BUILDING LEADERS USING MUSIC EDUCATION IN HAITI
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Mission Statement
BLUME Haiti empowers Haitians to strengthen their communities through the unifying and transformative power of music education.
About This Cause
Barriers to participation in Haiti’s creative, economic, and civic life are immense; exacerbated by inequities of geography, social standing, and class, and further compounded by manmade or natural disasters Building Leaders Using Music Education in Haiti (BLUME Haiti) embraces this challenge, harnessing the transformative power of music to help thousands of Haitian students, educators, performers, and creators revitalize their communities throughout the country. Serving both urban and rural populations, initiatives include grant programs for music schools and summer camps, skills development for teachers and administrators, acquisition of instruments and supplies, concert presentations, and career training. Founded in 2012 - but anchored in the values of a dedicated group of volunteers whose lineage dates to 1971 -BLUME Haiti fosters relationships among musicians in Haiti and globally, places people at the center of its mission, engages with musical and educational networks within the country and across the diaspora, and nurtures a thriving, interconnected community poised for long-term growth and success. Working in collaboration with our Haitian partners, we make transformative investments in the music ecosystem across Haiti through Workforce Development and Participation; Access to Music Education; Community Investment and Capacity Building; Artistic Vibrancy; Health and Wellness Support. BLUME Haiti works in partnership with over 60 music schools across Haiti to uplift thousands of young Haitian musicians through the creative power of music. Centering Haitian voices and the needs of local communities, we have helped to build a thriving environment for music education that perseveres during even the most difficult times. BLUME Haiti seeks to use the extraordinary impact of music as a tool to change the life trajectory of musicians throughout Haiti. A small organization with an impact that belies our size, BLUME Haiti supports over 60 music programs located throughout Haiti, as we work to bring the benefits of music education to some of the most vulnerable populations in the country. Using music as a tool to change the life trajectory of Haiti's children, helping them transform themselves and their communities through music, these students include children and young adults in domestic servitude (restavek), street children, kids in rural and urban centers, and those in both religious and secular institutions. Recognizing the profound impact of placing a trumpet or a violin in the hands of a child instead of a weapon, many of our partner programs in Haiti explicitly commit to promoting positive social change through the delivery of the highest quality music education. We have had a long-standing relationship with the UK branch of the Belgium based organization, Luthiers without Borders. Thanks to their eight missions to Haiti, there are now four fully professional luthiers in the country (!) and most programs with strings have someone available to at least maintain the stock of instruments. We have also had a long relationship with MusicFund (Belgium), an organization that supports music schools and socio-artistic projects in conflict zones and developing countries, as well as in Europe.In addition to collecting and repairing instruments, they also train people to repair instruments and help set up workshops to increase the sustainability of music programs in the countries they serve. With support from the Rotary Club of Naperville and others, we have launched a series of band instrument repairs seminars with Haitian instructor, Herold Jean Pierre. Herold has created a curriculum of three basic modules covering beginning, intermediate and advanced repair techniques that he will deliver for music programs in all of Haiti's ten departments. In 2023 he had already trained over 120 participants representing 66 music schools from across Haiti's ten departments. These workshops will continue into 2024 and beyond. BLUME Haiti partners with a diverse group of businesses, foundations, programs and individuals including: Singing for Change (Jimmy Buffett), The D'Addario Foundation, The Global Leaders Program, PLAY ON ABRSM, The Musicians of the Utah Symphony, The Rachel Barton fine Foundation, The Ministry of Culture and Communication of Haiti and many more. These partnerships enable us to offer a diverse range of support to institutions across Haiti. Our Activities PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - we mentor young professionals and are developing a knowledgeable, networked and caring professional workforce for the music education sector in Haiti through: Pedagogy workshops & seminars Professional training scholarships Instrument repair seminars Access to National and International experts Support of young composers through commissions, development and performance Online Resources and training STUDENT DEVELOPMENT- We nurture music students and expand access to high quality, learner-centered educational opportunities through Tuition Assistance Scholarship Assistance for national and international programs National Workshops and Seminars Facilitating access to national and international experts PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT - We strengthen our partner programs and build their capacity, resources and infrastructure through Supplemental salary support Logistical Support Grant programs for instruments, supplies and music Direct in-kind donations Access to national and international experts SPECIAL INITIATIVES - We inspire and produce national and local initiatives with meaningful artistic, cultural and educational impact like: The Haitian Orchestra Institute Instrument Repair Programs Zanmi Nou Yo Concert Series HEALTH & WELFARE ASSISTANCE - We model and support a positive and healthy presence in the lives of all those our programs reach through: Food distribution & nutritional resources Promoting safe and sanitary living and learning environments Sharing best practices for youth development Developing a No Harassment/No Abuse Policy for partner programs Responding to basic health and security needs during emergencies BLUME Haiti by the numbers: 2012 date BLUME Haiti was founded 64 partner programs in all ten of Haiti's departments 5000 number of students reached annually Since 2014: 539 teachers who participated in professional development seminars 550 scholarships given by BLUME Haiti for summer study 16 scholarship recipients who now direct music schools 9 scholarship recipients who have started their own programs Haitian Orchestra Institute by the Numbers: 2023 143 musicians auditioned; 83 selected; 21 programs and six departments represented 2022 40 musicians, selected by audition participated in a Chamber Music/Chamber Orchestra Institute 2020 130 musicians auditioned; 21 programs represented 2019 122 musicians auditioned; 24 programs represented 2018 131 musicians auditioned (92 selected); 24 programs represented 2017 110 participants; 20 programs represented