Music is an integral part of Haitian culture. Recently, Castillo Saint Amant, our director of the SCEH-supported Deschapelles Band Academy, attended a weeklong instrument repair seminar in Gonaives, Haiti. Castillo and 17 other musicians, learned about instrument characteristics, instrument construction, parts that often need repairs, identifying what needs repairing, which tools should be used for the repairs, and preventive measures that may help avoid damage. Did you know that mouthpieces need the most care? Castillo’s participation in these seminars will help keep the instruments of the Deschapelles Band Academy in good condition and enhance our music program that is enjoyed by the community.

Worth noting is that the instrument repair classes were recently created by Janet Anthony, a retired university music director, who has augmented the joy of music for many in Haiti and who saw a need for musicians to repair instruments in their own local community. Working on her own, as well as with the École de Musique centered in Port-au-Prince, she helped summer music camps in different areas of the country continue for promising students. Her efforts have opened the door to many musicians interested in the skills of repairing instruments.

Sister Cities Essex Haiti Music Camp in Deschapelles 2018.  For a second year we have wonderful teachers from Port au Prince Ecole de Musique and Philharmonic.  This year the teachers are members of a Woodwind Quintet, organizied by Castillo St. Armand, Deschapelles resident who started his studies with us 5 years ago.  The Quintet is  using some of this time to be Artists in Residence taking time to practice together.

SCEH was proud to send four talented young musicians to the annual Ste. Trinité Music Camp which was held this year at Terrier Rouge, in the north of Haiti.  The cost of the almost three week music camp for each musician is only $100 which covers all costs, bed and board.  They were able to join a bus engaged by the Ste. Trinité Music School bus at Pont Sondé, about a half hour from Deschapelles.  This was the second year that SCEH was able to send Georges Petrix to Music Camp.

Daniel Charles, a trombonist with the Ste Trinité Music School and Philharmonic in Port au Prince, responded to one of SCEH’s tweets saying he was interested in our music program.   Daniel had the opportunity to study in Appleton WI at  the Lawrence University Music Department and was trained to teach brass instruments.  Daniel offered to work with musicians in Deschapelles along with fellow musician and music teacher Samuel Dimy Joseph, bassoon player.

In March, they held a three-day workshop for  the Deschapelles reed and brass musicians. For me one of the key elements here is that the SCEH music program has inspired Haitian musicians who have benefitted from further study in the US  to give back to their fellow Haitians by volunteering their time, expertise, and love of music to the budding musicians of Deschapelles.

Who would have dreamed that the first efforts of Sister Cities Essex Haiti’s music project in 2012 would result in a first-ever performance in Deschapelles of a classical chamber concert with 6 musicians from the Ecole de Musique from Ste Trinité in Port au Prince? And to a SRO very enthusiastic audience! Castillo Saint Armand, Deschapelles resident, whose passion for the clarinet quickly outgrew the skills of the Fanfare Maestro Abner Achoule, continued to study on his own with additional music brought from the US. He attended the Ste Trinté Music Camp in nearby Cange for two successive summers and is now studying in Port au Prince with the first clarinetist in the Ste Trinité Philharmonic. He energized five of his friends from the school to travel to very rural Deschapelles to actually make this wonderful concert happen!

This was a highlight of the second Sister Cities Essex Haiti music week in Deschapelles this past April. Now, three years after our first trip working with the Fanfare Band, Maestro Abner Achoule has trained 20 additional musicians to be able to read music and play as a band. Both the Fanfare Band and the Beginner Band were delighted that Maestra Paddy (Hurley) would return, bringing music with requested “styles” such as jazz, swing, Bossa Nova. Ann Lander joined Paddy and myself. In addition to playing with the Old Lyme Band Ann also serves as the librarian for all their music, and her skills in that area were greatly appreciated as we juggled “feuilles” (sheets) of music between the two groups. We found that the Beginner Band had been taught excellent skills by Maestro Abner especially in reading music and playing as a group. A rigorous schedule of teaching two groups new music for a short week were demanding, but at the end of the week we delighted to be able to perform a joint concert showcasing the two groups’ new music and having them play one piece together – a first !

This July three additional promising musicians, identified by Paddy and Ann as ready to benefit from more rigorous instruction, will attend the Saint Trinité music camp.

Participating in Music Week in Deschapelles gave the three of us special opportunities to renew friendships, develop new ones, and create music together. To know that our project has inspired one musician to persevere and follow a classical route, that it has inspired Maestro Abner to teach so many budding musicians so well, and to be able to have three of the new Beginner Band qualify to attend the outstanding Ste. Trinité Music Camp is further than we ever imagined in 2012.

SCEH is immensely grateful for all the support that we have received from friends in Essex and beyond who share our desire to be able to respond to the requests from our friends in Deschapelles to enrich their lives.