Video editing by Veronica DeVore
Footage courtesy of Jorge Espinoza and Ted.com

Why did you start playing your instrument?

Enluis: I wanted to play a wind instrument, but the only open instrument was trumpet.  I really liked the trumpet’s sound because it has the capacity to play soft and loud.  I like that balance.”

Juan: I like string instruments in general, but I especially like the cello because it has a beautiful sound on high and low notes.

Paola: I checked other instruments but liked the viola from the beginning because of its resonance and sound.

What is your favorite thing about playing music? What is the most challenging thing about it?             

Juan: Your soul and heart are filled because the pieces are beautiful songs and they are very meaningful. The hardest thing when we sit to play is nerves. It feels like if you make a mistake you will mess up everyone.

Jennifer: The most beautiful thing when I sit to play music is inspiration and the feeling that I am in the clouds. The most difficult things for me are fingerings and shifting positions.

Daniela: I love playing music…I love music too much. The most difficult thing is when I get nervous and feel tickles in my stomach.

Enluis: What I feel is that I live the music.  I get into every role and what each composer wants with what they wrote.  The most difficult thing is to interpret it…..to know exactly what the composer wanted. And, what I like the most is to understand it.

Katerine: The thing I like most when I am playing is that I feel the emotion of what I am playing.  And the most difficult…..Well, I guess when they ask me to play faster things and I can’t yet. 

How do you think playing music is helping you?

Jennifer: What I like most is that intellectually, playing music makes us different from other people.

Enluis: (Music) frees me.  It relaxes me a lot when I play my instrument.  I live everything that I play and everything that I interpret.

What do you hope to do for a living when you get older?

Katerine: I want to graduate from the University.  I don’t know yet what I would like to study.  I like so much to help kids with special needs.

Enluis: A professional musician.

Juan: I would like to be a doctor.  If I continue succeeding in music, I could become a good cellist.

Jennifer: I would like to be a surgeon.  And, if I continue practicing and succeeding in music, I would like to be a violist.

Daniela:  I would like to be a doctor and a great violist.

Paola:  I would like to be a heart surgeon and at the same time succeeding in viola.

What would you like to tell American kids about life in Venezuela?

Enluis: Life in Venezuela is beautiful.  There are many advantages to living here in this country.  There is a lot of nature and natural beauty and the best of everything is the National System of Orchestras: the National System of Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Venezuela, FESNOJIV, founded by Jose Antonio Abreu 35 years ago.  It is a national system orchestra program where every child begins learning music in a very different way from the rest of the world.  We begin with an instrument and learn in a much faster way than the rest of the world.  This system has given excellent results with the best orchestras in the country, like Simon Bolivar A and Simon Bolivar B, and the children’s national symphony of Venezuela.

Juan: Nothing is ever boring.  Everything is always fun. Kids my age in the U.S. should learn about music.  The musical movement in Venezuela is intensive and excellent.

Jennifer:  Please continue with your studies, and if you are interested and want to, learn about music.

Katerine: Well, here in Venezuela it is very good to study music. But, well, we have a place here that is not very comfortable because there is not very much space. But at least we are hoping to have a larger place and a newer building soon.

Special thanks to Jorge Espinoza and Erin Eyles Espinoza for their help in preparing this report.