Mérida - en français!

I finally took the time to send out a couple of emails to scope out the possibility of teaching in Mérida in the spring, and I began with the French community. I sent 2 emails, received 2 replies... sweet! It's too early to know if it will work out, but it sure is a good start to know that some people are willing to help me out. At this time, the plan is to teach in French. There is a small French community in Mérida, and they seem pretty tight.

I also emailed Judy from Telchac Education, and let her know that my plans are firming-up for the last week of April. I am hoping to go back to the little Diego Rivera preschool, and add the Grade 1 class of the elementary school to my list since most of these kids know me from last January and February.

For my next teaching project in Telchac, I am hoping to get a local traditional band to come and play for the kids - sponsored by Le Petit Atelier. It's important for the kids to get these close encounters at a young age, and learn about their own regional musical culture in this developing internet environment. With this project, I am hoping to see if some children are keen to learn to play, and possibly start a little sponsorship program for children to learn music in the village. I call this the 'Victor Velasquez effect' - a wonderful and inspiring man who made a memorable impression on me. He is the main music teacher on Isla Holbox, and his oldest students are now young adults who constitute the two local bands with seemingly a fair amount of work on the small island. I believe that a community with it's own music makers is a healthy and happy community, and I am hoping to promote music making in Telchac Puerto - one student at the time - if the stars line-up properly.

Here in Toronto, things are getting very very busy on the work front between now and the Holidays... for the first time in almost a year I will be back to teaching in the classroom - with a couple of teacher trainings on the schedule. I am also launching a series of mini-concerts in the currently ongoing daycare series and afterschool music classes - the first one will feature my amazing partner in life; Tim Posgate. He is a wonderful multi-instrumentalist and a great teacher, so we are putting together a short presentation focused on string instruments, with a Halloween twist. We have 6 mini-concerts scheduled before the end of October.

So with all that on the go, I guess I should get to work!!! Okay, let's do it!