Calm down dear, ... it's only a conservatoire!

Be warned ..... I am a bit angry, frustrated .................. saddened ..........

Some days I just want to head for the mountains!

Summer is truly here, although at 7 am it can be a bit chilly  (14 degrees) by ten o’clock the temperature has rocketed to nearly thirty, and the breeze from the Pacific drops and we swelter until around five pm when the breeze picks up.   The intensity of the sun is quite something and I try to avoid going out during the middle of the day.

“Plaza Vea” is a supermarket chain and anew branch has opened up just  a week ago and 200 yards from my front door a very useful addition to life for me, although of course I suspect it will hit the many small grocery shops hard.  Last Saturday – opening day – it felt as though half Trujillo had come along to see what all the fuss was about.  I returned yesterday and even though it was the same time as before the place was almost empty, but the quality of the food is good, clean, well presented.  And the aroz con leche   (rice pudding) to die for!   Creamy, sweet and full of big fat black raisins!  Mmmmmmmmm.  But I can now easily include a lot more fruit in my diet especially as grapes are only 75p per kilo.

OK ........ Here we go .......................

"A professor"

I feel so very sad for the students, in fact I was almost reduced to tears this week when I asked a conducting student of mine if he would like to play his trumpet to me. He was happy to oblige and at the appointed time arrived, so I said “ok play me one of your latest pieces” – he has been learning for three years – he replied “what pieces?” – “You know, the piece of music you are currently learning” – “but Maestro my professor has never given me a piece of music I just do exercises and play scales” - “what????”   I felt sure I had misunderstood him, but no, I had heard perfectly correctly.    This is a scandal!   Students here respect their teachers and do what they are told without question, it is an utter dereliction of duty and an affront to “music” that a professor should choose not to give his pupils music to play.  When I realised that my student was not alone, it all started to make sense.  Another pupil had thanked me so much for giving time to accompany him and to give him for the first time some music to play that was written for his instrument! 

So many students have never played with an accompanist – which now is logical, because you don’t need a piano to accompany you if all you are playing is long notes and scales! It explains why so many students don’t (can’t) participate in the end of term concerts.   When I say I was almost in tears – this is no exaggeration, I felt sick to my stomach and so very, very embarrassed to call myself a teacher if my fellow teachers treat their pupils in this manner.  These professors are an affront to the idea of music and an affront to the Conservatoire.  Even as I am writing this I feel sooooo bad.

I am one man, I work 60 hours a week at the conservatoire devoting my time to those students who are keen, motivated and hungry to learn, but what I thought was indifference on the part of many other students is actually the fact that they have been completely numbed and demotivated by their professors.

"Profesor ............ "

OK so the professors are not well paid, S.1200 (£300) for a month working 15 hours a week, but it is the best salary available for a music teacher in northern Peru!  But the system – the syllabus – is designed to promote mediocrity – there are no independent examinations – all work is marked by the professors doing the teaching – the syllabus is a joke – there is no meaningful supervision, nothing to show the actual progress of a pupil ……………………

Last week before my “enlightenment” I exploded at a group of senor students in an ear training class telling them that their ability was less than I would expect from a five year old in the UK and that they should be ashamed to even think about the idea of calling themselves musicians – I have “performers” who ask which “You tube” video should I listen to and copy the interpretation – singers who have no idea of sight reading or how to pitch basic intervals – I hear a singing teacher systematically ruining voices by allowing their pupils to do exercises which are actually damaging  the voice letting their pupils “scream and screech” – with no idea of a “method” and allowing their pupils to sings arias from operas that are doing more harm than good.  They should be building up their pupils not destroying them. The singing teachers also do a good job at ruining pianos, as they BANG out exercises by hitting the keys!

A Euphonium pupil told me his professor uses a “method” designed for the bass trombone, the difference between to the two instruments is that of “chalk and cheese” and finally, in this rant-et, and another pupil uses a text book written in Russian as no other is available – except that when I went to the library there were at least 10 technical manuals for his instrument with diagrams and one book in several different languages including Espanol!  But of course pupils cannot actually enter the library, they can only ask for books via a catalogue and the professor you can examine the books) was obviously too lazy to look himself.

"No need to worry, as I will both write and mark the test"

Now, I cannot change the system, I am one man, I can only do what I can, and try my hardest to give those pupils I work with the very best of me and hope that some of my ideas affect, or shame, others into a more professional way of working.  But the system here is the system and nobody is particularly bothered to change it.  It is just so sad that I see “potential” and the only reason pupils fail to attain their potential is that their professors are incapable or indifferent ……… rather than improve their students they get jealous of talent and try to destroy it

The preferred approach to developing musical talent

But, I have been asked by another European trained professor to reinvigorate his small music academy and to offer music training according to a plan that will actually enable and animate  students and not to be ground down by the indifference of others. Watch this space, my orginal contract was to volunteer for 20 hours at the conservatoire and maybe I will return to that and devote the other 40 hours I have available to a school that is more Ethical? Enlightened? Enthusiastic?

I have printed almost 2500 pages in the last six weeks and spent some £100  on additional photocopies all to provide my pupils with material for my courses, they are shocked to receive so much necessary course materials ……..  normally they have to take notes by dictation ..... what a waste of time .... but a cop out for a lazy profesor! 

OK rant over!!!!!!!!....... enjoy the beauty of this piece of music which I plan to perform with a gifted Euphonium student ..... (and a student I vow not to allow to become disillusioned).....

Astor Piazolla - Oblivion arranged  for Euphonium and Piano

and now .......

National branding

I have downloaded the forms necessary to apply for a visa that will allow me to work and live here on a more permanent basis.  I need to earn a little money if I can, especially if I want to move out of my room and to a flat.

I do care and I do feel  ........

In all this hustle and bustle and in the turmoil of my days, I still maintain a private life and hold my “me” time as sacred, poor Nick suffers from having to hear me let off steam but he always gives me the space to get things off my chest although he did politely remind me that when I said my anger and frustration was in no way directed at him, he did feel occasionally that my feelings spilled over into our time …… point noted! This burgeoning relationship is the most important non-musical thing in my life here, and has a profundity I have never experienced before.

Well Thursday was San Valentin – which here is both the day for lovers (no? really? I never knew that!)  and now, the day of friendship (surely they can find another day for that!) – Nick and I went out to our favourite French Creperie – cool Jazz cd's, great atmosphere, Edith Piaf, cocktails, pizza, beer, crepes and flavoured macerated fruit based rums! We were due to meet in the restaurant at 8:15 I had overrun in a rehearsal at the Conservatoire and at 8:06 flew home to change and got to the restaurant at 8:25, it was packed full of couples and groups (of pairs) and there was Nick sitting at a table in solitary splendour waiting for me... in front of him a box of chocolates for me, I had brought nothing (shame on me) – the size of the table meant our meal was of necessity an intimate affair but that was just, well, .......perfect!

Happy and contented ......

Sticky fingers

We were oblivious to the fact that we were the only male couple – well Nick did say at one point that had I noticed we were"the only **** in the village” – “yes, and your point is?”  (He didn’t actually use that phrase – but would have done had he seen “little Britain”) – I had explained about Shrove Tuesday both the pancakes and the verb “to shrive” – and so we elected to have some pancakes with lemon juice and sugar and also share a plate of “Snickers Crepes” – we had our photo taken and mysteriously, due to the effects of the flash no doubt, a message magically appeared …….. as did a very chocolaty finger!

Juany and Peter of Otra Cosa

 Finally, yesterday I was very kindly invited to breakfast with Juany (from Otra Cosa) she is in Peru to visit her sick mother, welcome the new Manager and amongst other things took the time and trouble to see me.  Excellent breakfast, fruits cereals,  big vegetable stuffed pancakes, roast pork and a huge selection breads …… what an excellent way to start the day!  I am to write an article for the Otra Cosa blog …….  I so want to encourage more volunteers to work in music …….

My tuning key and wires for the harpsichord still have not arrived, another petty frustration …..

However,   despite what you may think,  I am basically
very ........ 

 and 

 but I got me one  (Thanks!)