Francois Harewood

ID:53946
Cultural Literacy
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I#$ortance o% &usic Festi'al
in (rinidad and (o)a*o
In (rinidad and (o)a*o+ #usic ,as )een an inter*ral $art o% t,e society- .it, t,e
esta)lis,#ent o% t,e (rinidad and (o)a*o &usic Festi'al Association in !94/+ t,e
&usic Festi'al ,as ,ad occurances )iennially wit, t,ousands o% co#$etitors and
audience #e#)ers e'ery %esti'al- Fro# t,e %irst &usic Festi'al ,eld in (rinidad and
(o)a*o+ &usic Festi'al ,as )een i#$ortant to )ot, #usicians and non0#usicians
ali1e-
"esides t,e talent s,ows #ainly *eared towards $o$ and local #usic+ &usic Festi'al
,as )een one o% t,e %ew a'enues %or clasically trained #usicians w,o are not yet
1nown widely in t,e #usic co##unity+ to s,owcase t,eir talent to t,e nation t,rou*,
t,eir $er%or#ances on sta*e- 2tudents under tutala*e and sel%0tau*,t students w,o
learn western classical #usic+ )esides t,eir *raded e3a#inations+ ,a'e 'ery %ew
o$$ortunities to $er%or# in %ro# o% t,e ri*,t audience- (rinidad and (o)a*o )ein* a
country ric, in #usical culture+ ,as #any #usicians w,o ,a'e t,e ca$a)ility to #a1e
it %ar in t,e $er%or#in* arts )ut don4t ,a'e t,e #oney to *o away and study yet-
(,ou*, &usic Festi'al #ay not o%%er cas, $ri5es or sc,olars,i$s as yet+ wit, its s#all
re*istration %ee+ #usicians are a)le to $er%or# %or international 6ud*es and an
audience w,o ca#e #ainly to ,ear classical #usic- (,rou*, t,ese &usic Festi'als+
#usicians w,o are ,i*,ly s1illed would )e %eatured a considera)le a#ount o% ti#es in
t,e news$a$ers+ on t,e internet and e'en on tele'ision- 7ne e3a#$le o% t,is is one o%
t,e 29
t,
"iennial &usic Festi'al winners+ Llettes,a 2yl'ester w,o $laced in !
cate*ories winnin* %our tro$,ies at t,e end o% t,e co#$etition- 2,e was %eatured in
t,e news$a$ers+ did tele'ision inter'iews and *ot #ore $er%or#ances t,rou*, ,er
re$utation as &usic Festi'al c,a#$ion- A $resent day e3a#$le o% t,is is t,is year4s
&usic Festi'al w,ere near to 2 #usicians %ro# )ot, t,e Artist Di$lo#a in &usic
Per%or#ance and t,e "ac,elor in Fine Arts in #usic $laced in t,e to$ 3 in t,eir
classes- P,otos,oots+ $er%or#in* o$$ortunities and ot,er #edias ,a'e o$ened u$ to
t,ese #usicians t,rou*, t,e ,ard wor1 t,ey $ut into t,e %esti'al- 2o#e o% t,eir
success and $ro#otion also *oes to t,eir teac,ers w,o trained t,e# %or t,e %esti'al-
(,ese teac,ers #a1e sure all as$ects o% t,e $er%or#ance are o% a ,i*, standard+
,el$in* t,e student alon* t,e way )ut t,rou*, t,e %esti'al+ #usicians are ,el$ed a
di%%erent way-
&usicians $arta1in* in t,e &usic Festi'al are *i'en critical critis# t,at will ,el$
t,e# i#$ro'e in t,eir cra%t )y so#e de*ree- 8'ery #usic %esti'al+ international
$ro%essional ad6udicators arri'e in (rinidad and (o)a*o to 6ud*e t,e %inals and
c,a#$ions,i$s w,ile local ad6udicators 6ud*e t,e $reli#inaries to t,e se#i0%inals-
&ost o% t,ese ad6udicators are ,i*,ly trained in $er%or#in*+ readin* and analy5in*
#usic- Ha'in* studied t,e standard &usic Festi'al $ieces and t,ose su)#itted )y
co#$etitors+ ad6udicators are a)le to ,ear w,en a $er%or#er does so#et,in* ri*,t+
wron* or e3traordinary wit, t,e #usic- .,ile $racticin* $ri'ately #usicians are
under t,eir own critis# or t,at o% t,eir teac,ers- A%ter a w,ile+ #inute details are
o'erloo1ed w,en t,e teac,er *ets accusto#ed to t,e student or #ay)e so#et,in* is
Francois Harewood 53946 Cultural Literacy0 I#$ortance o% &usic Festi'al in (rinidad and
(o)a*o
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#issed one lesson t,at was ne'er recti%ied- Ad6udicators are a)le to $ic1 u$ #ista1es
t,at t,e teac,er #ay not ,a'e noticed and also a#$li%y certain tec,nical issues t,at
teac,ers ,a'e )een tellin* t,eir students all alon*- Ad6udicators also *i'e #usicians a
sense o% ,ow *ood t,ey really are- 2o#e teac,ers $raise t,eir students %re9uently and
*i'e t,e# t,e i#$ression t,at t,ey are really *ood )ut+ w,en it4s ti#e to $er%or# on
t,e sta*e+ a di%%erent re#ar1 is *i'en- &usicians are *i'en reality c,ec1s t,at will
c,an*e t,eir outloo1 to ,ow t,ey a$$roac, #usic eit,er #a1in* t,e# reali5e t,at t,ey
are really *ood and ,a'e $otential or t,at t,ey are not as *ood as t,ey t,ou*,t t,ey
were and ,a'e a lot o% $racticin* to do- (,ou*, #usicians 6ud*e t,e#sel'es daily and
are 6ud*ed )y t,eir teac,ers e'ery lesson+ t,e criticis# o% ad6udicators ,el$s
#usicians to 1now w,at le'el t,ey are at %ro# an international standard o% 6ud*in*-
(,rou*,out t,e &usic Festi'al+ #usicians are *i'en t,e o$$ortunity to #eet wit,
ot,er #usicians- (,e western classical #usic co##unity in (rinidad and (o)a*o is
e3tre#ely s#all and )esides %ro# sc,ool#ates and t,e %ew recitals+ t,ere are not
#any a'enues to #eet ot,er #usicians studyin* western classical #usic- "ac1sta*e at
&usic Festi'al+ #usicians #eet wit, t,eir co#$etitors and learn o% so#eone else in
(rinidad and (o)a*o w,o #ay )e in a si#ilar $osition li1e t,ey are in #usically+
so#eone to study %or *raded e3a#inations wit,+ so#eone to $er%or# to*et,er wit, or
6ust so#eone to relate wit, #usically- Instru#entalist w,o $lay instru#ents t,at can
)e acco#$anied and 'ocalist+ #a1e %riends wit, $ianist w,o can acco#$any %or
%uture $er%or#ances t,at #ay c,an*e t,e rest o% t,eir #usical careers- 2tudents learn
o% ot,er teac,ers t,at t,ey can learn wit, or e'en so#eone w,o li'es near to t,e#
t,at t,ey can $ractice wit,- All o% t,ese o$$ortunities o$en u$ %ro# t,e #o#ent o%
re*istration at &usic Festi'al- .,en you %ace tec,nical $ro)le#s wit, your
instru#ent and wonder i% you are t,e only one w,o %aces t,ese $ro)le#s+ you will
%ind out t,at t,ere are ot,er #usicians w,o %ace t,e sa#e $ro)le#s t,at you do and
#ay ,a'e an o$inion as to ,ow to %i3 t,e#- (,ey will e3$lain it in a way uni9ue to
)ein* a student o% t,e instru#ent rat,er t,an a teac,er- Not only do you learn %ro#
tal1in* to ot,er #usicians+ )y watc,in* t,e# $er%or#+ you see traits t,at you can
a$$ly to your own $er%or#ance or traits o% t,eir $er%or#ance t,at you do t,at you
s,ould sto$ doin*- &usicians will $us, you to your li#its in co#$etition as you
stri'e towards )eatin* t,e# in t,e co#$etition to $ro'e to yoursel% t,at you are at a
,i*,er le'el )y t,e 6ud*e4s standards- In #eetin* ot,er #usicians+ co#$etitors are
a)le to networ1+ %or# *rou$s to $er%or# and #a1e new %riends wit, t,e si#ilar
interest o% #usic-
Fro# $reli#inaries to c,a#$ions,i$s+ #usicians are $us,ed to t,eir li#its in order to
)e a,ead o% t,eir co#$etition )ut #ore t,an t,at+ )e a,ead o% t,e#sel'es- Fro# t,e
%irst ti#e a #usician enters &usic Fesiti'al+ t,ey see t,in*s t,ey want to i#$ro'e on
in t,e#sel'es and start wor1in* on t,e# and )y t,e end o% t,e co#$etition+ a $ositi'e
result is #et in #ost cases- Fro# t,ere on+ t,ey start wor1in* e'en ,arder to sur$ass
w,at t,ey did last &usic Festi'al and #a1e a lastin* i#$ression in t,e ne3t one-
Francois Harewood 53946 Cultural Literacy0 I#$ortance o% &usic Festi'al in (rinidad and
(o)a*o
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:e$utations are *i'en to t,ose w,o do well in &usic Festi'al e'ery occurance o% t,e
e'ent and t,is s,ows ,i*,ly o% t,e# )e it a sc,ool+ )and or e'en an indi'idual- It ,as
e3$anded %ro# classical #usic to t,e inclusion o% %ol1 and as o% t,e 3
t,
"ienial
&usic Festi'al+ 6a55 is now included as a class %or co#$etition- Clients w,o see1
classical #usicians are a)le to co#e to t,ese %esti'als and %ind so#e o% t,e )est
a#ateur $er%or#ers+ audience #e#)ers are a)le to ,ear $er%or#ances )y co#$osers
t,ey could only ,ear on t,e internet or outside o% (rinidad and (o)a*o+ )ein* a)le to
#eet #usicians across t,e country t,at you wouldn4t nor#ally #eet- All o% t,ese
)ene%its alon* wit, t,e #usicians4 $ersonal dri'es to succeed in e'ery $er%or#ance
#a1es t,e %esti'al e'en #ore i#$ortant- &usic Festi'al ,as )een a s$rin*)oard or
ste$$in* stone %or #any well01nown #usicians and will always )e t,e lin1 )etween
local and western classical #usic in (rinidad and (o)a*o-
Francois Harewood 53946 Cultural Literacy0 I#$ortance o% &usic Festi'al in (rinidad and
(o)a*o
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"i)lio*ra$,y
,tt$:;;tt#usic%est2!-wet$aint-co#;
,tt$:;;www-tt#usicassociation-co#;
,tt$:;;tt#usic%est2!-wet$aint-co#;$a*e;(rinidad<=26<(o)a*o<&usic<Association
,tt$:;;www-*uardian-co-tt;entertain#ent;2!2030!!;co#$etition0%ierce0tt0#usic0%esti'al
Francois Harewood 53946 Cultural Literacy0 I#$ortance o% &usic Festi'al in (rinidad and
(o)a*o
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