A Musical Mission

“Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life” –Red Auerbach

I am very happy to report that I have found a musical outlet in Chimbote. Chimbote is showing signs of economic prosperity with the instillation of cross walks downtown, paved streets, street signs and astro turf in the local soccer parks. I don’t forget it is a dessert, the amount of dirt one finds everywhere is still overwhelming, but I do have to remind myself the city only has a government that is around 200 years old. Primarily existing for those who work in the fishing and steel industry, there is not a real presence or history of the Arts in the form of a professional theater, orchestra or museums in Chimbote. As the Peruvian sol continues to get stronger,money is coming into Chimbote and the education system is trying to catch up.

In April of last year, a youth orchestra was formed for children ages 8 to 17. The program is modeled after a successful musical mission in Venezuela that went after the economically disadvantaged children. Playing in an orchestra is like playing on a sports team. It builds character, discipline and a sense of pride. It keeps children off of the streets. By educating these children in music, they develop their interior and create a person that is more likely to become an agent of change that can rise above their economic condition. It is not just music; it develops their minds and feeds their souls.

I am amazed these children have been playing for less than a year. Their enthusiasm is contagious. They all started on recorder and have evolved to a full orchestra since April of last year. I smile when I get to work with the two flute students in the orchestra. While I still struggle with Spanish, I am fluent in flute. They are eager to learn and I am honored to teach. Their musical ears are more advanced than their music reading skills. Peru has a long history of playing by ear which is an amazing talent in itself. They will often goof off and pick out another melody on their flute from another section or embellish the musical line instead of playing what is on the page. As they learn to read music, they are learning coordination and discipline. It is all still very fundamental but it is exciting to think where they might be in one year and how much they are changing as a person.

The instruments and music stands were donated from some of the local industries. The teacher/directors come from Trujillo, the neighboring town 2 hours up the road. The devoted teachers travel by bus from Trujillo to Chimbote for rehearsals every Thursday and Saturday. The program exists on a year to year basis largely dependent on donations.

Many residents in Chimbote never travel. Music is giving Chimbote’s most important resource, their children, a chance to transform themselves and explore a world outside of the confines of Chimbote. The motto used in Venezuela and Chimbote, “a better life through music,” is very true.