The miracle in Mexico

American Music Teacher, August-Sept, 2006 by Leslie Spotz

Miracle

"An accomplishment or occurrence so outstanding or unusual as to seem beyond human capability or endeavor; a wonderful thing worthy of admiration."

--Webster's Third New International Dictonary of the English Language. Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster Inc., 2002.

"An extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment" --Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, MA: G. & C. Merriam Company, 1977.

Miracles are exciting

You sing some nice children's songs in kindergarten, and that s it," piano teacher Beatriz Ibarra de Munoz points out to me, suggesting that the kind of music education so many middle-to upper-class Americans take for granted, does not exist in the public schools in Mexico.

Munoz and her colleagues are part of the growing group of women who have undertaken a project in which the long-term goal is nothing less than the restructuring of Mexican life and the elimination of poverty through education, culture and health care. During my visit to Mexico, I had the privilege of teaching piano at the Imagina School in Leon, witnessing a miracle in one of Mexico's worst ghettos.

The road from the airport to Leon is a hustling-bustling, well-traveled highway, crowded with trucks spewing dust everywhere. Leon, a city of several million people, is a two-hour drive from Mexico City in the state of Guanajuato. (1) Nestled against a steep hill on the outskirts of this busy metropolis, approximately 30 miles from the exact geographic center of Mexico, is the neighborhood of El Castillo Azul, the blue castle, an unlikely name for one of Leon's poorest areas and the home of about 17,000 people.

There is one paved road in El Castillo Azul and it is only five years old. Here, there are homes without electricity, running water or toilets. The average income is $4 a day, the average public school student drops out by the third grade, and the typical home is one room with one mattress for six or more children.

The drive to El Castillo Azul winds around amidst the day's harsh traffic. Horns are blaring along with an occasional siren. The dry, oppressive heat mixes with dust that the wind blows evenly over all the eye can see. It adds a film, which sometimes floats in small swirls several inches above the unpaved road. Dogs are ever-present and the men sit listlessly beside the road, watching the day pass. Farthest up the big hill in El Castillo Azul, the poorest families are to be found.

We pulled up beside the Imagina School and climbed out of the clean white van. I felt the dust everywhere, especially around my feet and inside my shoes. "Just how hot can it get here?" was my foremost thought. Not wanting to wait outside any longer, I felt impatient as the modern security system to the school's entrance was deactivated. As we entered the school, my whole mood changed dramatically. I was immediately surrounded by beauty. The outer concrete walls gave no hint of the calm and color inside this building. A haven has been created within these walls. For an American used to inner city schools, complete with metal detectors and armed guards, the surprise was no less than shocking. I stood in amazement, unable to move while I tried to take it all in.

The inner doors are wood, beautifully painted to announce their function. Shelves filled with books for children adorn the walls, with one section of an L-shaped room reserved for computers. There is a play area for the youngest children, decorated with color and style, which inspires a mood of comfort and safety. The theater, located in a different section of the building, displays evidence of the most recent performance. Drama, dance and musical performances are given on this stage. I was especially appreciative of the modern bathrooms, which were spotlessly clean. Where were the dirt and dust now?

The Centro Comunitario Virgin La Paz or Central Community Virgin of Peace is the umbrella name of an idea that began in 1973. Also known as AMSIE the Asociacion Mexicana para la Superacion Infantil de la Familia (Mexican Association for the Improvement of Children and the Family), is a comprehensive community center that presently includes classes for both men and women, including literacy, carpentry, metal work, computers, business training and support, courses for new mothers, sewing, cooking, aerobics, yoga and Tae Kwon Do. There is also a library and music and theater classes, a pre-K and afterschool program for children, counseling and couples therapy, a senior citizen day care center and a health care clinic. (2) Imagina is the children's division of the AMSIF project, encompassing the pre-school and after-school programs, along with the library, the music and theater classes) From this beginning, the AMSIF has emerged as a force of hope and direction.

As I entered the music room, the home of the new music section of the Imagina School, I noticed a small group of parents with their children quietly waiting. Each child was dressed in his or her Sunday best. There was a large "welcome" sign posted on the wall. Realizing it was meant for me, I smiled and turned. On the adjacent wall were handwritten letters and pictures from the students themselves, thanking me for my visit. When I turned once more, the group had grown larger. The mothers and students gathered within the classroom. Fathers, equally curious, but shy, waited inside the building but outside the music room, hesitant to intrude. The fathers had the widest eyes of all. All this for the visiting American music professor from Texas!