Greetings from Cap Haitian!
The CEMUCHCA Institute of Music camp has just finished and I am back in Cap Haitian in the thick of “mini camps” for younger players at both CEMUCHCA and its Occide Jeanty Annex on the other side of town.
Thanks to the generosity of many, for the first time since 2019 we have been able to provide a meaningful summer music camp experience for close to 140 young musicians, hailing from 26 different music programs located in five of Haiti’s ten departments. Given the political unrest and the pandemic, all have had a very rough several years.
Unfortunately the situation in the capital of Port-au-Prince made it impossible for people from the south to send teachers and students to the camp. However, we were delighted to welcome close to 40 musicians from Port-au-Prince as scholarship students to participate in this camp.
For everyone, but especially for those coming from PAP where gang violence is a daily occurrence and life can be very frightening, this has been a time of connection, of intense joy and renewal. Over the course of the two week camp I saw people begin to relax, to make huge progress on their instruments, to begin to hope again – it was a beautiful thing to behold! So many people have contributed to help ensure that camp participants have a glimpse of normalcy here, on a beautiful, verdant campus, far from the trials of living in the large cities of the country.
The camp was held in a rural area between Cap Haitian and Limbe - the air was clean, roosters crowing and donkeys braying roused us early in the mornings, all mixed in with the sounds of musicians practicing intently. A saxophonist at one edge of the large field, a group of cellists in the allée, trumpet players in the shade of a mango tree - it was all quite wonderful!
From July 10 to 24 we went non-stop! I was joined by one other American teacher: master bass player and teacher, great jazz man, all around terrific person, David Einhorn is also a member of the BLUME Haiti Advisory Board. We have taught for several summers together in Haiti and I was so grateful that he was there to lend a hand!
Though only David and I represented international volunteers at this camp, the Haitian staff did a fantastic job organizing the camp, teaching, conducting and, really, taking care of anything that needed to be done.
Tchoupy Hylaris, luthier, director of the CEMUCHCA Occide Jeanty Annex, and marvelous teacher, has benefited from regular professional development seminars sponsored by BLUME Haiti. It is incredibly satisfying to see how he regularly pulls off miracles working with the young string players; in just a few days they improved by leaps and bounds and it is clear that our investment in him has really paid off! Here is a clip of one of my favorite moments at the camp: Tchoupy conducting his own, brand new piece, Chimen Lanmou (Love’s Way) in rehearsal - the joy is palpable!
The second week concert featured the music of a number of Haitian composers: In addition to Tchoupy’s piece, we also had a new work by composer/cellist John Karly Fils Menard called Ji Kann (Sugar Cane Juice), along with old friends like John Jost’s arrangements of Occide Jeanty’s La Delaissée et ses Soupirs and his transcription of a tune he heard out in the mountains one day over 50 years ago: Wai-o, Wai-o.
You can find videos and photos on the Facebook pages for BLUME Haiti and CEMUCHCA - enjoy!
In the meantime, here are a few selected videos for you to enjoy.
Tango d’Amour - final camp concert
It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t Got That Swing - rehearsal (without conductor!)
This clip has three of the four pieces performed by the Cemuchca Institut de Musique summer music camp full orchestra. Check them all out!
Cumberland Cross by Carl Strommen
5:40 - Finale to Tchaikovsky’s 5th symphony
15:42 - La Délaissée et ses soupirs by Haitian composer Occide Jeanty.
Jazz Band at the final concert
Work Song - Cannonball Adderley
(2:26) Maiden Voyage - Herbie Hancock
(11:40) Blue Bossa - Joe Henderson
Coming up - I have had to cancel my planned trip to Jacmel to teach at the Dessaix-Baptiste Music School. Instead I will help out at the CEMUCHCA Limbe camp for two weeks in August.
Then, from August 21-27, we welcome musicians of the Utah Symphony for a long planned Chamber Music/Chamber Orchestra Institute. Though I held auditions in 2019 and 2020, we have not been able to hold the Haitian Orchestra Institute since 2018. This will give 40 of Haiti’s best string and woodwind players the opportunity to experience a week of intense work with the fabulous musicians of the Utah Symphony. Maestro Jean Rudy Perrault will also conduct the chamber orchestra, giving all of the players a chance to make music together. I can’t wait!
And, from August 28-September 4, I will be at the Marmelade Music School along with two other American volunteers to help with this summer music camp.
Stay tuned for more summer adventures!
