Last Day

Today was the last day of the conference.  It went by all too fast, but I think we are all going home not only energized but also with practical ideas and solutions for our respective programs.

The final event of the conference was a performance by a few of the delegates for the students of Raploch as a thank you for sharing their time. This was the most fun-filled, interactive concert I have ever seen put together in an hour. A strange mix of violins, a clarinet, 2 tubas, some trumpets, cellos, various percussion and piano played all kinds of music from rock to Scottish folk tunes to tarantellas. Students were clapping and moving along – all the while staying seated in their rows. Between ensemble pieces, several delegates from different countries lead all of the students in singing different folk tunes or songs that represented their nations. The most amazing thing to me was how responsive the students were – and they were mostly under 8 years old! They performed dynamics on command with a single “shh” and were singing in different languages after hearing them for the first time. This was a perfect send-off for an El Sistema conference, musicians from all over the world, young students, and other members of the community coming together for a great session of music making.

The bittersweet goodbyes started even before the conference ended. During the final guest speakers’ presentations, the Swedish team had to catch their flight. Throughout the week the Swedish delegates had been incredible (there were about 30 of them!) – filling our down time with music, constantly leading sing-alongs and dances. They were kind enough to share their anthem with us, a song written by their very own Malin Aghed. Many of us have spent the entire conference with this song stuck in our heads, humming it at breakfast or walking down the streets of Raploch doing the hand motions. As the Swedes walked out the conference door, we couldn’t help but sing their anthem back to them and the overwhelming feeling in the room was one of saying goodbye to a dear friend. The impromptu singing send-off of the Sistema Sweden team was a sign of respect and admiration for the strength and innovation of their program.  We all have come away with a greater appreciation and respect for each other’s work.  We may have even  come away with a little more tolerance for the work we each have ahead of us and pride in what we’ve already accomplished. As Jesús Marín cited in his closing remarks, Scotland is leading the way globally in what a Sistema program should look like and we can all take notes from their hard work and progress.  He says that Venezuela will adopt Scotland’s tradition of “Take a Musician Home for Tea”, except it’s sure to be coffee and not tea in Venezuela!

A map with pushpins showing where all of the delegates came from.

The final concert presented by delegates for the students.