Report from Peru

by Caroline Fraser

“I’d rather be a sparrow than a snail…” made famous by Simon and Garfunkel, is actually a Peruvian composition, “El condor pasa” written by Daniel Alomia Robles from Huanuco. The Second National Suzuki Workshop in Peru was held in the house where Robles was born. The house is now known as the Instituto Superior de Musica Publico “Daniel Alomia Robles”.

The goal of the Suzuki Association of Peru (SAP) over the next few years is to create and support Suzuki programs throughout Peru. The so-called “provinces” are economically and geographically disadvantaged. Their reality is completely different from that of Lima. We want to make sure that the concept “Every child can” includes the children from these distant places, which seem to be forgotten and abandoned by their own government.

Two teachers who had attended the three-day Latin American Teachers’ Conference in Lima, held in January, returned to their own communities determined to share their experiences with their colleagues: Amador Ccala from Juliaca, and Rosario Kong from Huanuco. With tremendous initiative and leadership, they both successfully organized teacher-training workshops with unprecedented participation in each of their cities. Armed with will power and faith and very little in the way of economic resources, they have introduced the Suzuki philosophy to parents and teachers and changed their lives forever.

Both these workshops are the result of an agreement the Suzuki Association of Peru has made with the Peruvian Youth Orchestras, directed by “el maestro” Wilfredo Tarazona. Wilfredo’s dream is to create youth orchestras throughout Peru. The SAP realized that in order to fulfill that dream he needed well-trained teachers. Hence the partnership was formed. Wilfredo travels untiringly in the provinces of Peru, and urges teachers to attend the annual Suzuki festivals. The SAP helps make their attendance possible. El maestro Wilfredo started by taking the philosophy course himself and changing his own way of thinking, thereby setting an excellent example for the teachers he had invited.

In both places, the courses were approved by the Ministry of Education and the radio and television coverage was extensive.

Last updated September 30 2007