Old Town School – On The Road

Dispatches from the road from our wayfaring travelers.

Lani and the Coconut Drums of México and Hawaiʻi

Yesterday we visited an incredible school called El Centro Cultural Ollin Yoliztli with our guide Felipe, who is a teacher at the school. The school teaches music to students from the the ages of five years to 15 or 16. One of the central points of the school is that students study a kind of “general music” with specific material for their instrument for two years. It’s only after the second year that students decided if they want to study música folklórico or música classica. At El Centro Cultural Ollin Yoliztli both paths are given equal weight. Awesome!

But more about that later. Right now I want to write about one of the unexpected benefits of this trip.

I introduce you to Lanialoha Lee. She teaches music and dance of the Pacific Islands and she is an incredible musician. Before this trip, we knew of each other but we didn’t really know each other. Well, let me tell you it has been a sincere pleasure talking about music and culture and teachings and life with her.

Lani is VERY dedicated to sharing the culture of the indigenous people of the Pacific Islands. I can’t believe how much I’ve learned about Hawai’i, just hanging around México City for two days. Lani is constantly pointing out parallels or differences between the cultures here.

Here is an example which I found very interesting. Lani and the Coconut Drums of México and Hawaiʻi This was recorded on our trip to El Centro Cultural Ollin Yoliztli with Lani, Anacron, Shana and myself crammed in the back of Felipe’s hatchback. In this recording, which is roughly 4 minutes long, Lani describes an encounter we had with a gentleman with a drum made from a coconut tree. We met him in the Zocalo on our first afternoon in México, D.F.

Filed under: Mexico,Notes from Jason by Jason | January 23, 2009 | Comments (0)

¿Por qué estan en México?

I suppose we should tell you what’s going on with this trip. The Old Town School, through grants from the MacArthur Foundation and the Illinois Arts Council, is sending teachers to many different countries this year. (You can read more about the program on Bau’s Blaug.)

The hope is to broaden the awareness, through face-to-face encounters, of the Old Town School. We are in México to build communication lines that can someday be used to facilitate exchanges of teachers, students, music and methodologies.

I’m one of five teachers traveling through México this January. As you probably know, my name is Jason and I teach in the kids and adults guitar programs. I also guide The Young Stracke All-Stars made up of students from the Old Town School. In addition I teach general music at Rogers Park Montessori.

There are four other teachers with me in México. I’ll let them tell their own stories, but here’s a quick overview of these wonder people. Shana teaches Wiggleworms, and Wiggleworms en español. Anacron teaches breakdancing at the school and through the Old Town School’s Global Roots program in the Chicago Public Schools. I can’t believe how much I’ve learned about Hip-Hop culture in just a day and a half with Anacron. Lani teaches the music and dance of the Pacific Islands. Read more about Lani in my next post. Our jefe is Gail. Sometimes she gets the lable of being “just the administrator” but she’s much more than that. She has taken on the daunting responsibility of being the the ring leader for this musical circus. She’s great at making sure everything gets done. She’s also a teacher for the Early Country ensemble and is a wonderful singer. In fact, when I was just a student at the school in 2001, I took Early Country Ensemble. Gail was one of my first teachers!

So that’s us. We’re in México, D.F. for one more day and then we’re on to Morelia and then to Veracruz, where we’ll attend the Encuentro de Jarañeras. There’s a few stops along the way, a few long bus rides and I’m sure plenty of music and adventure.

Thanks for reading. Drop us a line if you can. Stop back soon.

Jason

Filed under: Mexico,Notes from Jason by Jason | January 23, 2009 | Comments (1)

First Day in México with the Old Town School

We made it! I can’t tell you how happy I am to be back in México. Maybe you already know, but I spent the summer of 2008 in Cuernavaca, learning to speak Spanish and meeting lots of great musicians and other friends. I thought it would be a long time before I got to return and I’m thrilled that it could happen so quickly.

It’s been so cool to be in México D.F. and to know my way around a little bit. Something about it is hard to imagine. I’ve also been getting a huge kick out of being able to use mi español. I’m still at the beginning of my Spanish journey, but it’s great to use what I have.

We got in to the hotel at roughly 3:00. We set our stuff down and went right to lunch.

By the end of the afternoon we ended up being part of a wonderful Aztec purification ceremony! More about that later, including some pictures, later.

Tomorrow we’re off to our first set of meetings with teachers here in México. I’m so excited. I hope we get to play some music.

Nos vemos amigos,
Jason

Filed under: Mexico,Notes from Jason by Jason | January 22, 2009 | Comments (3)


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