My first week in el
Sistema…
It’s hard to reflect on my week
here in Caracas. It seems as if
everything I’ve seen, heard, and felt is still not yet real. My inner dialogue still spins with
questions such as; did that class of 40 violin students actually just sit
quietly for 20 minutes while the teacher explained curriculum to us? Is that girl really practicing her
flute fingerings every time another section rehearses? Do I really not see an empty seat for a
classical music concert and almost all attendees under the age of 35? The
answer is yes- to all of them.
For me, it’s hard to imagine such a rich, young, and vibrant music
culture that everyone wants to be a part of; yet here in Venezuela, it exists.
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| Forty minutes and still focused... |
As
we visited the núcleos of Montalbán, La Rinconda, and Sarría this week, the
high level of student concentration, dedication and respect constantly amazed
me. Yes, the students would give a
look to all the visitors but nothing more than an acknowledgement and then
straight back to the music. At the
núcleo of La Rinconada, I watched a beginning cello and bass class play the
same passage for 40 minutes. I
kept thinking okay when are they going to completely lose it? It never happened. I observed that if most students
weren’t playing they were practicing or at least following along in the
music. I can’t even think of a
time when a teacher repeated which measure he/she was beginning. So what could hold their attention for
so long? I am starting to believe it must be the high frequency of performance. Students are constantly under pressure
to perform and well. It’s a part
of the culture and the students know that they are always performing, even if
nobody is the room. Having the
mindset that performance is only on the stage just does not ring true here in
Venezuela. Eventually, many hope
to be part of the Simón Bolívar and they know that by acting as a performer
even in the classroom they’re more likely to be under the baton of Gustavo
Dudamel.
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| Percussionists at Sarría practice outdoors! |
I’ve found that often times our life is
spent watching out for what’s to come and we often lose the time to enjoy where
we are. Imagine if every day we
took that time to perform. Not our
own concerto or aria but a performance for ourselves, recognition of our
improvements and a reflection of how far we’ve come. The ovation isn’t just about the beauty of that performance
but more a self-realization of the work you accomplished to create that
successful concert. That’s what I
believe is truly so beautiful here in Venezuela. Every day as the students perform they have the opportunity
to realize how far they’ve come, and how far they have to go. While they watch for what’s to come
they are also enjoying that moment of realizing where they are.
