In addition to the stories from Valdemar Rodriguez, we heard
many accounts of Dr Abreu from students, teachers and nucleo directors during our time in Venezuela. Many directors knew
him very well and for a considerable part of their life, either as a colleague
or mentor. Here are some of the stories we heard about this legendary figure
before we had the privilege to meet him.
Jesus – Director of the Merida nucleos
Jesus met Dr Abreu when he was 9, and still when he visits
him, he always prepares what he will say! During these meetings problems are
presented with solutions and advice, and often he will sort out problems
straightaway - he knows who to call. He has been inspired by his incredible
energy and has learnt from Dr Abreu how to protect others
and to enjoy the tedious administrative part of his role.
Gary – Nucleo Director at Barquisimeto
Gary was a part of the original Simon Bolivar Orchestra, and
attributed his greatest influence and inspiration to Dr Abreu. He admires how
he has the ability to work with orchestras of all ages, and inspire such joy in
music-making whilst also being very serious!
Roderigo – Deputy Director of International Relations
Roderigo worked with El
Sistema for 12 years, and had been working closely with Dr Abreu for 6
years. These are his impressions:
·
He sees himself as a musician first and foremost
(he wrote his occupation simply as ‘musician’ on a registration card when going
to the doctors in London).
·
He has created a dynamic and flexible organisation
which can adapt and change. He delivers on ideas and promises and has even pre-considered
ways to deliver, and this increases respect for him.
·
He hates bureaucracy and red tape but instead “lives
to see the work get done”. When he is seeking financial support for the
program, he presents with musicians and not a strategic plan. He motivates
others through passionate speeches and calls on people to reconsider where they
are now and what they are doing.
·
Many have felt their lives changed because of El Sistema and by Dr Abreu, and this creates
huge motivation in nucleo directors
and other staff who work around the clock to serve their communities.
·
There will be no biography or film about Dr Abreu
during his lifetime, and he has refused many offers, but instead he asks people
to focus on the work and the larger organisation.
·
Despite health problems in recent years and the
continuing expansion of the program, he continues to conduct the Caracas Youth
Orchestra every day and he has about fifteen conductor pupils.
Roderigo mentioned three main sources of inspiration for Dr
Abreu:
1) Growing up in a community of music-making - Dr Abreu was
born in a town close to Merida. These towns in the Andes have a strong family
tradition and work hard together to promote the artistic growth of children. His
grandfather, Anselmis, was a band leader from a city in Italy and apparently
the whole town migrated to Venezuela. The band played arrangements of lots of
different styles as well as Venezuelan music. Anselmis was the artist of the
town and ran all the culture; theatre and small opera productions. Dr Abreu and
Roderigo’s family were close and toured with a band in the same area of the
Andes. When he later moved to Barquisimeto, he still made regular visits to this
cultural world created by his grandparents in the Andes.
2) Devout Jesuit Christian faith – Dr Abreu studied at the
Catholic university of Venezuela where he met with the philosophy of doing
charity using what you are passionate about, and applying everything you know
to help as many people as possible. He was encouraged to do a lot of volunteer
work and be faced with realities of social issues. He met priests, politicians,
and was particularly inspired by meeting the political author Arturo Uslar
Pietri.
3) Doralisa – His piano teacher in Barquisimeto was an immense
musical influence on Dr Abreu, in particular how she arranged orchestral works
for many pianos so that her students could play together.
Meeting
On our last full day in Venezuela, we had our much-awaited
meeting with Dr Abreu. We had prepared and rehearsed together a few minutes each
to share our post-fellowship ambitions and how our Venezuela experience had
influenced our plans, along with some constructive feedback and observations.
I began with explaining the reasons for my interest in El Sistema. For some time I had been
debating the question of how to encourage initiative in students to change
their circumstances. My experience with a women’s empowerment program had shown
that students had a lack of confidence, little encouragement and few
opportunities and resources in Tanzania. I mentioned my own personal experience
in choirs; my growth in confidence and joy of being part of a team making a
beautiful sound. My experience in Venezuela has shown me how music can be used in
a powerful way to build communities and the self-esteem of youth – through positive
encouragement, attention, and inclusion. This large family of orchestras and
choirs places trust in their youth who become an integral part of the running
of the program and effective role models.
Dr Abreu replied by mentioning how he has always had a
strong appreciation for African choirs and their exuberance and confident
musicality, and he has often thought about an exchange – a symphonic choir
month long workshop with concert at end. He has dreamt about starting something
in Africa but this should happen at a grass roots level.
At the end of the meeting he encouraged us to keep a record
of what the Fellows achieve and what it means for the future of El Sistema in other countries. He also
requested that the Fellows write a paper on our observations and thoughts to
help the program prepare for 2014 which can be found here.
When we returned from Venezuela, we were given a reception
at NEC. We shared some stories and strived to express our experiences in words!
Our maestro wordsmith, President Tony Woodcock, managed it by stating that Dr
Abreu is one of the great men of our time, and that El Sistema “transforms the way we look at society”.
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