A recent newsletter entitled My Journey...

Dear Friends,

Hope you are well! I thought I would write this newsletter to keep you in the loop as to what is happening in my life. So please feel free to mail me and let me know about new developments in your lives. I would love to hear about it.

Wow! What a month it has been. I can definitely say that it has been mind-opening, thought-provoking, hair-raising, and inspiringly heart stirring. It feels like everything that I have learnt, experienced, struggled with, and been prepared for is all coming together in the journey that I am on right now. The ideas, thoughts and dreams that are growing in my heart and head are beyond me, and often feel like they are impossible to accomplish. However, I do know for sure that I am in the right place, at the right time and that my life has purpose (Just as yours does!). This is a good feeling...I have never experienced this before.

Let me tell you a bit about what I am doing here in Boston, Massachusetts. I am currently studying at the New England Conservatory of Music as part of the Sistema Fellowship (http://necmusic.edu/sistema-fellowship). This program studies the model of El Sistema, a Venezuelan program that uses music as a vehicle for social change. I am blessed to be able to spend my time with 9 other passionate and musically talented fellows who share a similar 'heartbeat' to mine. I have always had 2 passions: music and youth development. I have grappled with how I could join these 2 passions in a way that is successful and effects real change in the community and the lives of young people. While studying at UCT (University of Cape Town), my flute teacher, Bridget Rennie-Salonen introduced me to El Sistema. Awhile later, a close friend of mine sent me this link of Dr Jose Antonio Abreu winning the TED prize, and his wish for what he wanted TED to do (The sistema fellowship): http://www.ted.com/talks/jose_abreu_on_kids_transformed_by_music.html. Watching this video was a pivotal moment in my life. It was an emotionally charged 17 min for me (teary eyes, many resounding 'YES!'agreement cries, airpunches, and mouth hanging wide open moments) because everything that I had been grappling with regarding combining my two passions to effect social change, was articulated so eloquently by Dr Abreu. It was at that moment that I knew I not wanted to, but needed to learn more about this program.

So, here I am... and I am doubly blessed to be here because initially when enquiring about the program, I was told that it was only for Americans, and that it was not open to international students. However, I was determined get hold of the information, and was allowed to apply. I often feel like I am THAT fish that constantly swims up stream, not knowing where, when, where or how, but doesn't care because it instinctively knows it has to swim in that direction. I have a feeling that my life is going to be filled with these 'Salmon' experiences.

El Sistema uses the orchestra as a model for society, and helps children to realize they have value through group playing and musical excellence. It is said to be about passion first, perfection later. Children play in an orchestra as soon as they start playing an instrument. El sistema does not aim to grow soloistic performance musicians, but this is often a by-product of the hard work and dedication the students put into their playing. Typical programs run after school, 5 days a week for about 2 - 3 hours (as in, all the children come everyday for this amount of time). This in itself, is different to what we are used to. very few private lessons are given, especially in the early stages - everything is group/orchestral based. It has changed the landscape of music in Venezuela: from it being a society that reserved classical music for the rich elite, and had no orchestras that Venezuelans could play in, to it now have a booming classical music scene. It has now almost become part of the culture there to experience the arts through going to concerts, even in poor communities. There are over 105 youth orchestras and 55 childrens' orchestras. What really blows my mind is that it is and has always been funded by the social leg of the government. Many young people also receive stipends for being in the youth orchestras.

"Music has to be recognized as an agent of social development, in the highest sense because it transmits the highest values - solidarity, harmony, mutual compassion. And it has the ability to unite an entire community, and to express sublime feelings" ~ Abreu

In this last month I have learnt so much, about the world around me, but also about myself. I have been exposed to many new concepts that keep me up at night trying to wrap my brain around how this would/could possibly apply to South Africa, and what it could look like. I am very aware that there are many other means to achieving social change (musical and other), and that this model is not the ONLY one that works - but it is a great one, that has been successful. I am also aware that there is so much amazing work in the communities already happening in South Africa. This work, whether it is in the form of music organizations or other, has been going on for decades, and are run by dedicated, passionate people who have given their lives to ensuring that young people's lives are changed and that the community is impacted. This is incredible and deserves standing ovations and resounding applauses- because funding for the arts is not plentiful, it never has been. And trying to effect change (especially for the good) is never easy. I realize I have a lot to learn, and that I am only at the beginning of my journey into this field of work. I believe that there is always more 'space' for work that involves social change - the 'market' can never be saturated. There is always space for change. Every child's life that is changed, given value to and given opportunity to makes this worthwhile. 

“The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you do the work.”

Every child, every family, every community has a colourful and vibrant rainbow inside of them waiting to be noticed, explored and applauded. Its our responsibility to help them discover this. One of the classes I am in is about presentations, public speaking, powerpoints, interviews, and media interaction- and it has been challenging but so much fun! Tony Woodcock (President of NEC) takes this class and he always says that we need to tell our story. This is powerful, because we all have our own stories (filled with joys, pain, ups and downs). We need to realize that every child we teach or come into contact with also has their own story, and that we are actually helping to shape that story...what a priviledge, and at the same time what a responsibility. No, teaching is not something people do because they cannot make it as performers/or in other professions. Teaching is an art. We need to recognize this and it needs to be valued - as something that not only adds value to the person you are teaching, but to yourself simply because of the act of giving selflessly. It is something that everyone should be doing in some or other form: giving back.

I am excited to keep learning and growing. I will be embarking on a month-long residency later today. I will be going to New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Washington DC. The purpose will be to experience many Sistema nucleos, especially looking at how music in the early childhood phase is taught. I will also be meeting with a few arts advocacy organizations to learn about what it means to advocate for the arts, and how advocacy is approached in the US. I am really enjoying engaging my mind in this way, and being constantly faced with different concepts and ways of doing things.

Thanks for reading, and allowing me to share my thoughts and experiences with you.

I am looking forward to hearing from you, especially any thoughts on what I have written.

Take care,

Monique :-)