Expat Living
US, Mexican Rotary Clubs, universities, govts join forces in music program for youngsters
- Details
- Published on Friday, 10 August 2012 16:38
- Written by Elaine Halleck
An impressive joint effort patterned after a Venezuelan youth orchestra begun by Los Angeles Philharmonic’s director Gustavo Dudamel is bringing noteworthy gains to poor kids in Guadalajara.
The Lomas del Paraiso Youth Orchestra (Orquesta Infantil y Juvenil Lomas del Paraiso), begun by Mexico’s federal arts agency, CONACULTA, has held numerous concerts in its four years of existence. It is composed of youngsters from a low-income neighborhood near Guadalajara’s zoo.
“They have worked very intensely and improved a lot,” said their director Jose Antonio Herrera, noting that poverty is part of the reason they have excelled. “They don’t have many other options for their free time, such as swimming pools, so they practice a lot.”
“They just played a concert in the Degollado theater,” said Martha Saavedra, a member of the Guadalajara Rotary Club #7661, which helps support the orchestra. In 2011, Saavedra’s club teamed up with the Santa Rosa Rotary Club in California to help bring the youngsters to perform at Sonoma State University. Saavedra noted that the state of Jalisco assisted in the trip, as well as one very helpful individual.