The continuing journal of Marc Thayer, SLSO Education and Community Partnership director, while he’s in Erbil for the Summer Arts Academy in Northern Iraq, giving music workshops and taking part in rehearsals with musicians from throughout the war-torn nation. The Academy is directed by American Voices, an arts agency involved in music diplomacy throughout the world, under the leadership of John Ferguson. Allegra Klein, who Marc mentions in his post, is the director of Musicians for Harmony, an organization of artists formed in the wake of September 11, which works to promote the cause of peace through music with performances, educational activities and cross-cultural exchange.
“Suly” is an abbreviation for Suleimanya, which is in the eastern region of Kurdish Iraq, near the Iranian border.
Day 3
Van at 8am, missed breakfast, can hardly get out of bed, into [the Ministry of Culture] through metal detectors.
Payan, a 19-year-old violinist from Suly, is waiting inside the door for me to return some music that he borrowed to copy and to show me his bridge, which is broken in half and glued together. I happen to have two old bridges in my case that are still in good shape and one fits his violin well, so I put it on for him and he is thrilled. Aras sees this and asks for a bridge too; I'll put the other one on for him tomorrow.
This morning the Unity Orchestra is together for the first time, in other words all orchestras on the stage, which is too small, about 150 people total. The two smaller orchestras are string orchestras. It takes almost forever to get enough chairs and stands on the stage and everyone seated in some sort of alternation of musicians from the different orchestras.
First is “Bald Mountain.” It’s OK, but hard to hear and see since I sit in back. The conductor has no podium and we can't hear what he's saying at all.
An older man from Erbil says to me quietly that they are glad to have their Baghdad brothers here in Erbil, but that they, the Kurds, would not be welcome in Baghdad. Then he tells me that he believes in Jesus Christ. Previously he was a Muslim, but he doesn't approve of the violence and the treatment of women.
Power goes out for two minutes during rehearsal. Pitch black. Reminds me of Powell Hall a couple years ago. At least we have AC.
The Suly Orchestra sets up in the lobby and does two movements of Grieg very well, much better than the first day. Zana, principal second violin, asks to play Vitali Chaconne and all I can think of is Anastasia Jempelis [violinist and teacher, passionate advocate for the Suzuki method, who passed away in 2005]. Zana’s fiancé translates for me; she's a violist. Zana plays very well, no real technical problems. I let him use the baroque bow and talk about differences in styles of playing. He says he has only played for seven years and there is not a good teacher in their town. Amazing how well he plays.
Power has gone out twice in the hotel tonight as I'm writing this.
I gave a bunch of bow hair to Bzhwen -- I think that's a better way to spell it -- again thanks to Clemens Violins [in St. Louis]. He will take it to the repairman in Suly for the orchestra members. They are thrilled but worried there is not enough. I think there is.
Ardnan pushes me to play Bach Double with him and a Czech lady pianist from Baghdad who is married to an Iraqi violist. First we play it alone and he's OK. He plays in Baghdad Orchestra but teaches in Erbil. Then a chamber group from Erbil asks me to listen to them doing a Haydn Quartet; then a Suly group doing some Mozart; then Bzhwen wants to play “Spring” from Four Seasons, so I stay teaching till about 8:30pm. Very fun. Bzhwen sounds good and is required to play the Vivaldi to graduate from his school next year. He's nervous and tense but so nice and appreciative of my time.
Dinner outside again. My first long talk with John [Ferguson] about his other projects all over the world. He has worked with 85 embassies, most funding from the State Department. He talks about Iraqi politics, history, the genocide that took place near here. But since 1991, things are much better here due to “no fly zone” allowing [the Kurds living in the north] to function. Lots of investment here and construction, roads and buildings going up everywhere making it very dusty and dirty everywhere, but should be better soon. Homes are expensive, though it looks like a third-world country. John is planning a teacher-training program in Suly later this year. I hope I can go.
Day 4
Seems like we've been here a long time, so much happens in one day.
Slept in late, missed the first van but got to hall for 9am rehearsal to start at 9:30. A new driver with old van, no AC. Apparently the other driver was fired for delaying departures and wanting to be paid more.
The Baghdad concertmaster insists that I sit in his chair today and I argue with him but there is no changing his mind -- objecting is just a formality. So I lead the rehearsal of the Unity Orchestra and then the Baghdad Orchestra all day. What a thrill, and people couldn't be nicer, asking for fingerings, technical help, want me to play their violins, ask me if their violins are OK. What can I say? Most need everything to be replaced, adjusted, and they're not good instruments, but it's incredible what they do with them. Someone said his E string was three years old, I don't know why it hasn't broken.
Allegra Klein gives a good talk today about the Suzuki Method of teaching, very slow due to double translations, but it generated some interest and she had all Suzuki materials donated for the various cities. We hope that Iraq will be the first to develop a program. There was one in Egypt and the book “Nurtured by Love” [Suzuki’s classic text] is translated into Arabic but not Kurdish.
I eat lunch with two guys from the US Compound here in Erbil. One does PR for the State Department and is writing an article for the State Department Journal.
Got the other three soloists together to read through the Vivaldi Concerto for Four Violins: Zana from Suly, Adnan from Erbil, and Ani from Baghdad. Will be fun with small string ensemble tomorrow. People play well but aren't used to listening and playing with each other, counting, cuing, etc.
Out in the hallway one person asks for a photo with Allegra and me. After that everyone wants one and this goes on with about twenty or more people blocking the hall and delaying the start of the rehearsal, which becomes comical at this point.
Concertmaster from Suly talks to me in a private room because he doesn't want the orchestra knowing that he is having problems with his arms. He has had some shoulder surgery and often he can't play for two months or more because of sick children needing attention. I talk about finding and avoiding tension, preventing problems, and doing exercises for trills and endurance. Very nice man, very appreciative, somewhat sad. They all know they have problems musically. There are no good teachers there and they can't get visas to go anywhere else. Yet they're still happy people enjoying life and being able to make music, even if conditions aren't perfect.
Dinner under the sky again at the hotel followed by a Turkish coffee: my first coffee here and probably a bad idea this time of night, but delicious.
