Urbi (Trujillo) et Orbi (my readers!)

(This weeks photos mainly feature Otuzco - up in mountains about 1.5 hours from Trujillo.)

My good friends Marco and Ara and family, Inspirational.

I was given the opportunity to reflect on life here in Trujillo, and as a nomad, by a posting on face book by my good friend Marco:  Mexican, married to a Mexican, studied and lived in UK, obtained citizenship, and now as a European, working in Madrid.  The subject was living abroad and the ex-pat life. He hankers to move back to London rather than back to Mexico City, I simply don’t have a desire to move back to the UK and if I did I simply couldn’t afford to do so. And I would have to live on my annuity and savings (my saving would be gobbled up in about 3 years, and then what?

The articles is here: http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/what-happens-when-you-live-abroad/#JCeBWJJJgUODPbyi.01

Nick

When you live abroad I think you can go in two directions, live as a foreigner, stick with the ex-pats and cling on to life back home or, immerse yourself in the traditions, culture and way of life of your host country. For me I simply have to switch or analyse my motivations and motives when finding myself at odds with things here.  Having lived in India for the best part of seven years I was challenged to give up my “historical colonial past” and eventually I was given honorary Indian status  by those who knew me and my work, this culminated in participation in India’s 50^th anniversary celebrations of Independence back in 1997, where I conducted a concert in Delhi.

A nomad

 

Street scene

So the positives (in the article):

“It’s hard to deny that the act of living in another country, in another language, fundamentally changes you. Different parts of your personality sort of float to the top, and you take on qualities, mannerisms, and opinions that define the new people around you. And there’s nothing wrong with that; it’s often part of the reason you left in the first place. You wanted to evolve, to change something, to put yourself in an uncomfortable new situation that would force you to into a new phase of your life.”

Well, a new phase in my life, certainly, looking back I see my life a series of seven(ish) year cycles:

7 years secondary school

7 years music college and professional musician

7 years working for the BAA

7 years  independent consultant

7 years in India

7 years in Birmingham Chamber of Commerce

Then in 2009 a return to Independent Consultancy and then it starts to come apart…….

Old cathedral now a museum

 The return to independent consultancy coincided with the credit crunch and the financial crisis and the service sector suffered, I suffered. Little work, unemployment, bankruptcy and a general loss of direction, falling back on my resourcefulness I tried my hand at art-painting, chocolatier-ing, I worked in care home for those with Alzheimer’s but everything was increasingly a struggle and I was in danger of loosing myself.

Having serendipitously found that I could draw a small pension on my 55^th birthday, I made the decision for a change of direction relatively quickly. In three months I had sold up (well given-up) my struggles in Birmingham and swapped it for a year in Guatemala and a life devoted to travel, and charitable work as a volunteer, with a vague back of an envelope plan to travel for 10 years and discover the whole of Latin/South America.

Main Square from the new cathedral

Well here I am 18 months in, year two In Peru, happy, contented, energised and focused. Teaching in the conservatoire has given me back my first and greatest love, music and it occupies almost every waking thought.

Original bell tower, gateway.

Well as the article says “ I wanted and NEEDED to evolve” (again) to open myself up to new possibilities new challenges and new vistas.

Two farmers discuss ......... in main square

The perceived negatives (from the article):

“When you live abroad, you realize that, no matter where you are, you will always be an ex-pat. There will always be a part of you that is far away from its home and is lying dormant until it can breathe and live in full colour back in the country where it belongs. To live in a new place is a beautiful, thrilling thing, and it can show you that you can be whoever you want — on your own terms. It can give you the gift of freedom, of new beginnings, of curiosity and excitement. But to start over, to get on that plane, doesn’t come without a price. You cannot be in two places at once, and from now on, you will always lay awake on certain nights and think of all the things you’re missing out on back home.”

Contemplation ?

Of course you miss out on things, life continues in the old-country, your friends lives continue, the clocks don’t stop and world doesn’t stop spinning and of course you do miss out in not being “at” events with friends. But all this is a state of mind.

Friends may miss you, be cross with you for going away. Leaving is a selfish act, but true friends understand and there is the internet to catch up on everything else!  I don’t have a part of me lying dormant waiting for that return to where I belong.  I am a nomad, and a citizen of the world and I don’t have time to lie awake at night wondering what I am missing.

I am a “newshound” and always have been I get my fill of BBC World, BBC news and the Guardian online and through this prism I see life in the UK differently and for me I feel that in my situation I am increasingly heading in the direction of one of the people the government seems not to understand or care about.  Maybe I have “burnt my boat” return to the permanently is UK increasingly unlikely but hey, there is a whole world out here to be discovered, worthwhile work and activities and opportunities galore.  I wish more “50 somethings” would be nomads like me!

So, I am more the surviving here, I am thriving.  I avoid ex-pats I am trying to integrate, of course I will always be seen as a foreigner and I will always be a foreigner, but hopefully people will also see that my intentions and actions are honourable. I am 100% integrating into life here.

When I get angry, about audience behaviour for instance, or the casual attitudes of my students, I have to examine motives why do I want to change things and for what benefit. I have a different life experience to the people here, not better, not superior, just different. I need to use that difference to enhance and empower and to explore possibilities.

To deliberately misquote The Serenity Prayer I am striving for serenity, courage and wisdom   in that Life (not God)“ … has granted me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.”

The thing missing I think is flexibility, the original 10 year plan was only a plan on the back of an envelope, if it changes it doesn’t matter: it was a plan for liberation not a plan to chain me down.

Jamonaria - air dryed hams ...mmmmmmm

My now personally established Atheism has also been a great strength and this personal liberation from the shackles of “Theism” – simply life changing and life affirming.

How to be a musician 101 - turn the dream into reality .... hard work.

Here Christianity pervades almost every aspect of life, dominated by either the Catholic Church or the “alleluias” (a myriad of evangelical sects) [Mormonism is also big here.] A deep dependency culture has been created, I won’t get started this week on this subject but suffice it to say that I tell my students that praying will not make you a musician no matter how hard and long you pray: all time more beneficially used in sitting at the piano and practicing your scales.




I am pretty serene here, even given my passing frustrations, I have taken courage in both hands, not in moving here, but probably in at last trying to have serious, honest and meaningful relationship and I am learning that wisdom comes from listening, reflecting and bring true to oneself.

A dedicated student - he works very hard!

The nomadic “gene” exists in all of us, we are all world citizens, for the majority the opportunity to realise this beyond notions of living and working abroad and being an “ex-pat” are either non-existent or simple not yet on the horizon. I am a lucky man.

What I have traded to have this is worth every sleepless night and they are VERY few and far between (and more likely caused by the weather or too much to eat and drink).


Postscript.

My recent trip to Otuzco where I got badly and unexpectedly sunburnt as I had planned for cold mountain weather and got bright, sunshine and trips to the Futbol and Voleibol will have to wait! Hey and only 10 days to go before Nick and I head for Cartegena and Santa Marta in Colombia!



Final picture gallery:

Peru is voleibol mad!

Player red card led to an altercation by the player with the ref the police were called!

 And finally, finally,  final preparations underway for:

 

Preparing for the new academic year

All the pictures this week are from the trip to Cajamarca. 

The last three weeks have passed in something of a blur, my summer courses came to an end with a bit of a whimper as I was suffering from a heavy cold and had to cancel my last two days teaching. The date for my Chamber Choir concert had to be changed twice and then I decided to move it from Holy week and to do the concert in April, my Chamber Music students end of concert happened this last Thursday, and eyebrows were raised at the idea of doing a concert at lunchtime.But it was an informal concert and the students benefited from the opportunity to perform, at whatever level they were at, so we had a very quirky programme of music, including a duet for the unlikely combination of violin and euphonium, Elizabethan love songs on the saxophone, and a solo for double bass!

Here is a video of preparations underway; 

 

Cajamarca Cathedral

I have at last got the Harpsichord into a (just) playable condition but there is still a huge amount of work to do, and I think it will never be back to it's original condition, there is simply to much corrosion, oxidation (rust) and warped wood, thanks to it sitting in the damp for five years! But it was hugely enjoyable to play it during a chamber music rehearsal even it the tuning was still a long way short of perfect, and I have managed to break only 1 string in retuning so along with the string already broken I have two to replace.

Poster for the concert - with Luis the concert promoter

On March 2 I was in Cajamarca, a city some 7 hours from Trujillo by bus and up in the hills, it was good to escape the heat but still a shock to experience very British weather, weak sun, rain and wind. I was cold! I had travelled to Cajamarca along with Prof. Guillermo (Violin) and 5 students to give a chamber concert as the inaugural concert in a proposed series re-introducing the people of Cajamarca to classical music. It was a lovely event with over 100 people attending (and paying S.8/£2 for entry). Having been up all night Friday on the bus, I was too tired for any sightseeing but the city looks like a place well worth a future visit. I returned to Trujillo again by bus on Saturday night. The return journey being memorable for being with a very down-market bus company, the chicas in our group felt very vulnerable, as some of the other passengers looked to be very “rough diamonds”, I changed places with our cellist as her seat was next to a fat guy who was sitting with his stomach hanging out of his shirt, he smelled, and he was stuffing his face full of some horribly greasy hamburger. I made it quite clear that he had to not not stray into my space, but it was an uncomfortable journey. The bus was dirty, had no air conditioning and the toilet did not function! Mental note, next time I need to check with concert organizers as to which bus company is being used.

I gave a presentation to the Professors this week about the introduction of London College of Music exams and diplomas from this coming November. This is a real coup for me and the conservatoire as it will be the first time these examinations will be available at a high level in Latin America, let alone Peru. Prof. Carlos, the conservatoire director, is very supportive of the idea and of my plan to slowly, slowly raise standards of performance for those students with ability and motivation. Sadly neither all the students, nor all the professors have ability, motivation or the necessary enthusiasm improve!

During the meeting Carlos mentioned that new computers had been purchased for the library and the professors common room, I saw this as my cue to “bag” one of the old computers for my room. My room Aula 13 (lucky for me) is to be renamed the “Centre for the Execution and Interpretation of Music” with me as its “voluntary” director. The idea being that my efforts in the coming academic year (and beyond) is to support, encourage, promote and direct all efforts to improve music performance, through individual lessons, chamber music groups, a chamber choir and orchestra and in enabling more concerts and recitals. A very exciting prospect for me. The centre will also support all candidates and their teachers for LCM examinations and diplomas.

I have already identified some 15 students whom I think will be able to participate in musical performance at what I consider to be a level equivalent to that found in a UK music conservatoire. And this group of students will be the foundation for a fundamental shift in standards.

The computer being vital for me to make arrangements of music for various chamber groups and to write the necessary exercises and material to support this period of growth and change.

I need to restart my Spanish lessons urgently. Whilst I can understand and participate in conversations I am missing some of the subtleties which has led me to unwittingly agree to run several conducting courses for organisations not part of the conservatoire. I also appear to be a start turn in an upcoming Trombone festival and will be official accompanist to an international wind instrument festival later in the year!

So, my plan is to have two days off per week Tuesday – which will be “study Spanish day” and also (apart from some private practice) Sunday is devoted to quality time with Nick.

The next two months are looking hectic (in a good way) I have a concert on April 1, Conducting Course April 1-3, Concert April 9, holiday April 11 – 21, Conducting Course April 25 – 27, Symphony Concert May 10, Chamber Concert May 17, Opera end of May, plus a couple of recitals! But if I am to be credible I must also practice what I preach and so performing is a key part of being a role model for the students.

I has been good having the support of Kathryn (Otra Cosa volunteer) over the summer period, she has worked hard with the students every day and has been rewarded by the chance to play in the symphony orchestra, not a usual younger volunteer! I hope that through Otra Cosa a couple of other qualified teachers can come and assist in the work of improving opportunities for the students and professors. This really is an area for volunteers like me, older and with experience to share, who are willing to work hard 30 – 40 hours a week, rather than younger volunteers who want to combine a bit of volunteering with the opportunity to party nightly on the beach in Huanchaco.

Not a coffin - but the digital piano!

I feel as though I am missing something vital in this blog entry, but for the life of me cannot remember what it is …...... my next task is to write to the CEO ok KLM and persuade him to change my ticket (against all the booking conditions of my ticket) so that I can visit UK during the two week break in August, rather than returning on July 9 the date of my ticket! I am also exploring changing my visa status post August.










FINALLY,  after at least 50 years, I regressed to being 5 or 6 and  was tempted to eat some spun sugar candy, shame it made my fingers, tongue and mouth bright yellow! I just remembered this stuff is called "candy-floss"

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!)