Last Rehearsals for Recitals

Posters for rhythm and theory activities.

We tape up these posters every morning and take them down every afternoon.

I know there has to be a better way, but this is what we do. We will use all of these in our recitals.

Morning class rehearsal for recital. The man sitting in the back is Chris, my translator.

I Love the Students!

This is Adaly and Nicole. Adaly will be helping to keep all students practicing when I leave.  

Nicole mimics me, walking around the room and saying, "Estamos listos!" (We are ready!) "Donde esta mi libro?" (Where is my book?) "Escuchen, por favor!" (Listen, please!). Notice Adaly is sharing earphones with Nicole.

These are the Sanchez children. They have a small keyboard at home and practice every day.

They learn quickly and listen to everything I say. I predict all three will become fine pianists. They stopped by the church today a couple of hours before their class because Luis forgot his book yesterday and they wanted to pick it up so he could practice before class. I was thrilled to see them in school uniforms and leather shoes with soles attached; this means the tattered pants the boys have worn to class are their get-dirty play clothes. 

Lesly is practicing for her recital Saturday. She takes lessons with her mother and brother. They travel by bus 50 minutes each way each day to come to class from Paramos. They tell me there is an LDS ward in Paramos with 170 people attending each Sunday, but no piano or keyboard at the church. They say the church is bigger than the one we use in Ciudad Vieja. Yes, I know she needs to be sitting higher or the keyboard needs to be lower or both. John Mann says he has tabletops, and next time "we'll" build sawhorses to make them the right height.

These are two of the three Dieguez sisters in an afternoon class practicing a duet for tomorrow's recital.

I met their father tonight, and he is eager to see all three girls succeed.

The Keyboards Have Homes!

I just returned from meeting with John Mann and the bishop of the LDS Church in Ciudad Vieja, and I am pleased that he accepted the plan below of distributing the keyboards.

I was so discouraged that this program would go nowhere without the students practicing daily and having someone oversee their efforts and answer questions. The plan was to put the keyboards in storage until we come again to teach, but that was definitely not what God wants.

On the first day of classes, Adaly,  a mother with two young children, headed home because the children were, well, children.  John Mann passed her with his van, picked her up and brought her back to the church telling her she didn't want to pass up this opportunity that could change her life and the lives of her children. Well, she has now become the most promising student, has offered to visit the other homes of students once each week - walking, of course, because she has no vehicle - and to answer questions the students may have in finishing their beginning hymn course books. She's going with me and John Mann on Sunday afternoon to deliver the keyboards and explain that they are not to be abused, sold, or lent to anyone, and that when I return they all go back to the church for instruction. She speaks no English, but she and I communicate well. She helped me go through the entire list of students, told me who was related to who, knew where everyone lived, and who already has keyboards, who would take care of them, and which families would see that their children practice. In the list below that I gave the bishop tonight, every single student will now have access to a keyboard.

One Monday this week in the afternoon adult class that has had nearly perfect attendance, only one adult woman showed up. I didn't realize she was the bishop's wife until Megan saw her picture in the bishop's office. So this lady received a private piano lesson - the only private 40-minute lesson I've given the entire five weeks. Halfway through the lesson when I gave her a thumbs up that she was doing well, she started to cry and told me - in Spanish - that from the time she was a little girl she had wanted to take piano lessons but it wasn't a possibility. She said this was her dream come true - that she never imagined that she would have the opportunity, and now she will teach her children. She put her arms around me and just sobbed. Then we went back to the lesson. Well, it's logical to give her the other large keyboard because the bishop will need access to it for any functions at the church, right?

Distribucion de Pianos 

Ciudad Vieja, Guatemala 

August 3, 2013

Italics significa: Eustudiantes viven en otro lugar.

1.  Adaly Marroquin                         Grande

2.  Susi de Zuleta                            Grande (Mayerli Casilia, Emilia Fernarda,

                                                                        Chris Bernarda)

3.  Jose Xoc                                      Pequeno

4.  Vasquez Dieguez family           Pequeno (Sisters: Laura, Janerky, Marissa)

5.  Yanira Gonzalez                         Pequeno

6.  Ana Lilian Gonzalez                   Pequeno

7.  Castaneda Barrios familia         Pequeno (Hermanas: Dulce Maria, Sofia Ana)                                                                                                              

Tienen teclados ahora:

1.  Catherine Mishel Barragan Garcia

            (Genoveva Perez de Cabrera – vive cerca)

2.  John Mann

            (Karla Mariela, Byron Eduardo, Mayra Eloisa, Jorge Garcia Colindras)

3.  Ana Beatriz Jop Hernandez familia: sus hijos - Jose Alejandro Cuc Jop, Lesly           Beatriz Cuc Jop

4.  Yaquelin Roxana Perez (Sidny Aleli Jaurez Vielman – sister-in-law)

5.  Vivian Lizbeth Cacon Garcia (Estela Zuleta)

6.  Adela Sagastume (Pablo de Mata vive en la misma casa)

7.  Sanchez familia: Delwin Elian Sanchez, Luis Carlos Sanchez,

            Sariah Abigail Sanchez

Puede practicar en:

Iglesia: Saul Efrain Galicia Gonzalez

Yanira Gonzalez: Guadalupe Garcia Hernandez

Adaly Marroquin: Guadalupe Garcia Hernandez, Yanira Gonzalez, Dayana Tizol, Rocio Gabriela

Introduction to Recitals in Spanish

So here's my opening for each recital. Yes, only Spanish! I don't know if anyone will understand me, but I will know what I'm trying to say.

Bienvenidos!

Estamos listos para comensar!

Yo soy Debra Hadfield, vivo en Texas en los Estados Unidos. Hoy estoy enamorada con Guatemala y con todos los estudiantes maravillosos.

Por cinco semanas, de lunes a jueves, tenemos estudiantes aprendiendo juntos a tocar los teclados, con emphasis en los himnos.

Cada estudiante tiene una buena actitud, y todos nosotros aprendimos mucho.

Los estudiantes tuvieron examinaciones de theoria con porcentajes muy altas.

Yo estoy extremadamente agradecida con todos.

Quiero gradecer a mi maestra estudiante, Megan Moncrief.

Megan tiene dieciseis anos de edad, y esta es su primer experiencia como maestra.

Ella conoce el nombre de cada estudiante.

Ella conoce a que familia pertenecen y quienes son amigos.

Yo aprecio mucho la ayuda de Megan.

Quisiera agradecer a John Mann por su hospitalidad conmigo, mi esposo, y Megan.

El ha hecho su casa nuestra casa, y hizo muchas casas para que este programa tuviera buen exito.

John ayudo traer los teclados de Texas a Guatemala.

El ayudo encontrar los materiales que necesitabamos.

El ajusto a Christian Novella como nuestra traductor.

Aun mas, el ha sido nuestro amigo.

Yo quiero agradecer a Chris por su traducion durante estos dias.

El es nuestro amigo cercano, tambien, y estamos agradecidos por su ayuda.

Quiero darle las gracias al obispo de Ciudad Vieja por invitarnos a Ciudad Vieja.

Estamos agradecidos por el uso del edificio.

Quisiera dar gracias a Jorge Colinas por su ayuda diaria en la asamblea del equipo musica.

Ahora, los estudiantes trabajaron muy duro, y estan con muchos deseos de ensenar lo que han aprendido.

Nosotoros queremos que ustedes tambien tengan la oportunidad para aprender, entonces, por favor, participen con nosotros.

Una de las primer cosas que debe aprender un pianista is los numeros de dedos.

Aqui estan los numeros para Brilla, brilla, pequena estrella.

Por favor, muevan sus dedos mientras tocamos.

  

Megan's Letter

July 30, 2013

To Whom It May Concern:

            Megan Moncrief has served the past five weeks as my volunteer student teacher in Ciudad Vieja, Guatemala, helping me teach over 50 beginning piano students daily, Monday through Thursday, each week. She has received no reimbursement for her work, although we have had great weekend excursions!

            Since this has been the greatest teaching challenge of my life, I know it has to have been challenging for Megan as well, but she has seen it through to the end of the course. Every morning she was ready to leave by 8:30 a.m., helping to set up the church where we taught, and working with me until 5:30 p.m. each day, then helping to take down and put away the teaching materials and eight keyboards.

            We had one group of eight children aged five to seven years that needed their own class while their parents had a class of their own. These children would have loved learning to play the piano, but there weren’t enough keyboards, so Megan took on the challenge of helping them learn to count, sing songs, and learn the names of keys using paper keyboards.

            During our three-hour morning adult class, one mother came with her young daughter and toddler son. The first day this mother left the class and was walking home with her two children because they were disruptive. Our host picked her up and brought her back to the church, telling her she didn’t want to pass up this opportunity. Megan took on the challenge without being asked of daily entertaining this little girl and some days both children while at the same time trying to help with the adult students. Some days when the children became extremely inquisitive, Megan would simply pick them up by the feet and swing them gently upside-down, which they loved! Because Megan was willing to tend these children, the mother stayed in the class, progressed quickly, and will now be our main resource in keeping the other students practicing.

            Megan helped me make teaching materials. She frequently played the piano to help the students perform in unison on their keyboards. Using headphones, she listened to and encouraged all 50 students in learning to play a variety of songs. She was willing to share her beautiful singing voice, even though the words were in Spanish, to help with the learning process.  She often pointed to charts while students practiced the songs. Megan has a lively sense of humor, which endeared the students of all ages to her. I know that her kindness and patience helped them learn and progress.

            Megan has my sincere praise for giving her summer to teaching these students and changing their lives.

Debra Hadfield, NCTM

President and Founder of Music Amigos, Inc.

A Happy Man!

This is Eugene (on the left) back in the states working. 

He looked this happy in Guatemala, too, but he sure looks enthusiastic about his job, doesn't he?

Antigua is a Beautiful City for a Walk