of Music León School - globalgiving.org

LeónSchoolofMusic

JosédelaCruzMena

Situatedinanoldcolonialbuildingwithcrackedadobewallsandheavywoodenbeamssupportingaloftytileceiling,theLeónSchoolofMusicservesasacenterofstudyandpracticeforthecity’smusicstudents.Foundedin1997,theschoolbearsthenameofoneofLeón’smostcelebratedcomposers,JosédelaCruzMena.Studentscomeoutsideofnormalschoolhourstostudytrumpet,piano,recorderandotherinstrumentswiththeschool’ssmallbutdedicatedstaff.Theschoolalsohostsabandcomposedofteachersandcommunitymembersthatperformsregularlyinthecity.Theschoolhashadadifficulthistory.ThefirstmusicschoolinLeón,foundedin1975,wasdestroyedbycivilwarinNicaraguain1982.Thenewschoolwasfoundedin1997,butcloseditsdoorsin2003followingthetransferofthefirstdirector,CarlosBravoJirón,toaschoolinManagua.Afteraseven-yearhiatustheschoolhasnowreopenedunderthereneweddirectionofJirónandwithincreasedsupportfromthemunicipalgovernment.FormalmusiceducationisstillrareinNicaragua,butmusicisverymuchapartofthecultureandthegovernmenthopestoimprovetheavailabilityandqualityoftraining.Nicaraguahasanationalorchestraandachambergroup,laCamarataBach,bothbasedinManagua.Therearealsoahandfulofmunicipalschoolsofmusicscatteredacrossthecountry,themostnotablebeinglaCasadeTresMundos(TheHouseofThreeWorlds)inGranada.ThereisalsoasmallbutgrowingNationalConservatoryinManagua,offeringstudiesinallorchestralinstruments.ThenineprofessorsoftheConservatoryhavestudiedintheUSA,Germany,Mexicoandothercountries,andofferthehighestdegreeofmusiceducationcurrentlyavailableinNicaragua.TheLeónSchoolofMusicistheonlymusicschoolfortheentiredepartmentofLeón,populationapprox.335,000.MembersoftheNationalOrchestravisitonceamonthtoworkwiththeteachers,andonceayearthestafftravelstoGranadatoreceivemasterclassesinlaCasadeTresMundos.AllofthestaffarealsocurrentlyworkingtowardsearningdegreesinmusicfromtheNationalConservatory.Theschoolcurrentlyhasthreefull-timestaffmembers,twoauxiliaryteachers,andastudentbodyof86.

BACKGROUND

FelipeLoasigaQuintana–auxiliaryteacherinpiano,graduateoftheNationalUniversityofCostaRicaAnubioTercero–guitarinstructor,graduateoftheNationalConservatoryinManagua.

STAFF

FelixSocratesLindoCalión–Felixcomesfromahighlymusicalfamily.Hisfather,grandfatherandbrothersallplaymusic,andat16hisfathertaughthimtoplaytheclarinet.Hestudiedundertwoteachers,andat18enteredintotheNicaraguaMilitaryBand,withwhichheplayedforfiveyears.FelixafterwardsstudiedattheNationalUniversityofEngineeringwhereheearnedadegreeinIndustrialEngineering,butheneverabandonedmusic.HecontinuedtoplayclarinetwithabandinLeón,dedicatedtothecomposedJosédelaCruzMena.

CarlosMarcelinoBravoJirón–In1975,CarlosbeganstudyingpercussionintheoldmunicipalschoolofmusicinLeon,destroyedbythewar.StudiedunderHumbertoEspinozaRueda,RogerSanbrana,andKevinC.Latroff,aPeaceCorpsvolunteerfromtheUnitedStates.HeplayedtrumpetwiththeNicaraguanNationalMilitaryBandfrom1983to1998.DuringthistimehealsostudiedintheNationalConservatoryofMusicinManagua.In1998hewasnameddirectoroftheLeónSchoolofMusic.

GustavoBenitoCortézJimenez–Gustavobeganstudyingmusicwhenhewas13yearsold,learningtrumpetandtheoryfrombooks.In1983hebeganplayingclassicalmusicwithaband,FranFernandez,basedinLeón,aswellasLeonesestreetbands.In1986hewenttoManaguaandplayedasprincipaltrumpetintheNicaraguaMilitaryBand.AfterwardshebeganplayingwithvariousgroupsinthecapitalandinLeón,whichtraveledtomostcountriesinCentralAmerica.HebeganteachingatthemusicschoolinMarchof2010.

Theschoolisworkingveryhardwithwhatithas,buttheirpovertyofmaterialsislimitingthetalentsoftheirstudents.Reedsareuseduntiltheycrackordisintegrate,playedonleakyclarinetswithtapewedgedinthecorkjoints.Studentsuserainwaterinplaceofvalveoil.Theschoolhasapiecemealcollectionofbooksandmethods,whichtheyusuallycannotlendtothestudentsfortheirbeingonlyonecopy.Thereisnoacousticpiano.Theschool’sannualbudgetforupkeepofthebuildingandinstrumentsisapproximately$9,220. CarlosBravo,thedirector,hasidentifiedtheschool’smosturgentpriorityasbeingforcomprehensivemethodbooksforalloftheirinstruments.ThesedonothavetobeinSpanish;theycurrentlyusebooksthatarealsoinEnglish,FrenchandItalian.Theirsecondpriorityisforinstrumentpartsandrepair–theschoolownsonlytwotrumpetmouthpiecesandhascurrentlynofunctioningclarinetmouthpieces.Manyoftheirinstrumentsarealsoinunplayablecondition,andthestaffwouldliketolearninstrumentrepair,shouldtrainingandtoolsbeavailable.Further,theschoolhopestoacquirenewinstrumentsinthecomingyears.Theirmost-neededinstrumentis(ofallthings)asousaphone,whichisaverypopularinstrumentinNicaraguanstreetbands.Theyalsowouldgreatlyappreciateanacousticpianofortheschool,orafull-sizedigitalpiano.Instrumentavailabilityiscurrentlythegreatestlimitingfactorintheirprogram.Anyinstrumentsgivenorlenttotheschoolwouldreceiveagreatdealofuseandappreciation.Eveninstrumentsinwhichthestaffisnotcurrentlytrained(suchasmoststringedinstruments),theywouldusetheirrelationshipwiththeNationalOrchestratolearnitortrainanewteacherforthepost.Longerterm,thebuildinginwhichtheschoolresideswillneedtobebetter-adaptedtoitspurpose.Therearenopracticerooms,andsostudentspracticeoutsideorinthemainhall,whichcanquicklyturncacophonousandmakeconcentrationdifficult.Theinstrumentstorageroomwasahastyannexthatiscrampedandhasaflimsydoorandlock.However,withsomerestorationandretrofittingthebuildingcouldbemadespectacular.Itisawell-builtcolonialhall80yearsold,withmassivepitchedtimbersanda19-footroofapex.Thereisamplespaceforaperformance/practicehall,withcloisteredpracticerooms,instrumentstorageandthemainofficebehind.Theschoolalsositsonabout3acresofland,undertheshadeoftwoenormous,100+year-oldtrees.Thereisagreatamountofpotentialisboththefabricoftheschoolanditsstudents.

MATERIALS&PRIORITIES

Tololamosplanstoassisttheschoolwithaninfusionofmethodbooks,instrumentsandsupplies.Wewill:

(a) CollectdonatedinstrumentsintheUnitedStates,andpurchaseneworusedinstrumentswheredonatedonescannotbeobtained,

(b) PurchaseorsolicitdonationsofSpanish-languagemethodbooksfordifferentinstruments,

(c) TransportcollectedmaterialsdowntoNicaragua,viaourstaffandaffiliatedgroups,

(d) GiveaseriesofworkshopstotheLeónmusicteacherstofamiliarizethemwiththenewmethodbooks,and

(e) HoldacollaborativeconcertinLeóntoshowcasethenewinstrumentsandourpartnership.

Thetypesandquantitiesofinstrumentsgiventotheschoolwilldependonourfundraisinganddonations,butapresumptivebudgetof$5000wouldbreakdownasfollows:$2500forpurchasinginstruments–1digitalpiano,2clarinets,2trumpets,1trombone,1baritone$1000forpurchasingmethodbooks$800forrefurbishmentandrepairofdonatedinstruments$300forsupplies,suchascorkgrease,valveoil&reeds.$400fortransportation–airlinebaggagecosts,in-countryshippingtoaffiliateorganizations. APPENDIXIInstrumentscurrentlyownedbytheschoolBaritoneHorn–EricPatterson,RoyalTone;ancientanddamaged.Unplayable.BaritoneHorn–Unmarked,butwithplaquereading“ProprietadellaFilarmonicaRossini

diFirenze”;tarnished.Playable.Clarinet–Yamaha,fiber.Playable.(2)Clarinet–Amati-KrasliceSpecial,grenadilla;missingmouthpiece,damagedkeywork.

Unplayable.Clarinet–CenturySpecialEdition,fiber;damagedcorks.Playable.(2)Clarinet–Yamaha,fiber;stuckhighAkey.Unplayable.Clarinet–faintmark,fromMilan,“ProfRomeCor”?,grenadilla;bodyonly,missingbell,

neckandheadjoint,keysgutted.Fineworkmanshipbutunplayable.Clarinet–Condor,fiber;brokenandgutted.Unplayable.

PARTNERSHIP

SopranoClarinet–borgani,fiber;worncorks.Playable.ElectricBass–GoodCondition.Flute–Bundy;leakypadinfootjoint.Playable.Flute–Unreadablemark,fromItaly;lighttarnish.Playable.Classicalguitar.Goodcondition(3)FrenchHorn–Yahama;rotaryvalvesdamaged.Unplayable.(2)FrenchHorn–C.G.Conn;ancientanddamaged.Unplayable.Keyboard–YamahaPSR-170,5octaves.GoodCondition(6)Piccolo–Bundy;gutted.UnplayableSopranosaxophone–borgani;missingheadcork.Playable.Tenorsax–Yamaha;leakypads.Playable.SopraniniSaxophone–borgani;missingmouthpiece.Playable.Trombone–Century;heavytarnishandneedsslidegrease.Playable.Trombone–Yamaha;tarnished.Playable.ValveTrombone–Yamaha;tarnishedandclankingvalves.Playable.Trumpet–YamahaYTR6320;heavilytarnished,damaged2ndvalve.UnplayableTrumpet–silver,unmarked;damagedbracingandwaterkey.Playable.Trumpet–LazerLB322;damagedwaterkey.Playable.Trumpet–Amadeus,silver;brokenwaterkey.Playable.Concerttuba–Yamaha;hardvalveactionandtarnished.Playable.MarchingTuba–Anborg.Playable.ConcertBassDrum–Yamaha.Goodcondition.MarchingBassDrum–Lazer.Goodcondition.14”Snare–Lazer.Playable14”Snare–Allegro;brokenheadandmissingsnare.Unplayable.MarchingTom–JugsPercussion;missinghead.Playable.MarchingTom–Allegro;tornhead.Playable.Drumkit–Century.Playable.APPENDIXIIBooksandMusicownedbytheschoolYamahaBandStudent,BookOne–Trombone,Frenchhorn,Tuba,AltoSax,ClarinetLasLeccionesBásicas…–TrumpetElMejordelaClase–recorderBasicMethod,JudithAkoschkyandMarioA.Videla–recorderMichaelAaronPianoCoursebookI(Bilingualcopy)SilverBurdettInstrumentalSeries,volume1-fluteRubankElementaryMethodforDrumsHilariónEslava–SolfegeBarbaraWesby,CursodeLecturaElemental–rhythm50ClassicalStudiesforFlute,Vester1954editionofArban’s–trumpet(2)GiampaoloNitiffi–LesPleursD’uneRosepourpianoHanon–TheVirtuousoPianist(complete)