Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at his feet,
or we'll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey.
Trust and obey,
for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus,
but to trust and obey.
John H. Sammis, 1846-1919
This has been an exciting week! God is so good- sometimes it’s hard to believe. Remember last week, when I was worried about the schedule I was expected to keep for the children and adults? Well, after our meeting this week it’s resolved! I finally have a plan that works…and what’s more, it’s exciting to see the products of just one week of work coming to fruition. The school has me excited- let me tell you why.
First of all, the scheduling issue. The board decided to have all children in a class together from 10-12 on Saturday. That means that all of the children get the education at the same time- a real blessing for me as the only teacher. That means I only have to teach them once during each week…which probably sounds like I don’t want to teach them at all…and that is very true.
I’m not trying to say that I don’t like children- it doesn’t have anything to do with that- but I appreciate music on a much more cerebral level than most children can understand. I like the process of learning about reading music. I like to teach music reading. I like to talk about harmony, modulations, compound meter… these things just fly right over their heads. The adults, on the other hand, can think outside the box. You can explain a concept and ask them to apply it with very little prior instruction. They follow directions better, they don’t ask irrelevant questions, they are physically capable of more, and they use the bathroom far less frequently. Altogether more suitable conditions. On top of that, they are so interested in learning a concept that they don’t mind doing something silly to grasp it.
I am reminded of when I taught violin lessons back in Tennessee and I had an 8 year old student who had never played before. We worked very hard to read music because it was her primary desire. This little girl was very serious and wanted to know WHY things were the way they were; learning Twinkle wasn’t enough- this girl wanted to read music from the very beginning. This girl’s mother was a Pastor, and was very involved in her daughter’s lessons. Often I would come up with some kind of strange way to teach a concept to this girl, and her mother would do it right along with us. By the end of my time at that program I had a student who could read anything in book one- after just a year- and her mother who could read it right along with her. Her mother didn’t care that I was using silly games and songs to teach her daughter- she joined in because she wanted to learn too. This is why I love adults.
That means that I need prayers to help me with planning well for the children, although I hope that Roman will be willing to take that class when he arrives. I really need the inspiration to be creative and energetic when I work with the kids, and to be engaging. I am teaching children from age 5 to 12, and most don’t speak English very well, if at all. It’s a struggle to plan something that isn’t too easy for the older kids, and isn’t too hard for the younger ones. Plus, we never know how many children to expect. Today’s class was decent- about 13 or so kids from 6 to 14, and most of them participated when we were singing and listening. I still felt like it was very hard to fill two hours for kids who really aren’t that interested in learning details. We sang a few songs and then learned about the basics of music. I hope I can flesh this out more.
As for the adults- things are really moving along! We’ve already learned about the clefs, notes of the staff, octaves, and key signatures. From that point we introduced melodic dictation and some vocal exercises. Using a scale that we sang on numbers, they were able to write Mary Had a Little Lamb. We practiced doing different songs in different keys, and then I sent them home to write a piece of music on their own- based on established rules I had laid out: 1) must be in a key other C Major, 2) Must follow the rules of whatever time signature you choose, and 3) must begin or end on the tonic. The results were incredible- we had hymns and children’s songs dutifully composed by memory. They were so proud of their work- and me in theirs! From Sister Herta’s “Take My Life” all the way to Miss Perdita’s quaint variation on “This is the Day,” I was shocked by what they had absorbed already. Doing this project proved to me that they understood what we were learning clearly.
From melodic dictation we moved into sight reading. I was skeptical at first- I thought it would take weeks for us to even latch on to the idea behind it, but I should’ve known that they’d surprise me. I started by introducing the skill of audiation- being able to hear a song in your head when you see it on paper. We revisited our C Major scale on numbers and practiced jumping around from interval to interval. Then I taught them the technical terms for the basic intervals in music and the trick tunes we use to remember them. They latched right on, and by the end of the class I was writing songs on the board and they were telling me what they were without hearing or singing them. It was COOL.
Then, to top it all off, we started harmonizing. I used the age old tricks of singing scales and getting each section to hold their note, then pointing to each section and having them change up or down as I pointed. This builds vocal independence- if people aren’t used to singing in harmony, this is a good way to trick them into discovering how to do it. We, as a group of 8, were able to sing a complete progression in four-part harmony: I-IV-I-V-I. Sister Herta actually cried because of how beautiful it was. I think I can make a choir with my most dedicated students. We’ll see- that has NEVER been my strong point.
Outside of the exciting world of the school, this week was filled with freedom and excitement. I went, as promised, to Carnivalito. It wasn’t much to talk about- a few rides scattered here and there, but I’d never been to the Market when the vendors were out- that was unbelievable! There were necklaces, shoes, earrings, sunglasses, windchimes, hand knitted hats and pocketbooks, handmade mirrors painted in brilliant colors, and all sorts of fantastically useless chismes, or gadgets in English. My favorite thing to see, though, was the wide array of handmade furniture and home décor.
They had beautiful handmade rocking chairs, beds, stools, cabinets, and dressers all made from beautiful hardwoods and stained in gorgeous hues. The makers were carving and finishing pieces right in the middle of the market…and these are no flimsy pieces of thrown together workmanship. These are substantially large and heavy pieces- well-made and priced inexpensively. They also sold little knickknacks that they had carved and painted while sitting in their booths- brilliant mobiles of scarlet macaws, hand carved bunches of bright yellow bananas, even hanging vignettes of village life. Each was painted in colors I could only imagine. This country is definitely the place for artists.
Beyond visiting Carnivalito, it was just good to get out and go where I wanted for a change. It seems like I never get to do the things I want when I’m in town, and I really just wanted to explore the many shops and vendors along the seaside. On Thursday- the day I went to Carnivalito- I explored the city with my friend Latoya. Latoya is awesome. We have gone on some type of trip together every week since I arrived, and we plan on doing a lot more. She is hilarious, and we mesh well. Anyhow, Latoya showed me all of the hidden treasures of seaside Limon- where to buy cheap shoes and clothes imported from Brazil, the best unknown restaurants… anything you could ever want to know.
Friday I went to town again- this time alone, just to window shop and do whatever I pleased. It was great- I bought my first pair of Brazilian shoes, which are valued here because they are very high heeled and very funky looking but are very comfortable to wear for heavy-duty walking. They’re great and squishy, too. I had fresh churros from a roadside vendor, and ate at the equivalent of Burger King here- Pollo Campero, where they only serve chicken, fries, rice, beans, and plantains…go figure. When I reached home, Sara had prepared the scandalous sea turtle for dinner.
Sea turtles are endangered here, but until a year or so ago they could be hunted for a short season each year. Now people have grown accustomed to it and they buy and sell it on the black market. Our turtle was a gift from a neighbor, so I felt a little bit better about it. Turtle meat looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s spongy and deep red, with holes all over …and reminds me of those pictures they used to show us in health class of the livers with cirrhosis. As for its taste, it’s delicious. The meat is tender and tastes like beef, only much greasier. They dice everything up- tripe, liver, meat- and cook it like pot roast… and you’d probably never guess it wasn’t high quality beef if no one told you. On the other hand, if you’re sensitive to greasy foods like I am, it will make you sicker than anything else you’ve ever eaten. I’m glad I tried it, but I’m not anxious to have it again.
Of course, my problems with the turtle could have stemmed from my visit to Limon’s aquarium with Latoya. The aquarium is a hallway filled with 10-gallon tanks and plastic wading pools. It’s free, of course, because it’s in a hallway, but they have a surprising set of animals. In one tank are fish from the local rivers. They’re boring looking. Another tank has fish from the Asian coral reef, another from Australia, another from Micronesia, and the last with fishies from our own local coral reef. They are so lovely! Of course, they also had the super-poisonous Lion fish on display, and a few sharks caught just outside the city.
In those plastic wading pools, though, are turtles from all over the city. There are miniature box turtles, longneck turtles, and some others I can’t remember…but the best was the sea turtle. He had a whole pool to himself, and you could come right up and touch him, but there he was- a real live sea turtle, injured from a fishing net, swimming around with two missing legs in a swimming pool in a hallway in downtown Limon. You can see why I was torn about eating his cousin. But…that’s okay. This experience is all about finding a new life- seeing how someone else lives and challenging myself. And that’s what I’m continuing to do, one day at a time.
First of all, the scheduling issue. The board decided to have all children in a class together from 10-12 on Saturday. That means that all of the children get the education at the same time- a real blessing for me as the only teacher. That means I only have to teach them once during each week…which probably sounds like I don’t want to teach them at all…and that is very true.
I’m not trying to say that I don’t like children- it doesn’t have anything to do with that- but I appreciate music on a much more cerebral level than most children can understand. I like the process of learning about reading music. I like to teach music reading. I like to talk about harmony, modulations, compound meter… these things just fly right over their heads. The adults, on the other hand, can think outside the box. You can explain a concept and ask them to apply it with very little prior instruction. They follow directions better, they don’t ask irrelevant questions, they are physically capable of more, and they use the bathroom far less frequently. Altogether more suitable conditions. On top of that, they are so interested in learning a concept that they don’t mind doing something silly to grasp it.
I am reminded of when I taught violin lessons back in Tennessee and I had an 8 year old student who had never played before. We worked very hard to read music because it was her primary desire. This little girl was very serious and wanted to know WHY things were the way they were; learning Twinkle wasn’t enough- this girl wanted to read music from the very beginning. This girl’s mother was a Pastor, and was very involved in her daughter’s lessons. Often I would come up with some kind of strange way to teach a concept to this girl, and her mother would do it right along with us. By the end of my time at that program I had a student who could read anything in book one- after just a year- and her mother who could read it right along with her. Her mother didn’t care that I was using silly games and songs to teach her daughter- she joined in because she wanted to learn too. This is why I love adults.
That means that I need prayers to help me with planning well for the children, although I hope that Roman will be willing to take that class when he arrives. I really need the inspiration to be creative and energetic when I work with the kids, and to be engaging. I am teaching children from age 5 to 12, and most don’t speak English very well, if at all. It’s a struggle to plan something that isn’t too easy for the older kids, and isn’t too hard for the younger ones. Plus, we never know how many children to expect. Today’s class was decent- about 13 or so kids from 6 to 14, and most of them participated when we were singing and listening. I still felt like it was very hard to fill two hours for kids who really aren’t that interested in learning details. We sang a few songs and then learned about the basics of music. I hope I can flesh this out more.
As for the adults- things are really moving along! We’ve already learned about the clefs, notes of the staff, octaves, and key signatures. From that point we introduced melodic dictation and some vocal exercises. Using a scale that we sang on numbers, they were able to write Mary Had a Little Lamb. We practiced doing different songs in different keys, and then I sent them home to write a piece of music on their own- based on established rules I had laid out: 1) must be in a key other C Major, 2) Must follow the rules of whatever time signature you choose, and 3) must begin or end on the tonic. The results were incredible- we had hymns and children’s songs dutifully composed by memory. They were so proud of their work- and me in theirs! From Sister Herta’s “Take My Life” all the way to Miss Perdita’s quaint variation on “This is the Day,” I was shocked by what they had absorbed already. Doing this project proved to me that they understood what we were learning clearly.
From melodic dictation we moved into sight reading. I was skeptical at first- I thought it would take weeks for us to even latch on to the idea behind it, but I should’ve known that they’d surprise me. I started by introducing the skill of audiation- being able to hear a song in your head when you see it on paper. We revisited our C Major scale on numbers and practiced jumping around from interval to interval. Then I taught them the technical terms for the basic intervals in music and the trick tunes we use to remember them. They latched right on, and by the end of the class I was writing songs on the board and they were telling me what they were without hearing or singing them. It was COOL.
Then, to top it all off, we started harmonizing. I used the age old tricks of singing scales and getting each section to hold their note, then pointing to each section and having them change up or down as I pointed. This builds vocal independence- if people aren’t used to singing in harmony, this is a good way to trick them into discovering how to do it. We, as a group of 8, were able to sing a complete progression in four-part harmony: I-IV-I-V-I. Sister Herta actually cried because of how beautiful it was. I think I can make a choir with my most dedicated students. We’ll see- that has NEVER been my strong point.
Outside of the exciting world of the school, this week was filled with freedom and excitement. I went, as promised, to Carnivalito. It wasn’t much to talk about- a few rides scattered here and there, but I’d never been to the Market when the vendors were out- that was unbelievable! There were necklaces, shoes, earrings, sunglasses, windchimes, hand knitted hats and pocketbooks, handmade mirrors painted in brilliant colors, and all sorts of fantastically useless chismes, or gadgets in English. My favorite thing to see, though, was the wide array of handmade furniture and home décor.
They had beautiful handmade rocking chairs, beds, stools, cabinets, and dressers all made from beautiful hardwoods and stained in gorgeous hues. The makers were carving and finishing pieces right in the middle of the market…and these are no flimsy pieces of thrown together workmanship. These are substantially large and heavy pieces- well-made and priced inexpensively. They also sold little knickknacks that they had carved and painted while sitting in their booths- brilliant mobiles of scarlet macaws, hand carved bunches of bright yellow bananas, even hanging vignettes of village life. Each was painted in colors I could only imagine. This country is definitely the place for artists.
Beyond visiting Carnivalito, it was just good to get out and go where I wanted for a change. It seems like I never get to do the things I want when I’m in town, and I really just wanted to explore the many shops and vendors along the seaside. On Thursday- the day I went to Carnivalito- I explored the city with my friend Latoya. Latoya is awesome. We have gone on some type of trip together every week since I arrived, and we plan on doing a lot more. She is hilarious, and we mesh well. Anyhow, Latoya showed me all of the hidden treasures of seaside Limon- where to buy cheap shoes and clothes imported from Brazil, the best unknown restaurants… anything you could ever want to know.
Friday I went to town again- this time alone, just to window shop and do whatever I pleased. It was great- I bought my first pair of Brazilian shoes, which are valued here because they are very high heeled and very funky looking but are very comfortable to wear for heavy-duty walking. They’re great and squishy, too. I had fresh churros from a roadside vendor, and ate at the equivalent of Burger King here- Pollo Campero, where they only serve chicken, fries, rice, beans, and plantains…go figure. When I reached home, Sara had prepared the scandalous sea turtle for dinner.
Sea turtles are endangered here, but until a year or so ago they could be hunted for a short season each year. Now people have grown accustomed to it and they buy and sell it on the black market. Our turtle was a gift from a neighbor, so I felt a little bit better about it. Turtle meat looks like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It’s spongy and deep red, with holes all over …and reminds me of those pictures they used to show us in health class of the livers with cirrhosis. As for its taste, it’s delicious. The meat is tender and tastes like beef, only much greasier. They dice everything up- tripe, liver, meat- and cook it like pot roast… and you’d probably never guess it wasn’t high quality beef if no one told you. On the other hand, if you’re sensitive to greasy foods like I am, it will make you sicker than anything else you’ve ever eaten. I’m glad I tried it, but I’m not anxious to have it again.
Of course, my problems with the turtle could have stemmed from my visit to Limon’s aquarium with Latoya. The aquarium is a hallway filled with 10-gallon tanks and plastic wading pools. It’s free, of course, because it’s in a hallway, but they have a surprising set of animals. In one tank are fish from the local rivers. They’re boring looking. Another tank has fish from the Asian coral reef, another from Australia, another from Micronesia, and the last with fishies from our own local coral reef. They are so lovely! Of course, they also had the super-poisonous Lion fish on display, and a few sharks caught just outside the city.
In those plastic wading pools, though, are turtles from all over the city. There are miniature box turtles, longneck turtles, and some others I can’t remember…but the best was the sea turtle. He had a whole pool to himself, and you could come right up and touch him, but there he was- a real live sea turtle, injured from a fishing net, swimming around with two missing legs in a swimming pool in a hallway in downtown Limon. You can see why I was torn about eating his cousin. But…that’s okay. This experience is all about finding a new life- seeing how someone else lives and challenging myself. And that’s what I’m continuing to do, one day at a time.
At any rate, I’ve got some good stories to tell my grandkids
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