JAFSP - Day 7 (School of Hope)

Banana tree at the School of Hope

Group of students I worked with today

Today I was back at the School of Hope with a new arrangement of students to supervise. I went in first thing to speak to the principal/head mistress of the school and as I walked in the classroom, about 4-5 children ran up to hug me. One can never feel insignificant in such a place! We worked with two groups in the morning and after lunch, we worked with another group and then the students worked in 2:1 or 2:2 sessions.

Another picture taken by a child at the school

I love this picture taken by one of the children

Another child took this picture of her friend with Mrs. Sharon

Approving the picture :)

Sweet little girl watching older boy to play along

The children were just as energized as before (if not more) and nearly all were extremely affectionate. They all wanted our cameras again to take pictures and some of their shots turned out very well! They were more organized today and during recess grabbed drums and other instruments, sat in the chairs outside where we did our groups that morning, and began to play/sing/dance their traditional music. I couldn't help but think how this is so different from the States. Many of our children have lost traditional music with budget cuts and a society that is so intent on moving forward that we sometimes forget to hold on to what is good...and necessary...to preserve our culture. These children live, literally, in another world.

Working with children with hearing impairments

My student from SMWC, Laura Kempton (senior music therapy major), is also on this trip. Today is the first day I got to work with her, so I was sure to get some pictures of her as well. One child took our picture together and other than the fact that he moved too far to the right, the picture itself turned out nice!

Laura Kempton, SMWC student, with two children at the school

Picture by a child at the school

We did our drumming class as we have every night. Thankfully, tonight was more review with little new material. This is a fast paced class where we are taught numerous Afro-Caribbean drum rhythms, with multiple parts, and also many songs which can be song over those various rhythm patterns. Some of the patterns are just difficult to play at the fast tempos at which we need to play them to be authentic. I find that for some reason, some patterns are easy for me to pick up while others just escape me until we've reviewed them a lot. But, I am enjoying learning new songs and traditional drumming.

Dinner!

Our host

waiting for our food

We walked down the main road to a little stand where our host, a Rastafarian, prepared us an Ital meal. There were no seats, so we all tried to find places to sit on very sharp rocks or just stood. Our meal was interesting and it did not taste badly. In fact, parts of it I really liked. There was soy which looked like hamburger, fresh vegetables like tomato, plantains, and cucumber (which I loved) and numerous other items. I took a picture so I won't forget. Music played as we ate and talked. At different points, we were able to eat fresh East Indian mango which was the best mango I have ever eaten. There was also passion fruit, bananas, etc. to eat. At the end, one of other men cut up coconuts and handed us a straw. At one point, Eric came around with limes and we were able to literally "put the lime in the coconut". Until that moment, I did not know people actually did such a thing!

I put the lime in the coconut

After drumming and planning for tomorrow, we headed to the town beach near us where they had built a bonfire. It was pretty mellow and while some sang, others just talked to the locals. 

Tonight, I battled the large (and apparently biting) ants which have decided that my bed and mosquito netting must be conquered. George, one of the staff, said he will try to spray for me tomorrow while I am gone to allow time for the room to air out (easy without any actual windows). I am hoping that will help keep their number down so I can sleep easier the next few days of the trip!

Tomorrow I return to the Infirmary for my last time.

Day 6 - JAFSP (The Infirmary)

See my late night visitor? Better him than a scorpion.

Today started a bit later today and a new group of students and I headed to the Infirmary for the day. We worked with three different groups of older men in the morning and headed to lunch where we ate "veg" (Jamaican word for "vegetarian"). It was wonderful, but it took a long time for all the food to be prepared. We didn't know what was going to be served. You go in, sit down, and wait to be surprised by what the cook has decided to prepare that day. First we were served a carrot, cucumber, and ginger juice which was interesting. We had appetizers of two different kinds of fried plantains (I wish I had taken a picture of the food), and then the main dish arrived. There were probably 7 different kinds of food on the plate. Vegetables are prepared differently here, with interesting combinations. Cabbage, sweet potato, and other familiar vegetables are used, but there were many that I did not recognize. It tastes good though! The dessert was called "wine cake" and it had mango to top it off. It was delicious, but hard to describe.

We returned to the infirmary for four more groups before heading home. We stopped at the market to pick up some drinks and snacks and then there was just a little free time before we had our nightly drumming class (which is getting to be much more challenging, learning many new songs and rhythms each time!) followed by a brief planning session for the next day. We then headed up the street for a dance party, where they started off playing Whitney Houston music, followed by some 90's dance music, but mixed by a D.J. and often with reggae beats thrown in. I headed home early because I have an early day tomorrow, because I am working at the school again.

The infirmary experience is very difficult to describe. The faces of the people we met and worked with today are floating around in my head. The conditions are not like they are in the U.S., but rather it is a Jamaican version of long term care. There is a women's ward and a men's ward. They have open windows and there are several people in a room in most cases. Some sit outside on the porch while others are lying in their beds inside.

A music therapy student working with a resident of the Infirmary

There were a couple of moments which stand out to me. The first building we entered and the first man I saw come to mind. He had very caring eyes and shook my hand eagerly. We sang many songs while in the room, and one was "Wings of  a Dove". He was lying down and I sang "If I had the wings of a dove, if I had the wings of a dove, I would fly..fly away...Since I have no wings, since I have no wings, since I have no wings I'm going to sing, sing, sing". He looked up and said, in his Jamaican accent, "It's true." We later sang a song called "Buddhist Blessing" ("May you be filled with loving kindness, may you be well. May you be peaceful and at ease, may you be happy..may you be happy") and I was sitting with him again. I was overwhelmed by his immense dignity and felt so priviledged to be there at his side.

In another room, I was talking to a man and asked him if he had a favorite song. I didn't know the title (and sometimes the accent and Patois language they speak at times is hard to follow) and asked him to sing it for us. Out of this quiet man came a sweet song about writing a letter to mommy and daddy to tell them "I am coming home". One of the students was able to accompany him by ear and it was truly beautiful and heartfelt on his part. In that same room, when we sang the "Buddhist Blessing", the students sat next to different residents in the room and put their arm around them as the soft and quiet song was song by everyone. It was one of those moments in which everything felt elevated. The room was full of love and compassion through the music, and also through the contact with people who live in a place where they don't get that kind of contact consistenly ---this brought tears to my eyes. It was a truly exceptional moment.

The final room that one group of students was working in was memorable because it was a group of 4 men who absolutely loved music and singing. They sang in full voice, playing instruments and leading US in songs. One man was standing and played rhythms on a drum as he sang song after song. I sat next to one man as he sang out fully on "Amazing Grace" and harmonies were floating around the room between me and the students (as well as the residents) --I can only describe the feeling I experienced as gratitude.

Day 5 - JAFSP

My calves and hips are really aching from that blasted hike, but this morning I was completely fine. I have two bad blisters on the back of my feet (which is all I got, amazingly). I'm worried about these because we have another, much shorter hike up a hill to a coconut plantation on Thursday. At the top, we go to a coconut plantation where a guy shimmies up a tree, gets a coconut, and then we get to drink the coconut milk (by the way, everyone drinks coconut water here...they say it has tremendous electrolytes). 

I was reflecting on this experience of the JAFSP today. It has been so challenging in many ways for me on a personal and professional level (which is what I was seeking). There have been some amazing moments for me...others have just been surreal. Tonight, after our drumming class and our MT supervision/training session, Tracy W. and I got some snacks and drinks and sat out on a cliff. Literally. Her hut is on a cliff and outside it, there is this enormous lounger chair that fits two. We laid back and looked at the most amazing sky I have seen...maybe ever (and that includes Santa Fe, which is extraordinary). I saw constellations I am sure I've never seen and we watched shooting stars for some time, and way off at the horizon there was lightning in a far off storm. It was just fantastic. I tear up thinking how beautiful it was and I didn't want to have to come back to my hut. It is in those moments that you gain perspective on yourself, others, and our existence on this earth.

Today was also our first day of going to the sites, so my assigned students and I arrived at the School of Hope at 8:30 a.m. and we joined them for their morning devotionals (down here prayer and religion are not separated from school) and they told us to bring our instruments. I was panicking a bit because I had no clue what they did, or what they expected from us. Luckily we knew some of the songs they sang, and we played/sang along as much as we could. I love how they dance and clap as they sing gospel music, etc. Then we watched a brief story from the Bible by two of the teachers. One, who is hearing impaired, would tell the story in sign, and then another would translate. I loved watching the translator demonstrate "da big fish" throwing Jonah back up, and so did the kids.  

Music therapy students at School of Hope site- they are from  programs all over the U.S.

We worked with the first group for about 45 minutes, then another group for about the same time. The students took turns leading songs, movement experiences, and rhythm experiences. The students then had a break/snack, so they came out with food and immediately made a beeline for us sitting outside (all sessions were held outside. We moved chairs - sometimes during a group - anytime we lost shade to keep the heat more bearable). We then worked with a group of children with hearing impairments (It was larger- maybe around 10?) which was a terrific learning experience for all of us! I learned a lot of new signs and we were really thinking on our feet! We had lunch there and then had a few students come back out for 2:1 sessions. I feel like I did a decent job of modeling and providing guidance without completely taking over, so hopefully the students felt the same. I also hope that tomorrow goes as well as today did because I'm going to be at the infirmary with 3 of the same students from today and tomorrow there will be 3 different students (we are all on a different rotation). At recess the kids returned to the tables we were sitting at outside and started asking to take pictures with the students' cameras and started picking up instruments. We let them and soon they were all playing together with a few leading rhythms we have learned down here. It was chaotic and fun. At one point, a girl sat down next to me, reached out and dragged her finger across my arm very intently, looked at her fingers and then rubbed them together. I said, "Are you trying to see if it rubs off?" and she nodded in agreement--then she smiled broadly. White skin is very unusual for some of the people in this country, particularly in the rural areas. 

Children eager to get picture taken with a student

This evening we ate Jerk Pork and "veg" (which just means vegetables) at "Davey's", the stand we ate at our first night here (which feels like 10 years ago) and then I walked to a nearby stand for fresh pineapple which the guy cut up right there, taking out all the prickly things and bagging for me for less than $2 (U.S.). I am going to miss the consistent fresh fruit access SO much. At the school, while the lunch wasn't anything too amazing, the juice they brought us had passion fruit, ginger, and mango in it and it was COLD (something I will try not to take for granted ever again) and delicious. Tomorrow we go to lunch at a "veg" place where today he apparently served freshly squeezed orange juice (done right in front of people), then fresh fruit platters, followed by some type of vegetable dish (and I'm liking most of the vegetables and unique salads done here!)...all for around $8 (U.S.) or 800J (Jamaican dollars)!

Tomorrow I head to the infirmary which I'll write about later!

Day 4 - JAFSP June 10th

That brown line on the branch? That's an ant tunnel....

Today was quite the day...and truly the most physically challenging day I have had in many, many years. I am not inactive, but I am not an athlete by any means. I do walk, and hike trails. However, in Indiana, I hike relatively level trails through the woods. I was not prepared for the hike we did today, but I truly tried my absolute best. The hike for all the students ended up being close to 8 miles. I ended up hiking somewhere around 5 miles. We started at an old Spanish fort which has been converted into a hotel of sorts.

Eric Wills at old Spanish Fort

local dancing for the students

door at the Spanish fort

 When we first started the hike, the heat and humidity immediately sapped my strength and by about a mile in I did not feel well. One of the staff gave me part of a granola bar which helped a lot! The terrain was so different than any I have ever walked. There were steep inclines that were very rocky (hard to find the rocks hidden under grasses at times!), grassy trails through what was almost prairie-like fields, along the coast on a beach (where tiny rocks which make up the beach would get stuck in your shoes), through more jungle canopy where you needed to hike over tree roots and push away foliage, etc. Between the more strenuous parts of the hike and the heat/humidity, I struggled. By the time we reached Black Beach a little over 2 miles in, I knew there was no physical way I could continue to the end (to see the waterfall, which was difficult to give up) and then turn around and hike all the way back. So, I stayed on the beach while the rest of the group went on. Tracy decided to stay with me and one of the guides. There we sat, two working moms and a Rastafarian guide, sitting on the beach. We chatted for some time and the guide talked about working as a roofer in Kingston at times and then we talked about fishing around the island. Finally, the guide took his machete (they all have machetes), cut off a giant palm frond, laid it down and proceeded to take a nap while we waited. It was truly a wonderful, surreal moment.

Lion looks a bit intimidating with his machete, but he was an amazing guide

Black Beach

After the group spent time at the waterfall, they returned to pick us up and we all headed back. It was a good decision for me not to do the entire hike, based on how I felt going back, but it was a bit better because it had cooled down a little by the time we hiked back. This was truly a personal accomplishment for me, and I teased Eric Wills, the Director, telling him "Thanks to Eric Wills, I now know how out of shape I truly am!". The students all did an amazing job on the hike and were very excited on the way back to where we are staying. I am sure we will all sleep well tonight.

Students headed back after the hike

We spent time later in the evening planning and preparing for our work at the infirmary, homeless shelter and  School of Hope.

Looking up through trees in jungle on hike

Goat Farmer at top of cliff

View from one of the trails

stunning views (when I could manage to look up)

Day Three- JAFSP

Hard to show the range of blues in the water

It is so hard to recall the entire day because it feels like we packed in so much into one day.The breakfast this morning was the usual: eggs, toast (great bread!) which I tried with guava jelly, coffee (stronger than when I was in France, if it's possible--in Jamaica, though, instead of cream and sugar, they use condensed milk), juice, and watermelon. I met with Tracy W., the other supervisor, about our agenda for this evening's meeting with the music therapy students, and then we all got ready to go to the beach. The beach was not too far away, but we rode in two different vans. Our van stopped at the top of a very rough road and we had to hike down to the beach. Mainly, it was covered in tree roots and rocks, so it was a bit challenging not to twist an ankle, but we all managed. At the top of the hill was a beautiful mango (pronounced "MAHN-GO") tree and some goats. 

Goats digging through garbage and fallen mangoes

One type of mango--"Stringy Mango"

The beach was incredible...the colors of the ocean water here along the coast are stunning!

We were able to eat lunch at the beach, swim, and also walk the beach to visit vendors set up along the shoreline. Most sold jewelry, while others sold unique pieces of art, etc. We all tried to avoid getting burned, but still got too much sun. I could have stayed in that water the entire day, it felt so amazing! It was also a great opportunity to get to know more of the students better, and we had many fun conversations throughout the day.

Beach visited

After we returned from the beach, we had a little free time before dinner which was spent showering and getting things in order for later in the evening. At dinner, we were treated to a dance group who performed traditional Jamaican dances for us. I didn't get a picture, but I did take video of the group. The ages of the members ranged from around 8 to adult. It is so interesting how different people of this culture (and many others) dance as compared to those of us in the United States. The dances hold so much meaning and symbolism, stemming from deep history. It was wonderful to experience, and they even have a  version of the May Pole dance!

After dinner we had our drum class, followed by group meetings (Music Therapy and Music Education, separately). The music therapy group focused on getting their repertoire for the volunteer work prepared, along with beginning to tell the students about the sites where they will be working starting on Monday. I will be at the School of Hope with a group of students, working with the children on both Monday and Tuesday. Then, on Wednesday and Thursday, I'll be at the Infirmary. We're waiting to determine where we will be on Friday. There is so much to take in, from the new drumming rhythm patterns, to the new songs being taught each night, to just learning how things work! Following the meeting, everyone headed down the street for some more music and dancing, like last night, but the group returned earlier than usual to rest up for tomorrow.

This is Lily. She is VERY talkative.

Tracy and I met after returning to create the groups for the coming week (placing students in groups of three, based on many factors), and then returned to our rooms. Tomorrow is going to be a tremendous challenge for me: an 8 mile hike. I am hoping my hiking sandals don't hurt my feet, and also that I don't embarrass myself by passing out in the heat or worse, not being able to keep walking and holding up the group! The reward after the first 4 miles is a waterfall, where we get to swim. I am hoping this motivates me to keep walking through a great deal of discomfort I am sure to feel. Keep me in your thoughts. I'm nothing if not persistent. ;)

Sweet Jamaican beach cat

Day Two - JAFSP

Boston Bay beach

Today was full. Very full. And HOT. Tracy (the other MT supervisor) and I spent several hours with Eric, running errands with him in town before heading to the three sites we'll be working at next week. He picked up the custom-made drums ordered by students made by a local man. They are amazing with wonderful tone. We then had lunch at a place called Anna Banana. I had their fried chicken which was NOTHING like fried chicken at home, and fried plantains. 

fried chicken with sauce

smoking the chicken

Plaintains

All good. I never knew all the ways chicken could be prepared, but it is wonderful here. Jerk chicken, particularly the jerk sauce, was created right here. It was something else following the director Eric through town. It seems like EVERYONE knows him and he has many friends here which is why he is able to keep JAFSP going strong. He did things like buy an enormous bag of rice for the infirmary before he took us through, as a gesture, and he connects with everyone very well.  The infirmary, while difficult to tour in many respects is something that I feel I was prepared for very well (from my own students' experiences in the past, as well as from Eric)... How the students will handle it? Not sure. Some of the beds were really unclean and the condition of many was not good, but they smiled SO big when we introduced ourselves. One man, (who didn't have a leg) when I asked how he was doing, shrugged and said, "Well, you know...I have a good life!" Their positive attitudes and optimism in this culture are astounding...as is the poverty. Shops and stores are literally in tin shacks in many places.

Looking at jewelry for sale at beach

Students relaxing before dinner in general meeting area

steps coming back from Boston Beach (my hut is up to the left)

I found myself really looking forward to working at the infirmary. One man had a lizard crawling above his bed, while another man was covered in his food. And still, their response to us just walking in....amazing. We met vendors at the market in Port Antonio and all try to sell you something, so you just have to be direct. Some cool stuff though, made from local seeds, coconuts, and other natural resources. Also, bamboo is used a great deal. 

Outside my hut made of bamboo. Look closely and you'll see the lizard.

The homeless shelter is going to be more of a drumming class or recreational music-making and we only met the staff there. 

We went to the School of Hope and it was great. The kids ran and opened the gate for us to enter. Several children had Down Syndrome, hearing impairments, etc. as this is a school for children with special needs. They were all smiles and waves. It will be great to work there as well.

We ran songs tonight and had our first "MT meeting" and I'm still learning names. There are so many people...31 total in our group, with 16 or 17 being MT students. We also had our first drumming class. Eric said he would start assuming they knew nothing and started out completely at the beginning on how to hit the drum. Then, within 30 minutes was showing us all sorts of rhythms and teaching us songs. Quite the learning curve. I can't believe all the new information we all have to take in...from new food, music, rhythms, lyrics, words, names of people, etc. 
   

local plant...the colors are leaves, not flowers

This evening, after training, we went into Boston Bay (the little town we're staying in) and they had a "talent show". It was basically on a street and these two guys started it with playing/mixing dance music. Eventually, different guys went up and would do rap/reggae style songs. It was LOUD, but students danced along with the locals and so Eric, me, Tracy, and the other supervisors hung around until they all wanted to come back here. Every once in awhile, a car would come barreling down the street and the entire party had to split down the middle and let it pass, but would immediately return to the street. I did try a "Grape Nut" ice cream which was good.

Tomorrow we go to a beach near here, in our last "relaxed" day. I'm looking forward to swimming and being cooler! Sunday is the big hike. At the end of the first leg of the hike, there is apparently a gorgeous waterfall where we get to swim, then come back. This will be a big accomplishment for me if my feet and back make it out okay.

The "Errol Flynn" Marina (click here)

That's about all...there is so much I can't explain about the culture and the people here. The way of life is so laid back....and Eric was telling us that a guy told him to not stress out so much, that it was bad for his health. Meanwhile the guy didn't know how he was going to feed his kids that week....again, the optimism is awesome. Each person I met at the market in town shook hands in a different way...often they would say something with the handshake/fist bump/thumb touch sequence like "Peace, love, light... we are all one" or something along those lines. Peace, love, and light...indeed.

amazing view from one of the huts