Building Bridges

I have to be honest; it has been an overwhelming process to finally start this blog. I have to say that I couldn’t be happier beginning The Artist’s Visa with a post with which I envision this blog to stand for. I wanted to start The Artist’s Visa keeping in mind my main purpose: stressing the importance of culture in society and how the arts, as a form of expression, can make a difference in the world –which they do!

I recently attended Building Bridges, an event organized by the Mexican Cultural Institute of New York, with the objective of supporting the efforts of the Baja Musical Arts Initiative (BMAI) and its program Sharing Notes. Their mission is to “promote cultural exchange by creating a bridge between New York and Baja California with the aim of improving the lives of children in the community through musical education and performance.” I personally feel very connected to what BMAI is doing, not only because it is a music organization from Mexico, my home country, but because through music, it is creating a strong and positive impact in Tijuana, a city in the border of Mexico and the United States with growing security concerns. Creating a positive impact is something I’m also looking forward to accomplishing in my life and career.

I was very moved by the speech of Mr. Octavio Lepe, BMAI’s Secretary and Board Member, who explained in eloquent and charming words the mission, history and achievements of the program. He shared a touching story reminiscing his college years, when he was fortunate enough to have the support of a mentor who made a changing point in his life. Mr. Lepe expressed his gratitude for learning that the best way to show appreciation for receiving help is to offer help in return when one has the chance to make a change. This idea has stayed with him ever since and is the reason why he is really proud to be part of this organization. After Mr. Lepe’s speech, we were shown the following two-part video, which clearly illustrates the efforts of BMAI and its impact on three very special children:

After watching the video, I was touched by the powerful discovery that these children achieved as a result of the program at BMAI. The skills the are learning may ultimately provide them with an opportunity to achieve goals that may have been unimaginable otherwise.  They also serve as a positive influence on other children, inspiring them to become better students and work towards their goals as these young musicians keep improving their skills day after day.

The videos show that BMAI possess an elite faculty of musicians and educators. Nilko Andreas, an accomplished classical guitar player who will be part of the select faculty next season at BMAI, has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall and was awarded first place at the Artists International Competition in New York. That evening, Andreas performed three pieces: Prelude in E minor by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Francisco Tarrega and Tango in Ski by Roland Dyens. I was able to take a sound recording of his guitar performance of Tango in Ski to share with you. It is thrilling to hear Andreas’ pristine precision and use of dynamics. Click to listen below:

The highlight of the evening came from a live-streamed performance of Marc Antoine Charpentier’s Te Deum by the student symphony from BMAI’s music-school division, Centro de Artes Musicales (CAM). Due to signal interference, the presenters were unable to stream the rest of the program following Te Deum but, fortunately, the planners had a back up plan: a pre-recorded version of Ode to Joy. Even though the strings section needed a bit more work in terms of tuning, I was blown away by the sense of rhythm, attention to the director’s command and the clear passion of the children while playing their instruments. I therefore invite you to visit the BMAI website here and, if you feel like it, support BMAI’s efforts by making a contribution.

It has been a true pleasure sharing my experience at the Building Bridges event with you. Well, writing this first post wasn’t that difficult after all! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I have. If so, feel free to comment and please share this blog with others!
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Thank you for reading!  Until next time…

 

:David

Links of Interest:

Mexican Cultural Institute of New York
http://mciny.org/

Baja Musical Arts Initiative
http://bajamusical.org/
Twitter: @BajaMusicalArts
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BajaMusical