Janet is on her way to Haiti!
For the first time since the pandemic, BLUME Haiti will have a presence at summer music camps in Haiti and we are thrilled to be back!
There are music camps happening across the country, even in the strife torn capital and surrounding areas; these camps make a HUGE difference for youngsters and their teachers who have been struggling with so much for so long. When we announced that we could offer scholarships and summer camp support this year, program directors leapt at the opportunity for their teachers to have continued professional development and to give their students the chance to focus on something utterly positive.
The first camp will be in the area of Cap Haitian with the CEMUCHCA Institute of Music, a program I have visited since 2009. Because the north of Haiti is not experiencing the same kind of gang violence as the capital, this has turned into a National Camp of sorts. Programs south of Port-au-Prince are not able to send their musicians because of gang activity, but there will be attendees from seven of Haiti’s ten provinces.
I am thrilled to be able to teach at a summer camp with Haitian colleagues for the first time since the summer of 2019! There will be a few international volunteers throughout the summer but the vast majority of the teaching will happen with gifted, well-trained Haitian teachers - that is exciting!
In fact, I recently spoke with the director of the Dessaix-Baptiste Music School in Jacmel. She has asked one of their former students, now a teacher and orchestra conductor at the school, to lead a string pedagogy program so that the more advanced students could help the less advanced ones for their beginners camp. John was a standout participant in the violin pedagogy online seminar we sponsored last fall, and he is doing a fantastic job guiding the younger students. This kind of home grown talent is what will help the music programs remain sustainable. I am so proud of the work that they, and many other programs, are doing!
Stay tuned on the blog throughout the summer for updates on how summer camps are going, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram for regular photos and videos!
