As a young woman, Ana Marvez never imagined that her training in classical music would give her so much happiness as she dedicated herself to teaching music to minors far from her home.
While she was growing up, a very popular music education program called The system. This 36-year-old music teacher and choir director left her country seven years ago in search of a better life in Chile.
“One of the most complex aspects of having to leave your country is giving up your profession“, He says. “But I consider myself very privileged to be able to work now on what I love most in life: music.”
When he discovered that many Venezuelan musicians were in the same situation, he decided to put this impressive human capital at the service of the community through the Fundación Música para la Integración, a group made up mostly of refugees and migrants from Venezuela, but which also includes Chileans and other members of Colombia, Peru and Cuba.
A dream come true
“It is a dream that has become a reality; Five years ago I found 30 musicians, now we are 400”, she recalls sitting in her office at the Foundation’s new headquarters in Santiago, the capital of Chile.
Ana is one of the 7.1 million migrants and refugees from Venezuela in the world, of which some 450,000 have settled in Chile since 2016. She has been fascinated by music since she was a child and values the way in which people they connect with each other through music and the way they learn and develop their personality.
“Music is a good way to integrate because it doesn’t stop when things get complicated. Art can always be a driving force of social, cultural and economic development”, he points out.
The early inclusion of migrants and refugees, including inclusion in the social and cultural life of host communities, is crucial to the long-term success of integration policies. Recognizing the capabilities of migrants and designing policies and measures that empower newcomers to bring their perspectives and culture to bear can help advance social cohesion and harness innovation.
The National System of Orchestras and Choirs of Boys, Girls and Youth of Venezuela, known as “The system”, is one of the most prestigious music education programs in the world. It has provided music education free of charge to more than a million boys and girls in Venezuelawith a network of orchestras producing world-class professional musicians, many of whom are now living abroad.
5000 kilometers with the viola on his back
Most of the musicians who perform at the Foundation are working in jobs not related to music, such as waiters, babysitters, store clerks, and they share common stories of their struggles in the streets of Santiago before their talents united them.
Rodrigo Rodríguez is 27 years old, plays the viola and is the son of musicians. He used to play in an orchestra The system in the Venezuelan town of Apure, and arrived in Chile in 2019. He made the journey of 5000 km on foot, with the viola on his backwith no intention of parting with his beloved instrument even for an instant for fear that it might be stolen from him.
He managed to get by and earn an income by playing in subway stations and working as a tour guide, before he stumbled upon the Foundation. He explained that since the music he played in the subway stations was really very attractive, many people he was walking towards would stop to listen to him.
“The people who listened to me really appreciated what I playedreceived very enthusiastic applause, in addition to coins and bills that were deposited in the box where I keep the viola”, says Rodrigo remembering his first days in Chile.
warm welcome
Rodrigo emphasized that the orchestral practices of The system, whose method emphasizes hard work, perseverance and discipline, prepared him to overcome the challenges that life presented him with, especially those related to migration, and that he was able to rediscover the pleasure of music that is at the core of his identity.
“Being in the orchestra is feeling like a musician again. There is no happier moment in my everyday life than when I am doing what I love to do most,” he says.
Rodrigo also feels great gratitude because his training allows him to make money and support his parents and sister who have remained in Venezuela.
Others have claimed that music has given them the necessary skills to face their difficult migration journeys and has endowed them with a sense of identity to be able to transcend the material, social and emotional challenges of migration, as well as a personal sense of integrity.
“We have been very warmly welcomed here; Chileans have shown us many human values, such as welcoming us and showing solidarity. In return we give them our music and talent as a way of showing our gratitude”, says Rodrigo while speaking in one of the Foundation’s classrooms, a place that according to him “has become one of our homes”.
This story was written by Gema Cortés, from the Office of the Special Envoy for the Regional Response to the Situation in Venezuela.
