Thought I was to give at least 3 coaching sessions today and help with 2 beginning primary groups. After I worked in the Music Library from 7:30 til 10 and took a shower to get ride of the dust and bugs, I learned that a big ordination ceremony was to take place in the space where we rehearse, so all the students got bumped. Bummer. But Bernadette and I played duets – Dotzauer and Kummer. It was such a blast. How lucky can one person be?
My disappointing news is that next Sunday’s concert is cancelled because the venue decided to charge $2,000 US for the space. There is not money here for that. I told Pere David Cesar, the director of the school and the orchestra conductor (and plays viola), that I could put out a plea to folks and probably come up with at least a thousand dollars. BUT he has a bigger perspective. The school desperately needs a temporary structure – one that has practice facilities and an adaptable performance hall that will protect the students, instruments and music from the weather. IT is so frustrating for one’s music to be blown off the stand right in the middle of a practice session. Sometimes the dust to pelt my eyes so hard I can’t stand to open them, not to mention the NOISE. My 3 private students yesterday were having a hard time with their intonation and I think that a part of it is that they actually can’t hear what’s being played. Fundraising efforts need to be focused on the REAL needs. The music school and the performance hall and Holy Trinity Cathedral were demolished in the quake. Two students died, several instruments, music, stands, etc., were salvaged. Some of the cellos have cracks. The bows are hideous – there isn’t enough rosin in the world to get any kind of tone with them. One is missing a C string. The endpin is inside another. The instrument repair man, Williams (a base player!) said that he can take care of both.
Today I worked in the music library from 7:30 to 10 and finished organizing one whole section of music. It’s really satisfying to work a couple of hours in the morning - I’m up before 5 anyhow. There is time to bathe afterwards, to get ride of the bugs and dust and who knows what all…I’ve gotten more bug bites since I started working in there!! Now I use bug spray in the morning instead of just in the evening. This morning I woke with 3 little bites on my face, so I washed the pillow case and pounded the pillow and left it out in the sun for a couple of hours. Cross your fingers for me tonight, eh?
Saturday, among other things, I got to rehearse with the orchestra. The 25 voice boys choir sang with us on “We are the World” and it just gave me tingles. The Haitian composer’s “After the Earthquake” just pounds away, with a soaring, beautiful melody threading its way through…ends with Taps. I’m really sad to not be getting to perform with these guys. But, that’s just the way it is and I have to defer to the broader perspective of Pere David. There will be other concerts.
Last Friday changed from what I had expected. I got to coach a string trio in the morning. It was their first read of the piece and was really fun to participate with them in that creative time. The flute teacher and I did do a little shopping. Mostly just fun. I got a bag of 6 mangos for 20 goudes (about 50 cents!). I’ve had some in my oatmeal: talk about over the top delicious!
Sunday I went to church here at St. Jacques, as they have an English service at 8 am. The priest asked me to play for church next Sunday…I was going to ditch, but guess I better not. Three of the teachers from here took me up to Fort St. Jacques, about a 45 minute drive up the mountainous roads out of Port au Prince. We got rained out, but still got to see the fort – cannons are still there from when they were trying to roust the French (my hostesses didn’t have a lot of details!) The road had turned into a raging torrent during our drive down. When we passed this little hole in the wall store that was called “Everything You Want” I asked the gals if they thought they would have a single guy over 50 and, luckily, they howled with laughter.
My attention bounces around. Music, the students, frustration not having the language I need to talk directly with the students…seeing a skinny mom sitting on the sidewalk outside the crumbled National Palace, holding an infant with straw-like reddish hair, scrawny legs, both needing water, food, love, security…a man, sitting on a step, holding his head in his hand, apparently sleeping…a well-dressed man striking the “pose” and peeing against a wall.
I realized this morning that, as much as I enjoy quiet, alone time, I miss having an English speaking friend to process some of these things with.
Bernadette and I played cello duets today – some Dotzauer and Kummer. Really beautiful music. The Music Librarian, Thara, has been chosen to play in a Colorado Bicentennial Youth Orchestra in Denver on July 9. I’m thrilled! Put it on your calendars! There will be musicians from 18 countries.
An update on the water situation. Both water and power seem to be present now. However, there seem to be green things that flow out of the faucet with the water. I keep reminding myself that I bathed in a river in Nicaragua with pesticides flowing from Honduras, grazing cows, trucks being washed. Somehow, here where there are NO water treatment facilities (at least that’s the rumor I heard) and there are heavy rains every day, water flowing through garbage, human waste, probably still unfound bodies…it’s no wonder I itch after I bathe! Oh, well. Just what are you going to do? I got some eye shadow during my “shopping spree” so I’ve started putting a little on each morning – I think it counterbalances whatever is in the water, don’t you? (I hate to confess that I was drinking this water, using a SteriPen. No more...ick).
OK, over and out for now!
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