John's Journalhttp://harpingforharmony.org/johns-journal/en-US2010-02-09T10:45:31ZSquarespace Site Server v5.9.1 (http://www.squarespace.com/)ARPATUR 2009 Summary Reporthttp://harpingforharmony.org/johns-journal/2010/2/8/arpatur-2009-summary-report.htmlJohn Lozier2010-02-08T12:59:20ZARPATUR, a mission of Harping for Harmony Foundation in Venezuela
I spent the month of November, 2009, in rural Venezuela, chiefly in the region known as the llanos, in the states of Apure, Barinas, and Portuguesa. This was my fifth sojourn in the region; we have come to call these trips ARPATUR (harp tour). Over several seasons, ARPATUR has helped to draw attention and prestige to the strong traditional music of harp, cuatro and maracas.
During the first week, I traveled with four companions, visiting traditional musicians in towns and villages, and on farms. The party consisted of Adolfo Cardozo, singer and professor of agriculture; Fernando Guerrero, lawyer and pedal harpist from Caracas; Adolfo's wife Erika Escobar; and my brother Dan. See details of "La Baecera Initiative" below.
After the first week, I settled in Barinas and studied intensively with harpist Jose Gregorio Lopez, better known as "Goyo." I also attended harp classes at the Casa de la Cultura. Also, on several occasions I visited Caney del Arpa in Guanare, where harpist Aurelio Rodriguez (better known as "Longo") performs with other musicians in a longstanding circle of friends.
La Baecera Initiative
The focal point of ARPATUR 2009 was on the first Saturday night at La Baecera, a rural settlement of scattered ranches near Elorza. Adolfo and Erika had taken me each year to spend a couple of days to her family farm, El Coromoto. On this occasion about 50 friends, neighbors and relatives had gathered to celebrate the inauguration of a folk arts school, called the Semillero de Arpa y Joropo de La Baecera "Tio Esteban y Juana Romero" (workshop for harp and dance at La Baecera honoring Uncle Stephen and Juana Romero). At this stage, the school is not a physical place but rather a meetingplace of minds interested in cultural preservation. At the celebration, a harp, a cuatro and a pair of maracas were presented to the new school.
The turnout was very satisfying to Adolfo and Erika, who proclaimed the event a resounding success.
Tio Esteban was a harpist, a neighbor and relative, who played for dances a generation ago. Juana Romero, also a neighbor, was a beloved dancer and teacher. Tio Esteban and Juana Romero are both remembered in the lyrics of a song recorded by popular singer Alfredo Parra.
El Tuco, the local harpist at the celebration, learned to play from Tio Esteban. Tuco will be the first harp teacher in the new school. According to Fernando, Tuco's style of harping is very authentic, simple, and typical. A landless leatherworker, now in his 50's, Tuco cultivates a garden with a wife and daughter. Tuco's harp has been in disrepair for some time, so he can only play when another harp is available. His harp was sent for repair, and another harp left with him for his use. Recently, Adolfo reports that Tuco and his wife and daughter all play the harp on a daily basis.
Barinas Harp School and Private Study
At the government-sponsored Casa de la Cultura in Barinas, various classes are offered for children and adults, including harp as well as guitar, dance, puppetry, painting and more. I was readily accepted at the Oswaldo Zapata's harp classes which are offered two days a week for 2 hours. I was also referred to Jose Gregorio Lopez as a private harp instructor. Given my limited time, I resolved to take advantage of both opportunities.
I attended about 6 harp classes. These classes attracted as many as a dozen participants, mostly male children and adolescents, but also including two females who appeared on one or more occasions.
In Zapata's classes, I saw a great enthusiasm for the harp from these young people. Most of them were technically advanced well beyond my level. Classes were held in a small patio, with everyone playing at once. It was difficult to hear oneself over the din. The teacher went from one student to another, observing technique and making suggestions. In this situation, I did not command much attention from the teacher. As days passed, I got a bit more attention from Zapata as I began to display what I was learning from Goyo Lopez. I was never asked to pay for these classes. Quite properly, Zapata dedicated his attention to his young students and not to me, an outsider who would likely never amount to much. I later discovered that Zapata himself was a student of Goyo Lopez.
Concurrently with Zapata's classes, I studied privately with Jose Gregorio "Goyo" Lopez, who turned out to be an excellent teacher and generous spirit. In the days ahead I had a lesson almost every day, and twice on some days. Goyo also encouraged me to make video recordings.
My experience with Goyo Lopez was much more productive in personal terms. However, Zapata's harp class at Casa de la Cultura deserves a great deal of credit for sustaining the cultural tradition.
Harping for Harmony Foundation Involvement
Harping for Harmony Foundation invested $5552 in ARPATUR 2009. $1000 was earmarked by the board specifically toward the purchase of a computer for Adolfo. Airfare was $1252. The balance of $3300 is shown in the accounts as per diem for 33 days at $100/day.
Actual per diem costs were lower, offset in many instances by private hospitality (room and board). Funds thus saved were in turn used to offer reciprocity including meals, supplies, remunerations and donations of various sorts. Harpist Tuco received $50 for lessons he gave me; Goyo Lopeze received $300; Tuco's harp was sent for repair at a cost of $200; the La Baecera folk school initiative received $300.
I give much credit to the harp class at Casa de la Cultura, but did not offer any financial support as it is a governmentally funded institution.]]>Last Day in Barinas, Venezuelahttp://harpingforharmony.org/johns-journal/2009/11/30/last-day-in-barinas-venezuela.htmlJohn Lozier2009-11-30T16:39:12ZHarp here is nothing strange, so many fine harpists! I´ll post some video in days and weeks ahead.
Living here evokes a sense of how things might have been in Scotland or Ireland, in earlier times. This country is divided by class. The slick Sunday papers are all about style, conspicuous consumption, with countless ads for plastic surgery to enhance feminine ideal beauty. On the other hand there is a vaste class of workers and the under-employed, ranging from merchant and service enterprises down to day laborers and beggars (limosneros).
People here are somewhat distrustful, but also courteous and generous, they do not ignore the beggars.
In this setting, it is instructive to read Romulo Gallegos, who wrote about this land almost 100 years ago. More on this maybe later.
For two weeks I have been playing my harp in the Plaza Bolivar, early morning and throughout the day. Folks sometimes talk to me. Some are highly educated, like to share their views with me. Others are the simple street people. Their question is most often "How much does a harp like that cost?" Sometimes I answer, but more often I avoid the question.
Bottom line, the harp is expensive. For the poor, learning to play the harp well is an avenue to social advancement. For the well-off, the harp is likely to be regarded as a hobby, more a risk than an enhancement of social status.
With mixed feelings, I´m leaving Barinas in a couple of hours, will be back in the US tomorrow.
Regards from Venezuela.
]]>My Harp Teacher in Barinas - Jose Gregorio Lopezhttp://harpingforharmony.org/johns-journal/2009/11/18/my-harp-teacher-in-barinas-jose-gregorio-lopez.htmlJohn Lozier2009-11-18T18:22:11Zweek, and I´m so glad. He is very patient, very precise, does not let any mistake go uncorrected. This is so important when the rhythm is so intricate and particular.
I´m working mostly on Seis por Derecho, a very universal form based on a certain rhythmic and harmonic repetition of chords 5 5 1 4. There are numerous variations in both bass and treble parts. However, there are a few cardinal errors that just seem to come naturally to a North American musical mentality.
Pajarillo is another universal form here, which folks have told me is just Seis por Derecho in a minor key (tuned with a sharped seventh). Here´s Jose Gregorio Lopez doing Pajarillo on youtube (I hope this works)...
At my first lesson, Goyo said he has worked 40 years experimenting with alternative tunings, in order to perform a more chromatic style. He demonstrated for me, but since then I´ve been focused on getting the basics. Maybe some other time, I´ll work on alternative tuning.
John
]]>Venezuela Manicurehttp://harpingforharmony.org/johns-journal/2009/11/13/venezuela-manicure.htmlJohn Lozier2009-11-13T21:10:09ZI got a manicure yesterday afternoon here in Barinas, Venezuela. It was a stroke of great good fortune.
At the harp class on Wednesday, I was like everyone else, playing as hard as I could just to hear myself. Everyone was playing independently, as the teacher came around and gave personal instruction. Afterward, I noticed that I had broken my left index fingernail. What a disaster! With two weeks to go here, I would not have time to grow it back out!
Beauty parlor to the rescue. The young woman did not seem at all surprised when I showed her the broken nail. It was only half broken. She glued my left index first, then went to work on my right hand. Then she worked back and forth, giving each nail three coats of acrylic stuff, and a top coat of clear nail polish.
The creole harp technique here uses a lot of fingernail, but also use the finger pad for its own special effect. Pure nail gives a tinkling sound. Pure pad is used in the bass, along with damping, for a thumping effect that is very much favored. In the extreme, the thumping is almost toneless, snapping like a drum.
I am very pleased with my new hard nails. Mine are very conservative, clear and not very shiny, maybe 1/8 of an inch showing when looking at my fingertips from the palm side. I´m guessing local harpists have 3/8 inch, maybe more.
I should have figured this out a long time ago. Any other players have stories about how they manage their nails?
]]>My first harp class in Barinas, Venezuelahttp://harpingforharmony.org/johns-journal/2009/11/12/my-first-harp-class-in-barinas-venezuela.htmlJohn Lozier2009-11-12T19:28:09ZThe harp class was cacophonic, but productive. Seven adolescent males and an old guy (me) were scattered around the small courtyard, each harping on whatever was their currently limiting technical hurdle. There was no attempt to teach as a group. Teacher Oswaldo Zapata moved from one to another, in turn, observing and correcting each harpist. These youngsters are VERY GOOD, and very DEVOTED to the traditional harp style.
Classes are offered each Tuesday and Wednesday. I lucked in the day before, arriving just in time to audition for Zapata, and to learn about the schedule. Next afternoon, there I was, the first to arrive, at 2 PM. Zapata opened the air-conditioned storeroom, unlocked the chain that ran through the ten fine harps, and selected one for me.
In the courtyard, he asked me to play Seis por Derecho. Luckily, I had learned a bit of it from Fernando Guerrero, so I could show a little something. Encouraging but not at all satisfied with my effort, he corrected my fingering and assigned a couple of variations to practice.
There is nothing on paper, all is taught by ear. There is no string color coding, the harpist must simply find the tonic note and go from there. To further confuse the color-coded harpist, some of the strings are variegated, changing in color along the length of the string.
I had visited this harp class last year, but only as an observer. My hope to become a student this year seems to have materialized. I have my own harp at my hotel, so I´ll practice every day and go to class for the next three weeks.
This class is at the Casa de la Cultura here, part of a folklore program that includes various instruments as well as dance and puppetry. I was welcomed into the class with no formality, no registration, no fees.
The first week of my visit here was ARPATUR, my fifth time visiting the harpists here. We did a lot of driving, put up with a lot of tropical heat, but hey, we really did hear the great harp music.
By the way, for HISTORICAL HARP devotees, let me say that Fernando and I are projecting an article that will suggest that in Venezuela the old performance standards persist in use. If you really want to know how early music was performed you would do well to investigate Venezuela. Fernando is author of the book, El Arpa en Venezuela (the harp in Venezuela), and he is a world-class pedal harpist, so he has some authority.]]>A Harpist at Plaza Garibaldi in Mexico Cityhttp://harpingforharmony.org/johns-journal/2009/10/31/a-harpist-at-plaza-garibaldi-in-mexico-city.htmlJohn Lozier2009-10-31T22:48:55ZGaribaldi is a place in Mexico City where musical groups and party planners go to meet up and make deals. The musicians also play for tourists, each tune for a price.
I went in the afternoon looking for harpists, and found Alfonso Garcia, harpist with a conjunto jarocho group called Los Cocuyos. Here's his picture:
I got his contact info and we tentatively planned that I would visit him at his shop tomorrow (his card says "construction and repair of harps"). However, as he explained, this is tentative because the top priority will be to land a gig for this important holiday weekend (Dia de los Muertos, "Day of the Dead"). If the meeting comes of I'll write more, otherwise this is it.
John
]]>From Mexicohttp://harpingforharmony.org/johns-journal/2009/10/31/from-mexico.htmlJohn Lozier2009-10-31T20:42:46ZI am writing from Casa de los Amigosa quaker guest house in Mexico City, where I arrived on Thursday. I will leave on Monday to go to Venezuela.
Thursday evening I played a harp concert for an audience of about 20 folks. Friday evening I was the "resource" for an English conversation group of about 15 people, this also turned out to be a mini-concert and talk about harps.
Casa de los Amigoswas established back in the 50's, but the Mexico City Friends Meeting was formed even earlier in 1938. This is the only established unprogrammed meeting in Mexico, perhaps in all of Latin America. The primary mission is hospitality as a guest house. They have social action missions to support human rights for migrants in Mexico, and to promote "economic solidarity" with small producers.
They invite applications from volunteers to make a commitment of 6-12 months on these missions. The staff and volunteers are not all quakers, mostly young. There is also an invitation for "resident quakers" to come for extended periods.
They have a lot of visitors, foreign and domestic (Mexican). They have developed a very nice set of bilingual pamphlets for first-time attenders.
I am looking forward to the meeting for worship tomorrow.
In the next month, I plan to post occasional trip reports here, maybe photos, recordings, even videos (but I can't promise!).
]]>Countdown to ARPATUR 2009http://harpingforharmony.org/johns-journal/2009/10/8/countdown-to-arpatur-2009.htmlJohn Lozier2009-10-08T23:01:20ZI'm booked for Mexico on October 29, then on to Venezuela on November 2. I'll be there till December 1.
]]>May 1 Harp Concert a Big Successhttp://harpingforharmony.org/johns-journal/2009/5/3/may-1-harp-concert-a-big-success.htmlJohn Lozier2009-05-03T11:08:26ZThe Dominion Post published the advance story on April 30.
To celebrate the beginning of Summer, local harpists presented a May Day concert at 7:30 PM on Friday, May 1, 2009, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Morgantown. Featured guest harpist was Leah Marie Trent, from Ronceverte, WV. Local performers were Eric Harshbarger, John Lozier, and the Almost Heaven Harp Circle directed by Cindy Lewellen.
This year's concert raised more than $1000, to benefit a harp school in Barinas, Venezuela, and other programs of Harping for Harmony Foundation (HHF).
Leah Marie Trent performed on a Salvi lever harp, but she is also an accomplished performer on the pedal harp as well as smaller Irish, Celtic, and lap harps. As a surprise, her husband Rodger Trent joined in the performance on concertina, presenting two tunes from the Shaker tradition. Leah Trent taught at Alderson Broadus in Philippi several years ago, then moved to Oklahoma City. There she built the harp program at the Classen School for Advanced Studies and created St. Patrick's Irish Harp Orchestra, before returning to West Virginia in 2006. More recently, she has taught harp for Irish Week at the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins.
Eric Harshbarger started harping 12 years ago at the age of 4, when John Lozier played at his preschool. From his first harp, made by Lozier, he moved up to a Lyon and Healy Troubadour harp, and then the pedal harp, studying with Cindy Lewellen and with Christine Mazza. He has performed with orchestras at Suncrest Middle School and Morgantown High School, and is a member of Mazza's Morgantown Harp Ensemble.
John Lozier performed tunes by Turlough O'Carolan, Irish harper of the 18th century, as well as music from Wales, Venezuela and Paraguay. Lozier is especially devoted to Latin American harp music, and his preferred instrument is a Venezuelan arpa llanera. He and like-minded others founded Harping for Harmony Foundation in 1995.
The Almost Heaven Harp Circle, under the direction of Cindy Lewellen, meets on the third Thursday of each month at the Church of the Brethren, 464 Virginia Avenue. The group consists of musicians of all ages and skill levels, and newcomers are always welcome. Look for information online.
Venezuela has a long history of strong support for folk and classical music and arts. In 2008, in Barinas, Venezuela, Lozier found not one, but two, harp schools! One teaches only the harp to relatively advanced students. The other serves a wider range of folk-cultural interests, with dancing, singing, and puppetry as well as harp and other instruments. Lozier's annual visits to Venezuela since 2005 have come to be known as ARPATUR (harp tour), engaging local people as well as a few intrepid internationals. The ARPATUR collaboration involves Venezuelan singer-songwriter and professor of agriculture Adolfo Cardozo and Caracas lawyer and pedal harpist Fernando Guerrero. ARPATUR-IV will take place in the summer of 2009, an expression of HHF's mission statement: to promote harmony and community, locally and globally, through harp music.
Another HHF project, started in 2000, is the Millennium Harper Awards. This award recognizes harpists around the world for their completion of a "worthy quest" involving live performance, local public service, and personal growth. Through this program, HHF has given away more than 40 small harps.
Other projects of HHF since its formation in 1995 involve support for harp teacher Lis Joostens in Honduras; training and support for harpmaker Rigoberto Hernandez in Guatemala; and travel support for Patrice Fisher to Guatemala and for John Kovac to Cyprus. In earlier years, John Lozier has traveled with his harp to El Salvador, Russia, Haiti, Northern Ireland, Guatemala, and Mexico.
]]>Report from Venezuela, January 2009http://harpingforharmony.org/johns-journal/2009/3/17/report-from-venezuela-january-2009.htmlJohn Lozier2009-03-17T14:09:30Z
I received a letter from Adolfo Cardozo on January 7, 2009. He reports on various projects.
The three Montilla brothers are Jose, Wilson (see photo) and Alvaro, ranging in age from about 8 to 13 years, all very enthusiastic for the traditional music. In February, 2008, collaborating with Adolfo, we awarded them a harp, cuatro and maracas.
Adolfo:
The brothers Montilla from Estacada have advanced greatly. a) They have taken good care of the instruments we gave to them; b) They have made presentations by invitation in their school, in the towns of Mantecal, Barinas, Guanare, and San Cristobal; c) they have a harp teacher who visits them 2 or 3 times a week, tunes the harp, and gives them lessons.
Meibis Altahona was 10 years old last year when we made this video.
Adolfo writes:
Her father is no longer instructor in the government cultural program, but has his own harp and continues to play and to give lessons to his children. Melbis became somewhat discouraged when the government took the two new harps away that had been assigned to her father. In 2008 we apportioned to Melbis (in the hands of her mother) the equivalent in Bolivares the equivalent of $200 US, they are very grateful. Upon judgement that she has continued and is progressing, we have ordered a small harp for her personal use, it will be fabricated by a luthier in Estacada, to be delivered January 15. It is costing $400 US. Erika is making a case for it.
La Baecera is a rural zone with scattered ranches, near Elorza in the state of Apure, and the home of Adolfo's wife, Erika. Adolfo continues:
In general we observe that the seed that we have sown in these two projects of sponsorship (Montilla brothers and Altahona family) have been progressing. For that reason, we are opening a third project of this type: La Baecera School for Traditional Harp and Joropo Dance, "Uncle Steven and Juana Romero."
Tio Esteban and Juana Romero, a harpist and a dancer from La Baecera, are celebrated in a song by Alfredo Parra (link here?). Adolfo says this project develops from three dances that were held in December, 2008 in La Baecera. The success of these events demonstrated the persistence of the traditional sabanero dance and contrapunteo. However, this is mostly among the older generation; there are few young musicians, singers or dancers. Adolfo continues by naming several local neighbors and relatives who are prepared to sponsor and support the project. In addition to Erika and Adolfo, Maribel Corrales ( cousin of Erika, dancer); For this reason, we the following are committing ourselves to elaborate, sponsor and support: Erika, Adolfo, Maribel Corrales (cousin of Erika, dancer); Cheo Escobar (Erika's uncle); Nivia Escobar; Javier Pena (worker at La Baecera school).
Adolfo:
Also, I permit myself to include as sponsors John Lozier, Harping for Harmony Foundation, and ARPATUR-VENEZUELA.
Adolfo concludes with invitation for others to join in ARPATUR-IV, in June, 2009. At this time we will of course monitor and review developments in all three of the projects named here.
I'm also hoping that ARPATUR-IV will devote some time and attention to the harp schools in Barinas (Estado Barinas), and perhaps pay another visit to El Baul (Estado Cojedes)
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