An update from Los AngelesA lot has happened since the end of my fellowship at CMW [in June 2008]. To start with, Mark and I spent seven months traveling throughout the Netherlands, little bits of Germany, England, Israel, and Norway. During this time, we attended three artist residencies, participated in a sound art exhibition, performed on a major new music festival, and attended a ton of concerts and museums. Upon arriving back to Los Angeles (and reality) this summer, I was fortunate enough to sub for a friend at Harmony Project, a non-profit music education program with a similar mission statement to CMW's. At the end of the summer, Harmony Project decided to keep me on board, and I am now in my sixth month teaching for them. I cannot stress how wonderful the experience has been. In October, our kids were given the opportunity to play at the Hollywood Bowl under the direction of Gustavo Dudamel, a "graduate" of Venezuela's El Sistema and the new conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. It was so exhilarating to play with my students in front of 18,000 people on such a monumental day. Below is a snapshot of me and some students in the orchestra during the performance.
I reflect on my fellowship at CMW often and am thankfully currently involved in an organization that is filled with people who appreciate and also want to learn from the experience I received in Providence. I'm looking forward to continuing my life-long CMW ambassadorship! -Laura Cetilia (formerly Thomas-Merino) |
