two things

Whoa!

I learned the word

mamihlapinatapai

(mah-mee-la-pee-nah-ta-pie)

in my Spanish class today. It's a word from the Yaghan language of a place called Tierra del Fuego.

It's listed in the Guinness book of world records as the 'most succinct word.' It describes "a look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that both desire but which neither one wants to start."


Isn't that interesting?



speaking of Spanish, this is thing I have been uber excited to share about.

José Antonio Abreu has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of Venezuela's poorest children. The story goes, 33 years ago he met with 11 kids in a parking garage and started making music. They call it "El Sistema."

As an economist, politician, pianist and music educator, he saw a need for something where nothing had existed.

Children attend each El Sistema center (each "nucleo") for free - in Venezuela, 90% is government funded. As young as 2 or 3 they can begin and they attend up to 6 days a week. There's a whole system, man!

It's simple, yet complex. Watching him explain it himself is the most fascinating. He describes how the act of creating organized music is a microcosm of an ideal world - learning, supporting, teaching, creating, persevering.



It's amazing.



It's spreading to different countries now and it's super exciting to see something that captures two areas of huge interest for me, music and social justice.

"The program is known for rescuing young people in extremely impoverished circumstances from the environment of drug abuse and crime into which they would likely otherwise be drawn."

Lives have been changed individually, communities are being impacted through orchestra rehearsals, through music education.



this is the El Sistema USA site. It has nice colours.


This is the big picture of arts and music education.
Isn't this so exciting!?!