstanding professor.”
E.D., Ukraine
Carolina Hengstenberg is an amazing professor. Not only did she prepare me for Berklee auditions, but I also learnt a lot from her. Her enthusiasm for music was inspiring, and she was incredibly encouraging and kind. Her teaching technique has undoubtedly led the road and inspired me to interact with the discipline in a deeper level.
Manuel.R.C., México