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My French World

04-16-2013

Food and Friends

by MATHILDE GEISMAR
1st year MM Viola

 

 

 

If you think French food, do you picture the great restaurants where you almost need a microscope to discern the food installed in the middle of a big and otherwise empty plate? A romantic evening in Paris, eating bread, wine and cheese with a really good looking French girl/guy?  Well, if yes, you and I watched the same movies. It’s time to bring you into My French World.

Let’s be honest: food is REALLY important.  But if you think that my girlfriends and I are going to act like Bree Van de Kamp and be the perfect housewife, you are WRONG. Food is truly an excuse for a great social gathering, and nobody should be stuck in the kitchen! Not when in the living room, or at the dinner table, the most passionate debates and discussions are taking place. Sex, politics, religion, everything you are not supposed to talk about here; bring it on!! So, how do you have great food while being with your guests? Ahah, my ancestors have thought it through.

Fondue Savoyarde is one possibility. A big wok of melted cheese and white wine in the middle of your table, heated with a gas flame. Salads and charcuterie are available on the side, and more importantly, hundreds of small pieces of bread. Each guest has a special long fork, where they stick their bread to dip it into the cheese. Some fork fighting in the wok might occur. But CAREFUL, if your fork comes out of the cheese without your bread, you will have a “gage”.  Your guests can decide to have you imitate a

If we stay in the cheese world, there is also Raclette. Again, salads and charcuterie on the side, with potatoes in the center. A giant half Raclette is heated in the middle of the table. As it melts, people bring their plate and drag the melted cheese on top of their potato with a wooden spoon. This is so delicious you have no idea! But you can’t really import the machine because of voltage differences. After a few years in the States, I missed it so much that I considered making a Raclette heater with my curling iron. That did not end up working so well…

I will keep examples of French food solutions for social gathering for later. But, here is some advice for you if you end up going to France.  Don’t stick to the famous monuments, go to cafés a little bit outside of the touristic areas and experience real students’ café discussions. Go outside of Paris!! The country is beautiful with stone made houses, best homemade style food and a completely different feel from big cities. And…if you are invited to a social gathering around Raclette or Fondue with French people? Well, get a bottle of wine and dress up a little bit! Friends of friends are welcome so, you never know, you might meet the person of your dreams! Better look good!

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Another Holiday?

04-16-2013

Yep! It’s international book day

by SERGIO MUÑOZ
3rd Year Undergraduate Viola Performance

 

One of the things that was most surprising to me about the United States was the vast amount of random, peculiar, and sometimes made up holidays there are here: Earth Day, April Fool’s Day, Pi Day, Groundhog Day, Mole Day, Frog Jumping Day, Hug a Violist Day, etc. Despite the plethora of holidays, I was sad to find out that no one in my circle had ever heard of International Book Day, a celebration that I always enjoyed at home in Chile. Here is my attempt to change that by spreading awareness of this noble festivity that honors the chief icon of literature and what is still –in spite of technology– one of the most popular means for distributing knowledge.

What is it?

International Book and Copyright Day, celebrated on April 23, is an initiative led by UNESCO as a “worldwide tribute to books and their authors […], encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and to gain a renewed respect for the extraordinary contributions of those who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity.”

How can I celebrate?

  • Read a book! Be grateful for books, the people who write them, and the joy of reading! Here are some suggestions from UNESCO:
  • Share your passion for an author and offer his book to people around you! Accompany it with a rose! (My personal favorite!)
  • Take this opportunity to explore something different from what you’re used to read.
  • Leave a book on a park bench, on a seat on the T, or on a music stand with a note saying “Happy Book and Copyright Day!”
  • Never throw away your books! Donate them to a local library or book drive initiative.

Why April 23rd?

April 23 is a very special date for literature. 23 April 1616 was the date of death of William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.* Shakespeare and Cervantes are regarded as the greatest authors of the English and Spanish languages respectively; while El Inca Garcilaso was the first exponent of the then budding Latin American literature. April 23 is also the birth and death date of many other authors, such as Maurice Druon, Halldór K. Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo. On this day as well it is awarded in Alcalá de Henares, Spain the Miguel de Cervantes Prize. This is the most important literary distinction of the Spanish language, and it is awarded at a ceremony led by the King of Spain.

  • The coincidence of dates was actually not such (Aw! Sad face!). Cervantes died on 22 April 1616 and was buried on the 23rd. Also, back in 1616, England was still using the Julian calendar, as opposed to the Gregorian calendar which Spain was already using then and that we use today. Back then, the Julian calendar was 10 days behind the Gregorian, which means that Shakespeare actually died on May 3 of our calendar. But the fact that there is a coincidence because of various miscalculations is still really cool!

 

A Book and a Rose

In Catalonia, Spain, April 23 is also celebrated as the city’s patron saint, Saint George. Iconographic depictions of Saint George represent him slaying a dragon to spare the life of a young maiden. The legend says that on the spot where the dragon’s blood was spilled, a rose bloomed as a symbol of love and friendship. For this reason, on April 23 Catalonian lovers offer each other a book and a rose. It’s almost an equivalent of Valentine’s Day, but in April when the weather is much nicer than in February (at least in the northern hemisphere)! Just like on Valentine’s Day, you don’t need to have a significant other to celebrate Book Day this way: Give a book and a rose to your best friend, to someone you appreciate, or to someone you think would really enjoy or benefit from reading a book that has touched you.

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SISTEMA IN VENEZUELA: A FOLLOWUP

04-16-2013

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?

The horn section of the top orchestra of Barquisimento plays Mahler 5. The fourth horn has only been playing for a couple of years!

I’ve learned the importance of discipline and the power of mere repetition. I’ve seen how music truly can be a right for all and not a privilege for the very few. I’ve seen the dedication and alignment all ES teachers have there. I’ve also learned the “a la orden” mentality (to your request) of truly wanting to genuinely help in anyway possible. I’ve learned things I didn’t anticipate such as how to read musicography (Braille music). – Sara Zanussi

I learned about myself as a musician and as a person. In Sistema culture, the lines between practice, rehearsal, teaching and performing are much less defined. There were many times when I would sit down to practice but ended up performing, or when I expected to perform but ended up teaching. I realized how these are all just different forms of making and interacting with music, but at their core express the same thing – myself and those who are there to enjoy the process with me. – Andrea Landin

In Caracas and Barquismento, we met students with a range of goals; there were students who were really interested in concentrating on music, some with dreams of coming to NEC, and we met students

Curious flute players interview Fellow Carlos Roldan at Nucleo Sarria in Caracas, Venezuela

who just liked playing with their friends and to grow up to become doctors, lawyers and music teachers. All of them shared the same vision of Maestro Antonio Abreu: To help children young and old to reach their full potential and acquire values that flavor their growth and have a positive impact on their lives in society. –Xóchitl Tafoya

I have learned what it truly means to share and give. Everyone we met who is part of El Sistema had such big hearts, and it was evident that they do this work because they love it and it gives them joy. I learned about the importance of having a vision, purpose and about being very intentional in everything we do. I saw many people who give their lives to this work, and this inspired me.  –Monique Van Willingh

 

HOW HAS YOUR TEACHING PHILOSOPHY CHANGED?

A mural of Gustavo Dudamel at Barquisimento Conservatory, the school that Dudamel attended as a young boy before he left at age 12 to study in Caracas.

I think sometimes we in the El Sistema field get so caught up in social change and how to manifest that that we forget the whole point of why we’re there: to create musical excellence. It is through THAT as the foundation where social change can transpire. From now on, I will have musical excellence as the goal and not underestimate repetition and discipline as important tenets to make that happen; I hope from that excellence that social change occurs naturally, rather than something about which we preach. – Sara Zanussi

I saw teachers who were able to strike an amazing balance between supporting their students and expecting excellence from them. One of the nucleo leaders said that there is no limit to what children are capable of, but teachers often place this limit on children because they do not believe that children can achieve.The experiences we had with the teachers, parents and students from every nucleo—so many people whose lives are completely entwined in the vision, mission and essence of what it means to serve others– are imprinted on my heart as beautiful examples of the power of this work in the lives of those involved. Being in Venezuela and having the honour of meeting Maestro Jose Antonio Abreu has deepened and cemented my resolve to do this, and exponentially expanded my hope for the possibilities for my own country. -Monique Van Willingh

 

FAVORITE MEMORIES FROM VENEZUELA:

Every Venezuelan truly inspired me, even people outside the nucleo. Hearing about El Sistema from the

String students work with Fellow and conductor Diogo on the piece ‘Venezuela,’ dancing while they play to help them feel the waltz of this national folk song.

first year into the “middle years” gave me great perspective and showed me we CAN do this. We just have to remember that right now we’re comparing a four-year-old toddler (the US movement) to a 38-year-old adult (the Venezuelan movement). Hearing about El Sistema in its fledgling state gave me the understanding of how it was so successful and truly a “poco a poco” project. – Sara Zanussi

Elise and I met an old couple while we were waiting. They very proudly told us about their son, who has Down syndrome and plays in the percussion ensemble. He has been going to the nucleo for 11 years, where he started out in music literacy, moved to the choir, and now plays in the percussion ensemble. Before he came to the nucleo he could not speak, but because of the influence of music, he found his words.  -Monique Van Willingh

Percussion students work outside of Nucleo Sarria in Caracas. The students hold class outside because there is no space inside and the instruments are loud.

The people of Sistema Tamaka, located just outside Barquismento, made a music school with dirt roads, dirt floors, and an abandoned building. Why? Because to them, it’s all about the music. Their nucleo is filled with genuine, authentic people who know why they do what they do and love doing it daily.   -Xóchitl Tafoya

After a six-year-old told me he couldn’t afford English lessons at his school, I told him I’d give him a “regalito,” any word he wanted to learn in English. His choice? Dudamel. This shows the impact that Dudamel has had on his hometown, even in a six-year-old’s mind. I can’t think of any six-year-old in America who would choose a classical music director’s name if they could learn any word. – Sara Zanussi

Xóchitl Tafoya, Andrea Landin, Rachel Hockenberry, and Elaine Chang Sandoval pose with a horn student.

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Reflections on NEC’s ANIM Workshop

04-16-2013

Standing side-by-side, but in what reality?

 

by HANNAH NICHOLAS

1st year MM Viola

 

 

For the past month, I’ve been so swept up in life at NEC that I have not taken a moment to simply sit and reflect on my recent experience with the students from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM). Their residency at NEC marked the end of a brief tour of the United States, following Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center. In anticipation of their stay, I organized a side-by-side rehearsal between string players from ANIM and string players from the NEC Chamber Orchestra. The impact from their visit still lingers with me: for the first time, I felt that my own hazy, albeit intuitive, path in music had found definition.

On the morning of our joint workshop, I arrived early to set up in Keller Room. The plan was to rehearse Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, which ANIM students were currently working on for school. When I walked into the room, I found Julia Yang, one of the cellists in our group, and a video cameraman, who gave no introduction and quietly continued to set up his equipment. I briefly panicked – what if no one from ANIM showed up? The last I had heard, four string players would be attending; they play together as a string quartet.  Just a few moments later, players from both schools shuffled into the room. A crowd of young Afghan students and their teachers filled the audience, with stragglers standing in the back, as the rest of us tentatively approached our stands.  The concertmaster, Hojat, looked confident and collected, probably much more than I did. Soon we were in full gear, conducting a rehearsal not so drastically different from our usual – deciding on bow strokes, tempo, and character, and demanding clear cues and togetherness.

We worked hard that hour, taking apart one spot at a time with a bit of humor and teasing interspersed – the eyes of the audience glued on us the entire time. There was an air of collective pride and satisfaction after our final up-to-tempo run-through of the first movement of Eine Kleine. The audience’s cheering elevated our excitement. But what heightened the experience was that this joint musical endeavor allowed for our two very disparate cultures to work together in a natural, personal way.

In the second half of our workshop, the members of NEC Chamber Orchestra remained on stage to perform a well-known work – Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings.  Not a single student from ANIM had heard it before; just a few were familiar with Tchaikovsky and mentioned his symphonies. We talked for a good while after the performance, and I blurted out a naïve question: did anyone want to be a professional musician? Hojat answered, politely explaining that he loves violin and plans to continue playing with his rock band, but there are no professional orchestras in Afghanistan. There is no “music scene” like ours in the United States, no path for musicians resembling anything remotely close to what makes up our world at NEC.

The many layers of this visit – that we could relate to one another and then within moments our newly formed impressions could be shattered by a stark reality – reveal how narrow our perspective can be in struggling to sum up a culture based on brief interactions—or often none at all.

During the last ANIM concert, on the eve of Valentine’s Day, I stood up with rest of the audience for the last piece and joined the performers in singing an Afghan melody. I cried while I sang, from the warmth and emotion in the completely packed hall, and from the nostalgia that the melody recalled, at once familiar and utterly foreign.

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INTERNATIONAL NEC

04-16-2013

SEVEN NEC STUDENTS AND ALUMNI SHARE THEIR INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES

 

CHINA | Hui Weng, guzheng

My name is Hui Weng and I am from China. After practicing the Chinese zither (Guzheng) for 20 years, I’m seeking a breakthrough in my personal style and, more importantly, to reimagine this music.  To achieve this, I’m studying Guzheng in the Contemporary Improvisation department at NEC, which is a wholly new attempt.  Through this, I hope to achieve mastery of my skills so that I can steer the music of the Guzheng to modern practice. From my Boston solo concert, “Twin Flower,” I’ve learned that the Guzheng can be quite popular and welcome on the American stage.  I named the concert after the plant of the same name, in which two flowers blossom from one stem. I hope that Guzheng music can be like that, with one flower rooted in China and the other developing in the US.  Although my instrument is a traditional Chinese instrument, I believe that it will still blossom with beautiful music in its new environment. Music is a language that knows no boundaries, and art and culture exchanges take place every single minute. Sure, Chinese culture is very different from American culture, but I love these differences because they can create amazing things in music. I can develop my own personal style by combining these great differences. Because of the guidance of Dr. Hankus Netsky and my other mentors at NEC, I cherish my time here. At this school, I receive beautiful ideas, meet with musicians from all over the world, and exchange powerful music.

 

CHILE | Sergio Muñoz, viola

Hometown? Santiago, Chile. What do you miss most about home? The food! In Chile, we’re lucky to get relatively cheap good produce most of the year, so it’s not too hard to eat balanced and healthy. I was raised eating well and got used to that. Also, the subway in Santiago is BEAUTIFUL, clean, and the staff is friendly. Why did you want to come to the US? A serious appreciation for classical music is only starting to develop in Chile. The funding, facilities, variety of institutions to study music, and access to great artists-teachers that exist in the US is something you can’t get in Chile. The main reason for me to come here was my current studio teacher, Kim Kashkashian. Since I was little, I always heard of Ms. Kashkashian as some unreachable viola superstar. When I found out she was a real person who taught at NEC, I said to myself “I’m going to get there!” How is American culture different than your home culture? The difference that impacts me most is how Americans are “colder” than people from Chile in their daily interactions. People are more formal and aware of personal space here. For example, people here freak out when you touch them, while people in Chile kiss women on the cheek or shake hands between men every time they say hello and goodbye between family members or even people who are friends remotely. Favorite part of Boston?  First of all, I love that Boston is a very pedestrian-friendly city. It is very small compared to Santiago, so it is very manageable; you can walk everywhere! This year I got a bike and places have become even more accessible; it’s been great to explore the city from a different perspective. I like the atmosphere of the South End: brownstones, red brick sidewalks, hidden green areas, lots of restaurants. Also, Comm. Avenue is a good walk to see the seasons go by.

 

ISRAEL | Maya Jacobs, SAC superhero!

Hometown: Tel Aviv What do you miss the most about home? Fruit and veggies. Food in general. Missing my family and friends (of course) and the beach! Why did you decide to move to the US? I moved to the US for my master’s at NEC. The music scene here is much bigger so there are more musicians to learn from and to be exposed. How is the American culture different than the Israeli culture? The Israeli culture is very direct and honest. I feel like the Israeli culture might look tough at first but then it is very sincere. The American culture is very supportive and accepts many opinions and diversities. I love both places and I feel like I have two homes!

 

BRAZIL | Henrique Eisenmann

What’s your hometown? São Paulo, Brazil What do you miss most about home? The beach!! The yearlong warm weather, samba jam sessions, and the food, of course. Why did you want to come to the US? Sometimes you only understand your own culture and your own music when you are away from it. Boston is an inspiring city, and it’s great to be surrounded by great artists. How is American culture different than your home culture? People hug each other more in Brazil!!  What’s your favorite part of NEC? My favorite part at NEC is that you are allowed to have you own voice. No one here tries to shape or change your character or your musical ideas.  Favorite restaurant: Fogo de Chão, the Brazilian Steakhouse at Copley Square. (Editor’s note: Read about Henrique’s Ethnic Jam Sessions on page. 16!)

 

FRANCE | Louise Grevin, cello

Hometown? My hometown is Toulouse. It is in Southwest France, close to the Pyrénées mountains, which are the natural border between Spain and France. What do you miss most about home? This is cliché, but I’m afraid it is true: every time I come back to France, the thing I enjoy the most is the food. Nothing better than good cheese, like Comté or Bethmale, which is a cheese from the Pyrénées. I also sometimes miss a softer way of life. Why did you want to come to the US?  I first came to the US to pursue a master’s because I wanted to discover what the classical music world was like on this side of the ocean! Well, five years later, I’m still here…;)How is American culture different? American culture is very dynamic! People are optimistic and positive. The work ethic particularly strikes me as very strong. Americans are also really good at communication! However, I find European countries are more open culturally, the arts in general are more accessible to mainstream, more daring and more present in everyday life. Favorite part of NEC/Boston?  NEC is an incredibly inspiring place bursting with so many talents. I love being part of this wonderful community where great concerts happen every day! You can never run out of good things to hear…  Boston has a European feel which I enjoy very much.

 

SINGAPORE | Nicholas Loh, piano

Tell us about your picture. The background in the picture is what you’d typically find in a HDB (Housing Development Board) estate, which is basically a place where there are lots of residential flats. Land is very scarce in Singapore, so making the most out of a small area is the name of the game here. This residential area is called ‘Serangoon’ What do you miss most about home? Family and friends most of all, plus I had a stable job before I came to NEC, so I really miss having a regular income! Other than that, I would say it’s just a real change of environment after having settled into a regular lifestyle back home, seeing the usual people and hearing the local slang everywhere. Oh, and the fact that you can get some really awesome, affordable local food (hawker food, as we call it) anytime of the day—including midnight to 6 a.m.! Why did you want to come to the US? I did my undergraduate studies in the UK, and I was contemplating a change of environment and educational system. Furthermore, I needed a studio teacher who could big me up on contemporary music and I found him here (thanks Steve~). How is American culture different than your home culture? People tend to be a lot more vocal here, and it is much easier to start a conversation with most of the locals here. What’s your favorite part of NEC/Boston? The weather. No really, the weather! Now I know that a great deal of people here can’t stand the snow, slush and frigid winds, and it probably wouldn’t help if I told you that Singapore is pretty much in the 80s-90s with sun all year round. Well, just so you know, humidity is no fun at all – you step out of the shower and you’re more or less sweating again. People back home would hide in the air-conditioned comfort of shopping mall just to escape the heat and humidity (while looking at all the pasty white Caucasian tourists outside almost masochistically mopping up the sun), and I am probably one of those unusually heat-intolerant south-east Asian people who would rather have a chill than a heat wave. The recent snowstorm was definitely, and most certainly unfairly, enjoyed by yours truly (and at least I didn’t lose power…that would have been a tragedy).

 

CYPRUS | Andria Nicodemou, percussion/CI

Hometown? I’m from a small area of Nicosia (the capital of Cyprus) called Kaimakli. Kaimakli is a semi-occupied suburb. 84% of the area is part of the dead zone or occupied by the Turkish. Nicosia remains the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions separated by a green line (this is a demilitarized zone, patrolled by the United Nations and established in 1974 following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus).  The DMZ is located near the center of the island on the banks of the Pedieos River. The northern part of the city functions as the capital of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, a disputed breakaway region whose independence is recognized only by Turkey, and the rest of which the international community considers as occupied territory of the Republic of Cyprus since the Turkish invasion in 1974. My language is Greek, but in Cyprus we speak with a Cypriot dialect. What do you miss about home? I miss the old city of Nicosia, specifically the small distances. You can go from one to the other side of the island in 2.5 hours. I miss the beaches and the fresh air of the small villages up in the mountains. Why did you want to come to the US? I came here for the musical opportunities; people here understand and respect your work. The art world in Cyprus is not the same. What do you love about Boston? Boston reminds me a European city with American air. You can find both silence and noise, and you don’t need to go far for either.

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