Guest * – Page 35 – Goducate … Go And Educate!

2014-11-142014-12-03

Goducate Laguna holds its 2nd music camp

Goducate Laguna held its 2nd music camp at the Goducate Laguna Campsite in Pupuy, Bay, from Oct 30 to Nov 1. Unlike the first camp, which was held over 2 days for both the senior and junior orchestras (see Aug 29 blog), this one was a more intensive camp confined to only some of the senior players. As before, the orchestra was very unbalanced, made worse by the fact that not all the 12 violinists who had signed up for the camp turned up. Thus we ended up with 9 violinists (3 first violinists & 6 second violinists), 1 cellist, 1 violist, and 1 double-bass player.

Although the camp was held over 3 days, I spent 6 days in Laguna with the music group as a whole, and especially with the core group. Thus there were also meetings, teaching sessions on the Overview of Music Notation, as well as 2 evenings of watching the video Kung-fu Panda, which offers some precious life lessons such as:

We must believe in ourselves and in the people we are mentoring
There are no accidents in life’s events
Beware of being over-confidence and conceit
Do not under-estimate your enemy because looks can be deceiving
There are no secret ingredients in life because there are no short cuts, and we must be willing to work hard and take the hard knocks in life
To fulfil our destiny, we must let go of our illusion of control
There is no good or bad news because it depends on how one looks at it
An effective teacher must know what really motivates the student and adjust the mode of teaching to make the student hungry.
A true warrior never quits.
The mark of a true hero is humility.

Those attending the camp had new music to work on—namely, Mozart Mix, Fun for Fiddlers, Syncopated Clock, Little Russian March, as well as 2 Christmas pieces (Deck the Hall, and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas). The camp culminated in a concert for family members of the players. One of the items, Little Russian March, was conducted by Bernard, my conducting student, who did a good job.

The players enjoyed the camp, which resulted in definite improvements in playing skill and other skills— such as tackling technically difficult passages, sight-reading techniques, attention to details (such as intonation, change of keys, dynamics, articulation. They also increased their knowledge of musical terms.

One of the items discussed at the debrief was to look into means of improving the bad instruments mix, which is the result of a shortage of violas and cellos. The music group was thus urged to look into fund-raising efforts to purchase such instruments, after which the instructors can start recruiting the students for these instruments.

*Our guest writer is Peter Yan, Goducate Laguna’s Singapore-based music director

2014-10-032014-10-15

Goducate teacher in Vietnam learns much from video club

For the past 5 months or so, I have been helping to run a video club in Da Nang, Vietnam. It ended with a 24-hour film competition. The members of the club learnt drama skills, video editing, and film-making (see blog of June 17, 2014). What I gained from participation in the club is equally invaluable.

My knowledge and understanding about Vietnamese culture has broadened. I’ve also got to engage with the locals and help them develop not only their communication skills but also their self-concept, and to be the best possible versions of themselves.

It was also interesting to learn how to get along with the different personalities and backgrounds among our team of facilitators and trainers. We were all created as unique individuals, so we needed to understand and even study each other’s personality, attitude and behavior as we went along for us to work well together as a team.

Flexibility was indeed the key. There were so many changes, from the making of the curriculum to the venue of the competition. Adjustments were constantly needed here and there. I believe that those who can adapt to change can surely survive. Through this club, we were trained to be flexible individuals in facing circumstances that are beyond our control, and to respond to changes accordingly.

Starting a program from scratch is quite difficult for we need to study all the aspects related to it and implement all the things needed to achieve the goals. I found that, eventually, everything would come into place. What’s needed are patience and determination to finish whatever has been started, and rejoice over the goals achieved.

*Our guest writer is Merianne, a Goducate teacher in Vietnam

Learning about camera angles and lighting

2014-09-122014-09-26

Goducate trainees in China finish their training at Goducate Training Center in Iloilo

One of Goducate’s projects in China is to train people to be community development workers. Last month, 9 of these trainees spent the last 2 weeks of their training at the Goducate Training Center (GTC) in Iloilo, Philippines. The idea was to expose them to a foreign country and a foreign culture, and to give them an idea of what it is like to have to adapt to a different environment.

Since if Chinese community workers are sent abroad to serve, it is likely that one of their main tasks will be to teach Chinese as a second language, at GTC, the China team taught the other trainees some Chinese words and songs. They also attended a class teaching how to run an English corner, the principles of which can be applied to the teaching of any language.

Much of the practical training at GTC is done in the neighboring communities. There the China team saw how GTC trainees visit local families to help them help themselves. For example, they showed the families how to raise farm animals, or to increase outputs from their farms.

The China team also visited an area hard hit by Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) late last year, and where the Goducate Tent School project has been restoring classrooms in schools badly hit by the typhoon. This restoration work is complemented by various educational activities in the community. The China team visited the schools to teach the children Chinese songs and various kinds of paper crafts. It was good to see how the children were a little reserved at first, but by the time the China team was leaving the kids were joyful and smiling and laughing away.

Although the China team’s introduction to the outside world was very gentle, in that the GTC is set in beautiful surroundings and the team was surrounded by kind-hearted people and pampered by good food and wonderful service, the servant’s hearts they saw in the others became a lesson in themselves.

Teaching Chinese in classroom undamaged by Typhoon Haiyan

*Our guest writer is Brenda, a China team trainer and program coordinator