La Ronconoda

Never have I seen so many happy children. Most of the students on this video are from one of the oldest nucleus in el Sistema. La Ronconoda is in Coche, a suburb of Caracas. Remember this is only one of 260 Nuclei in the country. This one has about 2,000 students alone. They meet in a public school and since all students are given this experience with no cost to them almost the entire 500 students at the school are involved along with students in the surrounding neighborhoods. The Director is Eugene Correño and both of his sons are in the ensembles. This nucleus has two locations because it keeps growing. The new part is an old racetrack.

On this video:
The lower school, which has three levels of orchestra, with pre music classes and the “Paper Instrument Orchestra. The paper orchestra, which you will see demonstrated by my new adult friends, are holding instruments made of paper by the little children and their families. The little students are involved making the instruments before they receive their actual instruments. They learn much in the 2 months before they actually hold a real instrument. The orchestra director conceived this concept when there were no instruments and they had to keep the little ones motivated while waiting on real instruments to materialize. (How is that for flexibility?)

1st you will see the cutest kids in pre school music, singing and playing percussion instruments, next are examples of the “paper instruments”. Next I get the privilege of sitting in the pre school string orchestra. The next 2 orchestras you will hear are the primary orchestra and then last is the intermediate orchestra.
Enjoy!

The Venezuelan Trombone Ensemble is featured on the front page of the El Sistema website. What a sound they put out. This is me rehearsing for a concert on Saturday with the ensemble. I have been invited to be a part of the new trombone school being established by it’s director Miguel Sanchez. What an honor!

http://elsistemausa.org/

la niña at the door

This little girl was standing by the door for the entire rehearsal. She was doing things to well to be standing there as punishment, so when Belmary asked her what she was doing, she answered" I am here to answer the door if someone comes in." It was then that we realized this was a place of honor and the good students took their turn standing there.

Moods of Avila

The last video was Avila on fire. It is so dry and the region is so desperately in need of water that the foliage is like one big tinderbox. This is a shot of the way smoke from all the fires has completely engulfed the city. Yesterday the smoke was so dense we could only see for about a city block. I asked if this was common and Belmary said, " it is as common as 40 inches of snow in Philadelphia."

For some reason video does not show the flames visible to naked eye.

This next video is how I hope to see Avila again.





Pray for rain in Venezuela.

Hasta luego

Tom

Avila ablaze!

Last night was a spectacular fire on the south face of Avila. It could be seen through out the entire city.



Here is the view that I awake to every morning.

Trombones everywhere

I worked with this group of trombone players on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday last week. This is our group video.





I am aware the other nuclei do not have the resources of Centro de Accion Social por la Musica and Simon Bolivar Conservatory. I am hoping to do more teaching and relational building in the places where students and faculty do not see as many visitors coming to see El Sistema. Today I will be going back to La Rinconhda Nucleus to work with students. This is the Nucleus where Belmary was closely involved as a student and later as a teacher. It is also where Carmen, Belary's Mom, was the coordinator for so many years and loved by all.

Chevere!

Yankee fans are everywhere.

Hola,

Where has the time gone? Every activity is scheduled around food. My documentary will be entitled TOCAR Y COMER.

There are no siestas in Caracas. Days are action packed with teaching and travel. Traffic is legendary. To fill your SUV about $.75. That's right seventy-five cents! No one watches where he or she is going because they are working in the mobile office. Belmary and I are the only people in Caracas without Blackberries. I have seen only one accident, it's amazing. Anybody know what PARE means?

Hope you enjoy the video.

Chevere!
Tom