Sunshine and greetings from LA...

Greetings from LA...

I trust that you are well and that you enjoyed your festive season. I hope that your year ahead is a meaningful one, and that the dreams in your heart for this year come to fruition.

I am excited about the year ahead - It's going to be a good year. It has been great to spend the last 6 months in Los Angeles. When people said that there is no winter here, I thought they were exaggerating, but they were right (to my big surprise!). So, during this festive season, I have been exploring different parts of LA, such as Venice Beach, downtown LA, Griffith Park and Observatory, and LA museums. I have also spent my time writing a mini concerto for flute and orchestra called "Remember, South Africa", which is about remembering our freedom, and will be played as part of my final music project.

“In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn.” Phil Collins

This quote summarizes my experiences of the last few months as part of the Masters of Arts in Teaching Program. The highlight, for me, is being immersed everyday in the YOLA (Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles) at HOLA El Sistema program, which has an incredible family-like culture of positivity, love and excellence. Every MAT student is both a mentor and a mentee, creating a unique cycle. In the picture above, I am playing alongside YOLA students in the wind band concert at the Disney Hall Amphitheatre.

Another highlight has been watching the Los Angeles Philharmonic rehearsals and concerts. We have observed conductors such as Gustavo Dudamel, Bramwell Tovey, Itzhak Perlman and Esa-Pekka Salonen. This interesting juxtaposition of being submerged in an El Sistema program, and being exposed to the work of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and how the partnership between these entities functions has been both fascinating and inspiring. 

In this coming term, I will be coaching a woodwind chamber group, organizing team building activities for students at YOLA, helping to mentor a student leadership group and to prepare students for their side-by-side concert with the Simon Bolivar orchestra from El Sistema, Venezuela. At this concert, they will be playing Tchaikovsky repertoire together with the Simon Bolivar orchestra. I will also begin to do research around the positive impact of music on children's growth and lives, as well as what combining youth development and the arts looks like.

These pictures were taken when some of my MAT colleagues and I played alongside YOLA students at various concerts and events. Our time with YOLA students are always fun and inspiring.

I would love to hear about how you are doing, and any thoughts on the topics I am researching are most welcome.

Warm Regards,

Monique