Travels to Thailand

What a failed blogger I've been! ComMUSICation has kept me quite busy with our new partnership at the Mt. Airy Boys & Girls' Club and starting a new less-intensive program, getting our own office space, hiring new staff, board expansion, and fundraising. IN addition, I also started graduate school this fall in Comparative International Development Education, which has been so refreshing to be around development-minded colleagues and others who have lived abroad. It has been so refreshing to hear individuals that share similar viewpoints on development and has been wonderful to be in classes that I can directly apply to my work (like writing CMC's parent and student program evaluation!).

After this busy semester, a vacation was in order. Here are my top 10 memories from my Travels in Thailand (w/ layovers in Hong Kong and Japan!).

1) Mountains in Hong Kong
Most talk about city life in Hong Kong, but under two hours away is BEAUTIFUL hiking paradise!

Landau Mountain 

2) Koh Phi Phi

This non-motorized small island is known for its party scene, but if you climb some stairs, the viewpoints are absolutely breathtaking!

3) Koh Lanta

Not nearly as well-known, you have the beaches and the jungle, and wonderful homegrown organic food @EasyLife Lanta Bungalows in jungle cabanas

4)Railay
If you like rock climbing, this is your paradise! But even if you don't, there are limestone caves, beautiful beaches, and truly awesome sunsets!

 Phranang Cave

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5) Pai

Land of veg food, scooters and hippies. Also by a canyon, waterfalls you can slide down, and hot springs you can bathe in or boil eggs (bring your student ID and you can save on admission)!

                                         Mor Paeng Waterfall, the waterfall you can slide down

 Pai Canyon, be ready for some climbing and hoisting yourself up rocks, but well worth it!

6) Night markets

Are a must! Food, souvenirs, open mic/buskers, clothing, they have it all!

 Noodle choices for Pad Thai at Khao San Road, Bangkok

 They LOVED their waffles and crepes

7) Buatong Waterfall-Sticky Waterfalls

A bit of a drive outside Chiang Mai, but well worth it-you can climb up them (this pic is misleading, no rope required)

 8) Elephant trekking
If you're going to ride an elephant, make sure you go with an ethical company! Many elephants are treated poorly! I HIGHLY recommend Save&Rescue Ran-Tong elephant camp where they provide mahout (trainer) clothes, and you feed, bathe, and ride the elephants

 Feeding her favorite snack (look at that tongue!)

 Bath time

9) Chiang Mai

The land of temples, amazing yoga classes (Check out Wild Rose Yoga Studio!), and tigers 

                                          Tiger Kingdom

                                                      Doi Suthep Temple

Inmate Massage & Cafe

They train female inmates how to be masseuses and work in a cafe (and make delicious banana shakes!)

10) Tiger Cave Temple, Krabi
It's 1227 STEEP steps but it's a temple at the top of a mountain with a 360˚ view.

Sightings in Scotland

What a whirlwind this fall has been. Some of the most beautiful foliage I can recall and amazing 60˚ days. We did it! We created a composed opera with MN Opera and performed it in three spaces across the Twin Cities and all but one student showed up for a Saturday performance!
The final week the opera was being prepared, I was a delegate at Big Noise in Raploch, Scotland meeting others from 28 countries and hearing about their programs. A lot I learned just by experiencing and seeing a full continuum from baby-adulthood. Really quite incredible. And to see their community efforts: adult orchestra, bringing teachers to family houses to perform, and my favorite from our friends in Sweden, a venstay, where the community comes together and sings and dances and shares together. It was a pity the positive motivation session didn't happen, but we did talk about discipline, music, etc. It was the first teaching conference and very duly noted that the frame and tone was completely distinct from that of a conference of managers/directors. It was incredibly inspiring to see the scope of to whom they offer programming and to hear that they didn't have a second site til six years in, working on solidifying and growing their first site. The other thing I wanted to applaud was not only the age range they served, but also the ability level; they had a program at every school including the special needs school and learning about the technological instruments that adapt music to be friendly toward their needs was also a highlight.
Watching orchestra classes also made me understand that there is just something about instruments that cannot be accomplished with choir; not good nor bad, just is. Though watching the National Youth Choir of Scotland rehearse reminded me how rehearsal can be musically productive with kid-friendly language like "trampoline tummies" and have silly exercises like a round of "One Bottle of Pop" that still have musical value.
 One of the largest differences I couldn't help but notice was the lack of behavioral problems and the homogeneity of the students. This is a huge advantage Venezuela also has of only having to address one cultural background. It's one of the reasons why ComMUSICation is so powerful, but makes it one of the most challenging. How do I coming from my background address the backgrounds of seven different cultures? The other large difference I noticed was the difference of school dynamic and structure. In Scotland, they don't have music during the day so something like Sistema is not competing with the current music education programs because there isn't such a thing. Here, there are music programs, albeit of a lower intensity and dare I say often times quality, but when the public schools are sustaining public music education the last thing I want to do is provide a scapegoat to providing this education. It is rare for cities to have public music magnet schools, but St. Paul has that and I do not want to supplant this excellent school. Perhaps we can be an addition to this, but as principal it would be no contest to have an organization offer a minimal charge for music class or have to pay a teacher with benefits, even at half-time.
The country of Scotland had some of the most welcoming, friendly people who were all thanking us for being there instead of us thanking them for making everything possible and working 14 hour days to ensure the conference was running smoothly. So humble. Their Chief Executive was so approachable and really seemed to try to know the delegates on a personal level, staying up far later than I did at the hotel bar to get to know people. I even succeeded in my vegetarian diet! The ceilh was an event I will never forget. Think contradancing with men in kilts and bagpipes and a Scottish lilt caller.
Sistema Europe is also worth mentioning. Most of their programs started before the US boom took place and many were chorally-based! They've gotten together for summer camps, seminarios, and don't have the competitive edge that exists in the US. Nothing but welcoming towards others and inviting everyone to work together.  It was also great to speak Italian and Spanish again :) Swedes were the majority of the conference and I surprisingly was of average height! There's an organization called Superar that is a multi-country Sistema choral based program! Sharing the songs from other delegates is something I hope to incorporate into the parent/community aspect of ComMUSICation, gathering parents monthly. What I heard again and again is persistence and using existing relationships to build new relationships.
Edinburgh as a city was the perfect city for Halloween with its underground vaults, alleys, and old charm, complete with a castle. It was originally built on a volcanic rock and when they wanted to expand the city they built up rather than out. I did have a couple days to do some hiking which was far worth it (See Facebook!). Dublin had a live music scene unlike any I'd ever seen, in fact Temple Bar even set the record for longest consecutive music session, but after 10 PM you had to be ready for ruckus.
Will the US ever get to that level of public transportation? I suppose time will tell, but was really incredible how cars were never an option, even going to tiny towns. To think a little town like Afton would have a train station, is really quite astounding.
I hope to return to Scotland to do the Highlands and Isle of Skye. With some of the most laid-back, friendly, genuine people, I highly recommend their country.



  

My spring journey

I'm writing today without a purpose or a mere title. Just blogging to see what comes out. What a spring! My first serious relationship, my first full-time-with-an-office job, and the first time since high school that I've seen family more than monthly. As I'm back in my home state, despite the horrific weather we've had, I really feel at home. Sure, Boston is a very fun city and I'd love to be there, but purpose drove me home and purpose continues to form my each and every day.

I've realized tenacity carries into all areas of life, for better or worse. I don't end things, I don't give up. I just try to approach them from different angles. And so far it's worked :) This week has been crazy as we prepare for our spring concert next week with two mini-concerts this week and my interns in finals mode. My dear roommate moved out and my boyfriend studying on steroids. But it's hearing those kids sing that keeps me coming back each and every day. Today was my first day ever missing programming and it was so good to know that it would run without me there. I have an amazing staff and they can do it. We're certainly still learning, but I'm more the problem-solver rather than the implementor at this point. And thanks to our multiple partners, even when the bureaucratic carnival occurs, I have so much support in others.

I did the very notorious ED role of signing appeal letters and licking envelopes today and realized how many people are truly behind this in such a small time and it truly is remarkable. It gave me much more hope about raising our fundraising goal and knowing it WILL be sustained next year and beyond. I remember last year we talked about what if the director got hit by a bus? It is still too young to say it could run without me, but knowing days like today can happen without me, are a start. I'm more there to guide from the back, coaching and nurturing it rather than leading headon. A year ago, I don't think I would have understood this leadership style, but now I do. It empowers others AND requires independence and a strong trust.  I can't say enough about my staff. None of us knew the unexpected turns we'd encounter this spring, and yet still, we have a choir.

I think all relationships whether that be personal or professional are the same-you set expectations, but have to a) check-in to see if these are actually realistic and/or possible, b) have to see if the road has curved down an unexpected detour, or how you can make something that seems like a full-road pothole become a detour or at least a smaller pothole, and c) evaluate what the value of persistence for a particular matter is. If it's not worth it, don't fight it, and if it is DO! To quote American Beauty, so many people live life asleep, going through the motions, but not enjoying life, and yet they do nothing to try to change. Persistence is the key to innovation (knowing the right people and having  501c3 status always help) but really taking that risk was a huge leap of faith, but I did it and you can too! There's a TED talk on vulnerability that says vulnerable people are happier, and as I've realized in myself needier. But that's what it takes.

I was talking to a choir today on the pacific coast who just started a program and we couldn't relate more to each other. It's that connection, that community, that I experienced today that I hope I can provide to these families and their youth. It saddens me greatly when a student has to stop coming because they're moving so close to the end of the school year, or don't have a stable address where a bus can drop them, and yet we keep going. And even if only one value we foster sticks, whether that be our gratefulness, respect, or listening, we made a difference and we're making our mark.

Look out 2014-2015! I'm ready for you! And for the first time in my adult life, in the same city, in the same job, with the same boy. And not at ALL monotonous. Life gives us daily challenges and daily joys. Today was a lick-envelopes-and-eat-ice-cream-and-watch-Netflix day, tomorrow will be my kids singing alongside their band classmates, and the next day hopefully a Friday night filled with friends and laughter. Life ebbs and flows, just like the ocean. And yet we have to cherish every moment because it passes too quickly. We can't keep hoping for change if we're not proactively doing anything to change. As trite as it is, Gandhi really had it right: be the change you wish to see in the world. And that my friends is what I'm trying to do, by breaking down barriers and boundaries both within access to the program as well as between partners. It's time we do this as a whole community: neighborhoods, parents, music schools and teachers, schools, and youth programs ALL included. And if we can build that as a model, then we will truly have collaborated!

Generosity...or is it?

I was having a conversation with someone the other night about how there's no such thing as altruism. This led to a conversation about generosity and how while we claim someone is generous, there is always an alterior motive. If a man goes in to rescue a child in a fire, we would say he's a hero; but subconsciously, he is probably thinking how good it is going to make him look or how good he's going to feel saying he saved a life or..the list goes on. But my question is this: do subsconscious thoughts count as non-altruistic? If you're not consciously thinking them, aren't you doing something for an altruistic reason?

Something I really admire are generous people; people who give their time, resources, brainpower, hearts, lives..people who have helped me to be at the point I am today both professionally and personally. How can I say those people weren't generous? They know I can't offer them the same. Or the idea of Pay It Forward. Is that not generosity that is passed onto the next person? I suppose one could argue no since that person knows he/she should do something since someone did it for him/her. It wasn't happenstance generosity. But I've seen people give them wholeselves to something wholeheartedly. Obviously this demonstrates their passion for an issue/organization/person, but to say it's not generous..I can't do.

This is only a mere musing, hardly a post. And hopefully a spark for conversation!

Traveling, A Year and a Half Later

I just finished watching The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and as most travel movies do, I now want to travel. To see the beauty he hiked and experienced, especially when the weather here is subzero temperatures! I was reflecting on a post I wrote a year and a half ago: http://swzanussi.blogspot.com/2012/07/travelingdenotation-vs-connotation.html

And I thanked myself because I do not feel any differently, in fact I'm reaffirming what I said then. However I do have a new perspective. While I may not have seen as many exotic places recently, I've still grown in many new ways. I'm learning what life with an actual base involves, having regular friends, acquiring furniture and furnishing a place one calls home, and even a relationship. I don't crave wandering like I used to because my family, friends, and life are here now. I'm making a footprint in this community, one that I care about, where I was born. I've learned just as much in launching ComMUSICation and still felt blown away by the beauty of snow, the river, the sunsets here, up north, etc. You don't have to go far to appreciate the world.

But I do still want to conocer el mundo (get to know the world) and that does require more travel. I want to explore regions like southeast Asia I have never been and know little about aside from the stereotypical smiling people, spicy food, and elephant rides. Something in me needs to touch it, smell it, see it, hear it, taste it with my own senses, again reaffirming my sensual nature in the most literal sense of the word. Yet now I want to do it, knowing I am returning to this base, this community, my home. Knowing that my travels are temporary, enriching experiences, and at this stage in life, not my home.

So as I see Walter spotting ghost cats in Afghanistan, trekking the hills of Greenland, and meeting people, my spirit still lusts for those experiences, to adventure; though I'm not sure I can call it wanderlust anymore as it isn't the desire to wander. It's to conocer. To relate, to get to know others more, so I can learn more about others and myself. And that, my friends, cannot be learned from a book or travel documentary. That must be experienced for one's self, to reinvigorate, to spark curiosity, and grow one's self as a human. Unless I am going somewhere for work or to visit family, I am done traveling, etymologically speaking traversing. I am ready for a new type of exploring: to conocer, to understand.

Race and Culture: Open and Outward

I Apologize for the long hiatus. Who knew starting a program would allow no free time for blogging ;p There have been so many thoughts going through my mind since last writing I've been putting this off as I'm not sure where to begin. But then I saw this as a Facebook status: Where would I be without opportunity? And that my friend is the question I hope we don't have to answer with Sistema-inspired and other high-quality programs. Because that's what Sistema does: provides for ALL! Giving everyone an opportunity. I know without opportunity, I certainly wouldn't have become a musician or a traveler, both things integral to who I am now. It is usually only when we have people who encourage us, support us, love us, and challenge us to do things and provide the way to do so, that we can have opportunity. And that is why I claim we are an accessible program, not an equitable program, though that too.

I went to a workshop on Saturday called European American Heritage. It was fascinating. We constantly talk about diversity, but ever since we take a standardized test, it is ingrained that European American=white. But why? What other nationality is labeled by such a superficial characteristic-the color of one's skin? NONE, they are place-based. It is with the power of white, like a kudzu vine (Thank you Healing Roots for the analogy), that whites colonize, overtake, are the dominant culture with many times no accounting for others. If I label myself as a European American, it puts whites too in the place-based labeling, not deeming the power. Every time I have discussions of race and culture, it becomes more and more apparent how imperative (not just recommended) these discussions are to EVERY workplace. People of color notice who is in charge, makes decisions, etc. despite if we talk about it or not.

I'm reading a book called Why Are All The Black Children Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? and it talks about multiple instances where the white parent is embarrassed what her younger child said about blacks and responds by shushing them. The author talks about the importance of acknowledging younger kids' questions about race because younger kids notice physical characteristics and it's perfectly natural, not racist. The child's questions will not go away, just unanswered and learned to be unasked. If we can't have open, honest conversations about this, assumptions and dominant culture to take precedence.  It's important to explain to kids people come in different skin colors just like hair. I grew up in a family where colorblindness and egalitarianism were the basic values and I now realize that simply cannot be. We have to acknowledge that whites have been oppressors and the conditions that are White Privilege. Reading enough statistics anyone who says this is simply a class thing is flat out wrong.

As always I'd welcome comments.

Truly Using Existing Community Resources

Last week I attended a fundraiser St Paul Conservatory of Music breakfast with two extraordinary performances by youth under the age of 10! Their performances were truly at the conservatory level. SPCM has been around for 25 years and this is when I reaffirm the work that's already being done in our communities and how important it is to collaborate with them rather than tell them to "move over, El Sistema is comin' through!"

One thing El Sistema constantly preaches is the "accessibility" piece. Yet, I found out the piano player I mentioned above was on a 90% scholarship level. My old thoughts were that most of the time scholarship kids are seen as merely an outreach program and that El Sistema was the only thing to truly be accessible to all, but Gideon's performance showed me differently. And any high-quality school ensemble IS accessible to all. I didn't have to pay a cent to be in the Stillwater choir. It was that conservatory level we are enthralled by with El Sistema Venezuela occurring right here in Minnesota!! That's what we have to remember. That conservatories and music culture ALREADY EXIST here in the US. That we don't need to build music programs here, we need to provide programs USING these existing resources.

As i meet with more and more people and attend more and more trainings, I am increasingly grateful daily for these resources. I am now Youth Participant Quality Assessment trained, a national training that assesses quality in youth development programs. After writing our 30+ page paper on assessment in the arts, I realize how little of the iceberg we truly touched. The YPQA is a national tool for youth development programs, yet I had never heard of it until Sprockets. How many other assessment tools are already written and resources that are happy to share if all we have to do is ask? This was a huge intent for the Rep and Resource Library. So that we directors who are so busy, don't have to continually reinvent the wheel. In Minnesota, we have youth development institutes! Why am I trying to build a "new" youth development program when I have experts and tools at my fingertips? My true goal that I am writing aloud to be held accountable to, is not to design a new program; but rather use all of the existing resources collaboratively and by the collective whole creating a "new" program.

Another tenet we constantly talk about in El Sistema is the parent involvement. Yet St Paul Promise Neighborhood and St Paul Public Schools DO have a strong emphasis on this even going so far as to have a Parent Academy and a Wellness Cultural Center! By using these existing resources, I can build upon someone else's foundation, instead of trying to start without a cornerstone in place.

So my question then is this. What is "new" about El Sistema-inspired programs? My answer to you is this.

As wonderful as the work of the conservatory is, the focus is that: to be a conservatory focusing on individual performers, and there is nothing wrong with that. However, in contrast, El Sistema in my mind focuses on the ensemble, bridging the gap between the community and the musicians; they're one in the same. While this is obviously at a visionary level, we can start small by frequently performing for the community and involving them. Not with affectless performances where you are glared at if you applaud between movements (No fingers pointed ;p), but rather a celebratory informance (a word I heard the other day and have adopted), informing the community of what is going on and celebrating the community.

My goal is to truly link all parties together so that it is not a "new" program, but a selection of the fittest, linking all parties together-charter/public schools, colleges, high school students, other youth choirs, other non-music youth development programs, and thus providing high quality, while building upon the work that others have done for decades if not half-centuries!