Classical music massages the ears. That was how Andréa Vanucci Leocádio defined her musical taste, refined since childhood, perhaps through ballet lessons.

Born in Sorocaba, in the interior of São Paulo state, she moved with her family to the Interlagos area in the southern zone of São Paulo city while still a child, and grew up there.

The daughter of a human resources professional, she even tried to follow in her father's footsteps and earned a degree in psychology. She later studied pedagogy, but the musical pulse beat stronger in her heart.

She embarked on her third academic pursuit. She earned a degree in music from ECA (School of Communications and Arts) at USP. She studied composition and graduated with a teaching credential in music.

She never left the arts and education. According to her family, she even did work with Osesp (the São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra). She also sang in an ensemble that made occasional appearances at weddings in the Jewish community.

Her principal instrument was her voice, but she also played flute, piano, and guitar.

Blessed with perfect pitch, she would joke about naming the numbers someone typed on an ATM keypad, for instance, because she knew the sound of each key.

In her youth, she studied abroad in the United States. Her fluent English and her artistic and pedagogical background were calling cards that helped her begin working at a newly opened Canadian bilingual school in Jundiaí, in the interior of São Paulo state, where she had moved.

At the school, she became a charismatic music introduction teacher for young children.

"Thank you, Ms. Andréa," the Maple Bear school posted on its Instagram account regarding the death of its former teacher, which caused an outpouring of grief in the city, especially among students.

Talented and accomplished, she released "Presente," an album of original compositions in the early 2000s.

During the pandemic, she took up yoga — and went far with it, becoming a teacher of the ancient practice herself. Last year, she published a children's book, "Yoga: Emoções, Brincadeiras e Canções" (Yoga: Emotions, Games, and Songs). The playful work, through QR codes, allows readers to exercise, sing, and play.

Always good-humored, she had a sharp wit. She knew how to treat people according to where each one was in their life.

She frequented museums and cinemas, watched quality series, and, of course, had a fondness for classical music.

"May you, with your smile, warmth, and happiness, continue to illuminate everything and everyone," wrote her son Bruno, 20.

Andréa Vanucci Leocádio died on July 4th, at the age of 53, from cancer.