Hey y'all - Brad here!
This summer has been one crazy roller coaster, and for those that know me very well - that ain't that bad! :) And even better - the best is yet to come!
Let me first update everyone on everything I'd been up to in the month of July:
I walked into July more stressed then I've ever been in my life. If Gabe nags me enough I'll post all of the life-threatening, "shark-week"-stye drama that was my quest to receive a Brazilian visa. It got ugly.
However, after that was all squared away I was going full force on a tour of Central America with YOA Orchestra of the Americas. I was extremely honored to perform and travel with this group and represent the United States along the way. But more important then representing my country, I was happy to discover and connect with so many others - a vision that is at the heart of THIS project.
YOA Orchestra of the Americas is a full symphony orchestra of international musicians representing all countries throughout the Americas (North, Central, South, and the Caribbean). Every summer the orchestra selects musicians through an international application process and takes them on a tour. This summer: Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Belize. A full buffet of Central American delicacies.
The experience was so amazing for me because it uniquely combines three things I am extremely passionate about: performing, teaching, and traveling. And I've continually learned, in my life, that the three help enhance each other.
I had the opportunity to work with young musicians from all the different countries throughout the tour and even helped inaugurate a youth orchestra and choir! And... Ate with dignitaries, performed with national symphonies, and ventured to coastal paradises to find the roots of music and culture. The connections I made on this wonderful tour (musical, cultural, and deeper) are the exact ones that Gabe and I are planning to foster during our excursion to Salvador. It's not just about the music! So much of it is about understanding.
So, I'll end with this, a list of some of the things I'm looking forward to in Salvador and some things I'm NOT so looking forward to...
"LIKES"
1.) Studying traditional music
2.) Working with NEOJIBA
3.) Teaching at UFBA (University)
4.) Trying new foods
5.) Watching my skin slowly meld to the color of my hair (think: Wesley Snipes)
6.) CAPOEIRA!
7.) Pointing and laughing with local kids as Gabe struggles to speak Portuguese (I wont be any better)
8.) Taking pictures! (of number 7)
9.) Finding music in the streets
10.) Making music in the streets
"UNLIKES"
1.) Potentially sharing a bed with Gabe (HE SNORESSSSSSSS)
2.) Sharing a room with Gabe (HE SNORESSSSSS)
3.) Sharing a building with Gabe (HE SNORESSSSSS)
4.) Being in the same city as Gabe (HE... ok, you get it!)
5.) Using the internet. Hopefully, we "stay connected."
6.) Searching frantically for vegetarian food for... GABE!
7.) Washing clothes... this is never fun while traveling, to me.
8.) Running out of toilet paper... it's gonna happen, right?
9.) Entering the airport tomorrow!!! Apparently there's a strike going on now... eeek.
10.) Gabe nagging about blogging... Ha! Stories to come about THAT!
Ok, videos and pictures to come soon, as well. PLEASE feel free to let us know what you think of everything and if you know something neat that we should try and check out while we're there! Everyone's support and love has been so paramount to our beginning this journey. Next time I post I'll be in Brasil! Hype it!
till next time!
"Discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes."
No comments:
Post a Comment