Peter Wordelman - Fulbright Application, Ecuador
Title: Singing at the Middle of the World: The Advancement and Discoveries of Choral Music in Ecuador
Ecuadorian choral music is virtually unknown to the rest of the world. The national music of Ecuador represents many indigenous groups as well as different climates, regions and languages. Through this project, I will explain why I am committed to working in Ecuador and why the timing is now right for this exchange to take place.
My first introduction to Ecuadorian choral music took place January - June of 2000. I went on sabbatical to Quito, Ecuador where I served as an exchange professor at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. My duties included teaching two English Composition courses, working with a very small choir and teaching private voice lessons. As I gained knowledge of the area and the language, my musical observations expanded and I started my journey of discovering the musical traditions of Ecuador. I began to sing with a small adult choir called “Coro Amistad” which concentrates on the national music of Ecuador. The choir is also dedicated to sharing this music with poor children in remote areas of the country. The choir went on several trips to small communities as a joint venture between the choir and the Universidad San Francisco de Quito’s public health department. The sessions included the sharing of music, nutritious food, the building of Andian flutes, and teaching the children songs for the newly built flutes as well as songs for singing. These trips had a very large impact on me as I saw the richness of music, yet the overwhelming poverty that exists.
While teaching at USFQ, I worked with basically upper class students. USFQ is the most expensive University in Ecuador and the students reflect the cost. Many are very gifted and it was a great experience for me. After I finished my duties at USFQ, I began to expand my contacts and I spent three weeks working with the choir at the Universidad Central del Ecuador and one week working with the choir at Universidad Catolica. Most of these students have studied some English, but it was basically up to me to teach in Spanish. Both choirs were not used to having guest directors but were very excited for the opportunity and the time that we spent together was very productive for all involved. We worked on some African American spirituals as well as the Ecuadorian music that they are used to singing. All of the students sang in the choirs because they loved to sing. They do not get credit for the ensemble, but the opportunity to perform the music they love is well worth the time.
As I worked with the choir at the Universidad Central, I later learned that the university is going through an academic reform process and that one of the goals set by the university is to reform their choir. My project will outline how I can assist with this project as well as choral music in general in Ecuador. The Universidad Central has only had one visiting professor in the last forty years, if my application is accepted, I would be the second.
The outline for the project contains five areas; conducting and working with the choir at the Universidad Central, teaching voice lessons to all of the members of the choir, teaching a choral conducting class for members of the Ecuadorian Choral Conductors Association, working with Ecuadorian conductors and composers to get their music published in the United States, and finally serving as a choral consultant for current conductors in the Quito area.
Part I: Universidad Central choir
The choir is made up of about 48 members. I would work collectively with Eugenio Auz who is the current conductor. During the rehearsals we will focus on the basics of choral singing, introducing new repertoire that is not currently available in Ecuador, learning the basics of music theory, and working on the art of performance.
The basics of choral singing include the ability to understand that the choir consists of four sections. Each member of the choir is a part of one of the four sections. The ability to match your individual pitch, tone, and rhythm is all involved in good choral singing. Most students have not grown up singing in choirs, rather only singing at family events, with friends and with recorded music. The main area of emphasis will be dedicated to teaching the students how to listen to themselves as well as their individual function within the ensemble.
The repertoire that the choirs are now singing is dominated by arrangements of traditional music that the conductor has arranged. The ability to order new music does not exist at this time, as the cost of published music prohibits choirs from purchasing new music. I have the ability and the resources to introduce new music, both classical as well as other folk style music from all over the world. The expansion of the choir’s repertoire as well as different styles of singing are very important as one does not sing all styles of music in the same manner.
Most members of the choir do not know the basics of music theory, e.g. what is a rhythm, what are the names of notes? It would be impossible to expect the students to comprehend a high level of music theory in the time allowed. However, it is very possible to teach them elements of rhythm and the names of the pitches. The basic agenda will involve getting the students to read what they see on the written page while using the printed music as the guide for each lesson.
Finally, the art of performance. My own personal belief is listed below:
My teaching philosophy is geared toward the art of performance and what goes into achieving one’s performance goals. The value of a performance-based philosophy is teaching students how to bring everything they have learned together at one single moment. I believe that there are five main areas of study which go into a performance based philosophy. They are: self-discipline, preparation, self-confidence, background knowledge, and presentation. These all lead to the ultimate goal of final performance.
By using the above statement as a guide, it will be possible to describe to the choir why we are working on these different and in most cases, new elements during the rehearsal process.
Part II - Individual voice lessons for members of the choir.
Most of the students in the choir have never had the opportunity to take private voice lessons. All of the students love to sing, but with some added guidance, the success and self-confidence of each person will increase. By meeting with the members of the choir on an individual bases, it will allow me the time needed to discuss and practice vocal techniques, work on difficult parts of the choral repertoire, and perhaps the most important give individual attention and learn more about each member of the choir. I believe that a choir that is well -unified will definitely perform better. It is important for the conductor to learn about the individual person and private lessons are a wonderful way to accomplish this.
Part III - Conducting Class
For the long term, this aspect of the project may turn out to have the most impact. After meeting numerous Ecuadorian conductors, they would consistently ask the question “do you know of any classes I can take for choral conducting?” Summer seminars as well as university courses are available in other countries, but the cost of the programs are too great for most conductors. By listening to the needs of the conductors, it is my thought to design a course for them and present it in Quito.
By working with Cesar Santos who is the president of the Ecuadorian Choral Conductors Association, we came up with the following outline for the course. The course will be free and open to all members of the association. (Some cost for materials may be involved) The course will meet two times per week for a two-hour period and will be held at the choral rehearsal room at the Universidad Central campus. The course will focus on basic conducting techniques, rehearsal techniques, an expansion of repertoire for choirs, including literature that is appropriate for different choirs based on the make up of the group and age, vocal techniques for the conductor, and also serve as a consistent meeting time for members of the organization to spend time with each other in order to help build a stronger base for this organization in the future. If this proposal is accepted, we will also try to obtain credit or certification for successful completion of the course through an Ecuadorian university or through my university.
Part IV - Publication of Ecuadorian Choral Music
Out of necessity, Ecuadorian conductors have spent countless hours arranging music for their individual ensemble. These arrangements are normally shared with other conductors and the music is then passed from choir to choir.
Ecuadorian conductors are paid a very low wage for their services; it is very normal to lead three or four choirs just to make enough money to feed a family. It is my intention to help these conductors publish some of this music in the US. By doing so, it will allow for an increased awareness of the wealth of Ecuadorian choral music as well as bring an additional income to the conductor. During the past months, I have edited and published two pieces by Ecuadorian composer Gerardo Guevara with the company Earthsongs based in Corvallis, OR. An additional piece by Ecuadorian composer Eugenio Auz will be published in the coming year.
It would be impossible for one company to publish all the works involved, so I will work to expand my resources of American companies and/or assist them at publishing all the arrangements on the web. If the second scenario does happen, we will work with the publishing company Choral Web, which is already publishing on the internee.
Part V - A Choral Consultant
Since choral directors are not well known for their consulting work, I will try to explain the emphasis of this section. I will spend time with individual conductors and their individual choirs. The sessions with the conductors will include the organizational structure of the ensemble, administrative duties that they or the organization attends to, a chance to discuss the successes or difficulties of the ensemble, as well as a chance to discuss future needs of the conductor. This may include having meetings with administrators of universities or schools to discuss how they see the choir fitting into the entire university and or school, equipment needs of the choir, and the delicate subject of payment for the conductor. The time spent with the choirs will serve as a goal setting venture for the ensemble. I will ask questions about why they sing in the choir, what types of music they like to sing, how they would like to see the choir improve, and in which areas they are currently unhappy. By the end of the session we would come up with a series of goals that could be accomplished in the short term as well as a long-range plan.
Conclusion
This Fulbright project has been designed specifically for the Quito area. I have worked with the appropriate people including the conductors and administrators, the president of the Ecuadorian Choral Directors Association, the cultural attaché for the US Embassy in Quito, and met with the director of the Fulbright Commission in Ecuador. The students at the Universidad Central are really not much different from my students at Eastern Oregon University. Most of the students are the first members of their family to ever attend university, many do not have large financial resources, they all posses a strong desire to learn and to perform at a high level, and they all want to improve their own personal musical gift.
In addition, my plans also include taking my Eastern Oregon University chamber choir to Quito in March of 2001 for a series of joint rehearsals and performances with the choirs from the Universidad Central and Universidad Catolica. This will allow more continuity for my return visit to Ecuador in January of 2002. If this proposal is accepted, the quality and knowledge of choral singing will improve in Ecuador, the world will have a greater knowledge of Ecuadorian choral music, and my life and future teaching will be enhanced from spending time in the wonderful county of Ecuador.
Perhaps my greatest complement was delivered by Marleen Haboud who is the director of the Oregon University System International Program in Quito. As we were finishing discussing a translation from the original language of Quichua, then to Spanish and finally to English she states: “Hope you and your family are doing just fine, and that you continue to have the great heart you have! People love you around here!”