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Brian Gonzales came to Nicaragua in August 2000 with Jesuit Volunteers International. He was placed with La Familia Padre Fabretto. He came to us with his musical talents and love for teaching.
Yet, even though music had always been a very important part of life for Father Fabretto – the
truth is, after Father’s death, a formal music and arts program had been left to languish as the organization as a whole struggled with its own survival and being able to provide the most basic services of nutrition and school curriculum enhancements to the children who were enrolled with us at the time of Father Fabretto’s death.
However, by the time Brian showed up 10 years later, the organization was ready to start looking at broadening its curriculum and core offerings. And so, Brian was sent up to the mountains in Cusmapa, and given the go ahead to see what he could do with whatever meager resources were available to re-launch the Music Project. And indeed, there were few resources. No instruments to speak of, children who had no formal musical training whatsoever, no dedicated classroom space for teaching, and perhaps most difficult of all, a non-existent budget.
And yet, as Brian took on this effort, and then dedicated the next three and a half years to developing it, growing it, and living in this remote mountain community with his students and their families – something amazing began to emerge.
• Student musicians now are playing guitar, piano, violin, trumpet, trombone, flute, recorders and marimbas – the national instrument of Nicaragua.
• Each year, students participate in a 2 week Band Camp during their Holiday breaks, taught by visiting volunteer musicians, most of whom come directly because of Brian’s efforts at recruiting in the States and elsewhere. Last spring, for example, he brought a group of 15 Music Masters candidates, his classmates from University of Northern Colorado– for a week long visit to Nicaragua where they taught and played music with the kids.
• In early 2005, three of our students received full Music Scholarships to the University in Guadalajara in Mexico. This is amazing when one thinks about the latent talent that existed in this remote community – waiting for someone like Brian to give these students a chance to learn.
• The Cusmapa choir now has over 40 actively involved students who come to practice every day. In 2004, the Coro Fabrettino released its first CD – Ratapla – which includes folkloric songs that highlight the wonderful musical culture of Nicaragua.
• In the fall of 2004, and thanks to the generous support of a large number of Fabretto Children’s Foundation supporters, the Coro Fabrettino did a two week long US concert tour – performing in Chicago, Denver & Des Moines.
The Music Project is now implemented in all of our 5 centers and has about 400 students involved. We have 8 full time music teachers working with the kids in addition to all of the volunteers. And with this growth, what only 5 years ago didn’t exist at all, is now the largest music teaching program of its kind in Nicaragua.
But finally, and perhaps best of all, is that despite a heavy schedule of studies now that he is pursuing his master’s degree in Music Education at the University of Northern Colorado and his other commitments here in the United States – Brian has remained committed to the Fabretto Music Project. He continues to oversee the development, staffing, and curriculum from here – returning often to Nicaragua for short term visits to fulfill these duties.
Therefore, it is with great pleasure that we recognize Brian Gonzales with our first ever Volunteer of the Year Award, in recognition of the time, dedication, and love of music that he has shared with the Fabretto children.
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