I’ve left Quito.  

In lots of ways I’m ready to be back to my cats, hamburgers, suburban swimming pools, my motorbike, reliable Internet service, 24 hour Duane Reade.  But there is so much here I’ll miss.  It’s been a whirlwind of a month and I’ll take with me so many wonderful memories.  In no particular order, and (for lack of sleep) no particular depth or elegance:

1. Elizabeth Dotson Westphalen (Elizabeth!) was a wonderful addition to the MUSICWORKS staff and teacher during this trip.  Without one instance of complaint (save for us BOTH griping about Ecuador’s foibles), she dedicated herself to the students’ well being, education, and care.  As an added bonus, she is a fantastic musician, and I enjoyed the privilege of adding my 2 cents on trumpet with her band on several occasions.  Plus, she shares my love of nerding out on Facebook and binging on Coco Classic cookies.  The final concert (which on closer review, features Elizabeth running, jumping, posturing, singing, smiling, and—basically doing anything but the standard conducting—just illustrates once again how music guides her every impulse.  
2. The Pachacama family is like my second family.  From the first day in July they took me in with love and respect, fed me, washed my clothes, transported me around, put up with my Gringo shenanigans, and did everything in their power to make my visit a memorable one.  Mary and Eduardo took us to Tingo, for a gorgeous view of the valley, and later to a botanical garden/park where we embarrassed them horribly by jumping in to the pristine pool with our street clothes.  Jorge and I spent many hours discussing modern pedagogy, and steps the Brass Band can take in the future.  Patricia is a complex, sophisticated, and yet wonderfully spiritual person, and we passed several late nights discussing the grander picture of life, love, and friendship. Despite tremendous adversity and modest means, they have created (and continue to build) a school which nurtures talent and shelters deserving students with otherwise unimaginable opportunities.  
3.  Luis, Cecilia, and Clarita Caizan, who opened their arms to me.  Clarita is one of my favorite trumpet students, and her invitation to her first Communion was an experience I’ll never forget.  The entire family beamed outside the an ornately gilded and packed-to-the-rafters church, and the party was one of the most wonderfully warm events I’ve ever attended.  In their small home, they hosted over 70 guests, and I was certainly one of the most honored.  All of the men wanted to shake my hand, and all of the women (including the 70+ grandparents!) wanted to dance with my two left feet.  I was handed the first tri-meat mountain of food, and scolded until every last morsel was eaten.  At the end, a neighbor drove me 2 hours home, only to then return to the party in the middle of the night.  It’s amazing, once again, to see how those who live most modest material lives can be so incredibly generous with their ‘calor humano.’  
4. Don Ramon and Juan Ramon Erazo are truly my brothers from a Latin-American mother!  Don Ramon’s Hamburguesas al Carbon were a godsend during these beef-deprived weeks, and munching sloppy spicy burgers (his secret recipe and secretly engineered grill) were the soul food of our stay.  In addition, he took us 3 hours into the jungle for breakfast overlooking a gorgeous valley, and then onto his uncle’s private mini-resort.  We hiked to waterfalls, cooked and dined outside, rode Lucio (the horse), and passed several hours of thoughtful conversation (Ramon is hoping to use his connections in the food business to provide healthy snacks for the students—many of whom don’t get to eat lunch—and MUSICWORKS will certainly be looking to help out this effort int he near future.  But please, Juan, don’t break to many hearts…   
5. I know teachers aren’t supposed to play favorites, but here it’s hard not to notice the standouts.  Kevin Morales and Pedro Morales (not related, though Kevin—an only child—refers to the other members of the brass as his brothers, “de otra Madre!”) are two unusual individuals.  Kevin, 12, is quiet, dark and handsome.  He’s discovered the thrill of girls, and often quick with a sly smile or a charming joke.  But at heart, he is a musician of tremendous talent and possibility.  A quick study (on cornet), our lessons strayed from the traditional skills to more advanced ideas of melodicism, and his dulce tone filled with confidence.  Any time the Brass Band had a performance or workshop, he was the first one waiting at the door to participate.  He was never late to lessons, and even asked to help out with the younger kids.  We had the opportunity to bring him along to a recording session at a beautiful studio in Quito, and  he stepped up to the mic (literally and figuratively) like a pro.  At the final concert, he alone presented us with hand-made paintings (his mother is and art teacher) and spoke eloquently in front of a large audience, thanking us for our efforts at FBBE.  Later, Elizabeth had the honor of presenting the foundation with a brand new trumpet, donated from her American sponsor company.  Of course it went to Kevin, who ironically had been playing MY old donated cornet for years. He was speechless, on the verge of tears, and handled the instrument like a gift from God.  Already I hear he’s practicing twice as much.  
6. Pedro, also 12 and a trombonist, is the model for the well adjusted, eager to learn, respectful, joyous, and gifted kid.  He arrives at school everyday—from a one bedroom apartment which he shares with his parents, and 6 brothers—beaming and prepared to study.  If you give him a scale to practice, the next day he has it memorized in every key.  He is, without question, the most talented true improvisor I have ever taught, with a beautiful sound and mature concept musicality.  He’s not afraid to take risks and standout, and for this has earned the respect and awe of his peers and teachers.  In July, he too was the recipient of a brand new gleaming instrument.  I had the honor of presenting it to him, and he must have thanked me 10 times afterwards.  He’s the kind of kid who’s got potential to spare, and I can only hope to be a small help in the process of finding him a scholarship and more to come.  
7. Maria Jose is another child who’s spirit and positivity defy all odds.  Orphaned as a baby, she lives with her sister—a 16 year old saint who is more responsible in caring for her younger nana than most adults thrice her age—and her aging (and truth be told, somewhat uninterested) grandparents.  She suffers from asthma, with or without medicine depending on the monthly finances.  Barely able to look an adult in the eye, she is now developing a true sense of confidence and poise.  Her gorgeous face but small frame discredit her 9 years (she’s more the size of a 7 year old), but she now doesn’t hesitate to step out in front of a crowd of peers or a concert audience and play her heart out.  With hardly any money to spare, she somehow made it a point to give me a gift (her grandfather, a carpenter, made me a gorgeous wooden nightstand, which Maria adorned with music stickers and a photo of her.  The inscription on the the bottom read “Thanks so much for all you’ve done, and I hope you never change.”  When she received another gift of a stuffed animal and second hand kitty cat t-shirt, the next day she arrived with another expensive thank-you gift in return.  It’s truly amazing how the poorest people are consistently the most generous, and that the human spirit trumps material wealth any day of the week.   
8.  Life in New York City can be rough, but even the heartiest Manhattan’ites might find Ecuador a challenging place.  Yet however lacking in creature comforts it may be, this country certainly makes up with “el calor humano,” which Pauli (11), Elise (8), Renee, and Nina found out very quickly.  After donating to support MUSICWORKS, they decided fund raise for their own “Student Backpack Exchange” program, and brought, toys, clothing, and school supplies to share with needy children here in Quito. Their week long visit at the end of our trip was a wonderful experience for all involved.  We visited Machachi, where Elise fell in love with triplet puppies, Pauli milked her first cow, Renee fell in love with Ecuadorian home cooking, and Nina revisited memories of her own rural childhood in Thailand.  The girls—without a common language—used universal pre-teen rituals (sketching of each others’ hairstyles, stuffed animals, and candy to forge quick friendshops.  We also visited la Comuna Miraflores in Quito’s Parque Metropolitano.  The indigenous community has been allotted a small plot of private land, and about 400 live amongst brightly colored ramshackle houses, overlapping front parcels of grass and corn, dogs, chickens, and mostly children.  Many do not take the long drive to schools in the city, and instead spend the day caring for younger siblings and cousins.  FBBE performed a concert/workshop for about one hundred eager listeners, including a dozen willing and enthusiastic participants. After the show, both Elise and Pauli became sought after commodities (red hair and freckles are all but nonexistent in this culture), and were led in a gaggle through the community and to individual homes.   The girls bought paints and created an enormous mural across the entire patio at the Brass Band’s rehearsal space, and gave out balls, dinosaurs, stuffed animals, t-shirts, and 2 large bulletin/whiteboards.  On their final day, the family invited several students and their parents to swim, eat, and ‘hang out’ at their hotel in Quito.  Talk of pen-pals and several lasting memories marked this satisfying project.   
9.  Uyumbicho is a stepped village of rolling farms and picturesque houses about an hour south of Quito proper.  It’s also the home of the most delicious ceviche (in this case, shredded chicken soaked in olive oil, lime, tomato, pepper, and tossed with pop-corn), a community botanical garden (forged along an abandoned construction thoroughfare), and the Lahuatte family.  Cesar, a brass multi-instrumentalist and part time teacher at FBBE has been like a brother to me since our first visit in July, and once again invited me to spend the day with his family out in the countryside.  If the Pachacamas are my second family, these are my closest Latin cousins for sure!  His mom’s kitchen is a comical cliché of platano mashing, chicken slaughtering (trust me, it’s actually a lot more palatable than most of the commercial grocery store birds we’re so fond of), and baby feeding.  Cesitar’s older sister Marjorie makes juggling 2 year old twins look like a walk in the park, and his Dad is the epitomy of a proud host (on a whim, he scampered up 3 stories of guava tree and returned with a bowlful ripe wrinkly fruits.  Even without the month long party in the town’s square, it’s a special place to be.    
10.   Estefania is the sister everyone wishes they had.  Cheery, perpetually carinosa, enthusiastic with students and parents alike, and above all talented, she plays Euphonium (or, as one kid bravely called out, “trumpet-TON!”) in the top brass ensemble and quintet, and teaches piano solfege (do-re-mi…) to incial level students.  Not only is her perfect English and big heart a boost to all volunteers, but she is actively seeking to improve her own musicality and teaching ability.  During our bi-weekly pedagogy classes, she had many questions about methods and activities, and arrived at each session with further, painstaking revisions and additions to the Brass’ curriculum.  She’s developing as a vocalist as well, and in everything she does looks to put students and others in front of her own needs.  The Brass Band’s philosophy of students returning the favor as teachers could not be alive in her vibrant and selfless spirit, and her help has made my work in Quito feel so much more connected than a typical tourist without a guide.  

There is an expression popular here, “dios le pague,” which translates roughly to “God will pay it.”  It’s somewhere between a blessing and a thank you, and is certainly appropriate here.  THANK YOU TO ALL who made this project a reality, and here’s looking forward to the next one.  -Jesse