Sarah Willis is joined in this live Horn Hangout by the horn section of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra, talking all things Venezuelan. We had cake, coffee, live music and a lot of fun! Berlin, January 19th 2016
Transcript
Auto-generated from the live stream, expect the occasional robot mishearing.
Unsto. No. E. Woo. Woo! [Music] Hey, in your Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Venezuela with Sana. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Woohoo! Woo! Woohoo! [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] All right. So, let’s let’s go and drink some beer now. Okay. Hi everybody. Welcome to the live horn hangout. It’s great you could join us. There are so many of you online already. We saw in the chat already. The guys have been busy with their phones. That was the horn section of the Simon Bolyar Orchest Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela.
And they are here in Berlin today to play a fantastic concert with Stravinsky Patrushka on Saka de Panon. And they’re being very good boys and tidying up just as I told them to do. You’re very quiet. You’re very quiet. Anyway, we are going to sit down, have some coffee and some cake and some tea and see what sort of questions you have started to ask us. So, let me just introduce. Thank you so much. Um, let me introduce my my my main Where am I now?
With here with Chris. My my main um partner in Hangout organizing has been Jose. Thank you. Thank you so much for for getting all these nice boys all together for me and organizing everything. It’s Thank you very much for the invitation. We we want to apologize because we don’t speak English but we are doing our best and sounds pretty good to me. Yeah. But it’s a dream for us because uh you are one of the reference for us in the world in the home world and we are very happy to be here in the fmon in Berlin and that’s it.
We are very h very happy. Thank you very much. Thank you very much for coming. And and that wonderful arrangement of traditional Venezuelan songs was from a friend of yours who is now watching. So we have to say hola to Louis. Hola. Luis Castro. Luis Castro. That’s his full name. So hola Luis. Gracias. It’s great. We loved it. I hope you guys loved it, too. Oh, everyone’s saying bravo. That was awesome. Braissimo. Well done. Sounds fabulous, guys. Oh my goodness. This is really They loved it.
They loved it from all over the world. Yeah. Um, so thank you for that. Louis, I would just like to introduce everybody quickly. So I hope I get everybody’s names right. Yeah. I was Don’t worry about it. We’ll help you. Yeah. So we have wonderful quatro player and horn player. Leo, thank you for coming. Leo Danny. Hi. You play hi horn. Hi horn. You play everything and you conduct. I try to conduct now. We’ll get back to that later. We’ll get back to that later. Javier, you speak also English a little bit.
Yeah, a little bit. A little bit. Great. You can also ask your questions in Spanish. I’ll I’ll show you why in a sec. Jose, Daniel, Rhinaldo, I’m doing well. And Nelson, and I just have to show you here in the back in the back row. We have I online team here. They are very busy. Oh, you can’t open it. Yes, they are very busy with the chat. We have Carlos and Manuel and Jose. Jose’s playing first horn tonight. So we have to uh to you know to let him have relaxing time.
And you two are not you are not ex you are extras in the orchestra right? You are from the youth orchestra. Youth orchestra. That’s right. But not tero the the other one the the the national youth orchestra. Karakas youth orchestra. But you have a job in where is your job? Ah the symphony orchestra from koro. Okay. So you have nice time with the boys and good. So, please uh help yourself. Uh cake, eat cake. I’m going to start talking to uh to Jose. Ah, you want that?
Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Okay. Um a quick question for you while everybody here. You wanted apple cake. Apple cake. Yeah. You wanted apple cake. Yeah. Please uh help your look very good indeed. We have we have very German cake today. But uh apple and uh yeah, take whatever you want. feel at home. What are you guys drinking and eating at home? I’d like to know. Jose, tell tell me um your orchestra is on a big tour of Europe right now. Exactly. We started in Barcelona, the first concert and then we we went to Tulus in the south of France for one concert more and then to Luxembourg for three concerts.
Three concerts. Three concert. Yes. In the Philarmon also. And then we were playing London for uh three more concerts. One of them is it was with Daniel Baron Boone. Yeah, he was playing piano. Yeah, he was playing the both Brahms conertos for for piano. Yeah. Fantastic. The last concert and then here in Amazing, huh? Yeah. He’s such a legend. It’s incredible. So, you’ve gone uh the weather’s got worse and worse, huh? You get to Berlin now it’s Yeah, exactly. - 9us 8 something like that. So, these guys were really funny this morning.
I was waiting for them out of the filamon and they all arrived in these hats and these coats. is like we never have this in in Venezuela. Never never never you don’t have snow. You must to go very high in the mountains. We have a Medida. It’s a place a city on Venezuela that you must to go very high 2,000 meters on the level of sea level 4,000. Okay. Well, sorry about that, but I’m glad you’re here and you have a huge program. You’re playing uh Stravinsky tonight, the right of spring and Petska and Tarangala.
Yeah, Tarangala from Messian Dness and Clo and Laval from Ravel and also two pieces from South America composer Bakara number two from Vobos and Mariposa from Paulm Venezuelan composer. Okay. But you guys are well known for giving 25 encors. You know, you play after a few last time I heard a concert from you, you played I don’t know, we were there till 11:30. Yeah, maybe it it was great. But this vene this this Venezuelan traditional music is very tiring to play. Huh. Yeah. I think it’s because our passion for the music, for the concert, for the energy.
So we keep more energy where we are when we are playing. So that’s why our concert dur more than two or three hours, something like that, right? Two or three hours. That’s a long long time. Um there’s lots of questions coming in. Um yeah, there’s somebody having their breakfast. There’s somebody drinking beer. Um How Howard Pink is is having cereal with fresh fruit in Nashville, Tennessee. Um I mean it’s it’s like Dave Winer is having his breakfast and his dog is sitting by himself. One of you have a dog.
You have a dog? Yeah. Yeah, I saw one. You have hair. Oh, I got Yeah, you better. Ah, okay. Yeah, you have one here. Good. Yeah, I saw on Facebook. Uh, yeah, I was on Facebook last night. Um, learning everybody’s names. So, I saw a picture. You got married in September. Congratulations. What’s your wife’s name? Oh, two years ago. Yes. Oh, it said there was a picture of you in September. Ah, maybe my remember. Oh, yeah. You didn’t remember. Oh, that’s in in in in Melbourne they are drinking sangria.
That’s very that’s very nice. And there’s a good question from Jakob Kadan Salute. How does horn playing differ in Venezuela to the rest of the world? That’s a good question to start with. Wow. Maybe because we play this whole music from Venezuela. This is normal to play. Actually, I think that we are trying to follow the world to trying to play this. I don’t think that Venezuela is another thing in the world. Maybe it it wasn’t always. You have We have to of course talk about system, the wonderful system, the music education system.
It’s been going for 40 years. And uh you’re absolutely the god of the uh the music education system, Jose Antonio Ao, who I heard is not he’s quite sick at the moment. A little bit. He’s a little bit tired right now, but he’s we wish him all the best and we miss him here in Berlin. Of course. So yeah, we miss him a lot. He did an awful lot for for this this all all the children started with it’s a very special system. Exactly. Yeah. Anybody there have to pay for the instrument for the education for the musical education.
So every everything is free for everybody and the first all music lessons are free. Yeah. Exactly. Everything. Yeah. Um you have to learn inside of the orchestra. This is the meaning and if somebody start uh he’s playing for one year or two years he has to learn to teach to somebody who is starting also an instrument. So I see kind of net you are teach you are taught to to teach the the the next generation. So you have all learned what’s going on over here. You have another one.
Leo, you can Yeah. From the founders, everybody since 40 years ago, everybody has to teach to everybody. So everybody has to be employed in in the in the system. So why did you guys decide the horn was what you wanted? Why did you want to play the horn? I played the horn because of uh movie. They they put me a a video of of Peter and the Wolf. Oh yeah. And I want to be the wolf. Most people say I wanted to play the horn because of his beautiful sound, because of the Strauss.
Most He wanted to be the wolf. Well, for the beautiful song. Absolutely. No. No. Totally. And that in the orchestra there are only one horn. Yeah. Then it’s easy only three three fingers and after I see M has a very big family there in Venezuela horns players I think M tell me yeah my father study horn he was a child and he passes the tradition on our uncles and and cousin well I got that influence and and and We are now all nine nine horn players in the in your family.
Yeah. That must be very loud at Christmas that everyone trying to practice. Yeah. Sometimes we play together and it’s a nice tradition very special for us. And here is my cousin in in love. I think so. How you say love? Well, because and I start to to play because his uncle. Yes. Like a big family. That’s my father was Daniel’s teacher. Yes. This is my teacher when I I beginning to to play horn. So did you what happens in Venezuela when you decide I want to play horn?
Do you get a horn? You get a horn and immediately you go to the orchestra. Yeah. You have to play the first concert maybe after a month. Yes. What? Playing a horn. You have to play the your first note in that concert one month month later. We learn the the instrument in the orchestra. In the orchestra. I mean it’s a fantastic way to learn. It’s just maybe not so nice for the audience. But uh Exactly. But but the beginning is because you have to share with everybody in the orchestra the discipline to the orchestra for the rehearsal and then uh little by little everybody’s going to start to play better and better and then uh but so it’s not necessarily about the sound at the beginning as horn players.
It’s about the discipline going to rehearsal learning to play with other people. Exactly. Okay. for the community as well because when uh uh kids start to play is for his family as well. He uh maybe played two notes and maybe it’s not in tune but the fathers are going to be in the audience you know you know it it’s for the community uh that is our the maestro Antonio project that when you get the the music an instrument you can uh give all in your community u this kind of discipline harmony and passion.
It’s not just da da da da da da da da da da. You don’t have to wait for 10 years studying in the in the in the conservatory to play the first concert. You you you go to the orchestra and then after a few months or after a few weeks you start your first concert and then it’s for the whole life which is very important for for a lot of kids that are very underprivileged. you know, there’s a lot of children. I don’t know if if you you all look like very nicely dressed boys.
Um, but if any of you had came from difficult uh circumstances where it was difficult to be involved in a in an activity, you know, and that’s what that’s what we see in the films about Venezuela and Elsa that it’s so good for these kids that have nothing. Yeah. Almost everybody here, maybe two or three not, but come from from poor poor poor areas of Karakas. Yes. for the inside of the country. So it’s normal for is what made you Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Incredible. I want to say that normally the system when it’s beginning he take some place like conservatory that exist in all the city but now they introducing the music to in the school the school then there are many orchestra that is great they are creating creating the in the schools so it sounds to me like more more kids are playing music in Venezuelan schools than playing football.
I mean, it’s incredible. Everybody is possible in the country. It is possible because it’s a a human project and social project and will be very good if everybody can do the music. Wow, that’s amazing. Sorry, I keep seeing all these people saying from Magdaborg Jill is saying Louis Castro is he’s talking the whole time. Thank you, Luis. Uh Ronaldo Rivero is saying greetings from Strasburg, Venezuelan’s horn players. Is that you know him? Another Ronaldo. Another Ronaldo. But this is another Ronaldo. He’s he’s living in right now stud in the conservator.
You’re everywhere. I’m I’m very fascinated because I I like to do a lot for the children’s education, but it’s sometimes it’s very uh serious. You know, the kids have to sit down and listen to a piece, which I don’t like. I like the idea of them being involved straight away. But we see from Venezuela, we see the stories of viol little kids playing violin on on cardboard. You know what are the little the little horn players kids? They they get little horns or No, not yet because uh we don’t have the this instrument for these little horns still but we are thinking about for the next future uh to have a small horns to start before.
Yeah. Yeah. Will be great for us. What age did you all start play the horn? N 12 11 9 11 nine nine Nelson still is. You’re only 10. Are you You’re the youngest. Are you the youngest? My boy. You’re the youngest. He’s our new and the three here at the back. Eight. Eight. And you two? 14. Oh, you’re a late boy. 12. 12. Okay. I started when I was 14. So, so there’s there there’s hope. Okay. Of course, we have different programs in the system from the really beginning from from mothers who are pregnant.
Yes. And then one for one years old, two years old with instrument made by papers. And then they started with the real instrument at five or six years old. But not with the horns. Not with the horns. Exactly. With the horns maybe at eight with normal horn also with some I don’t know what’s the name of the English to water the plant. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly. Mozart. The third Mozart sounds good on a on a garden. So you go through you start very young and then you are taught also young to teach others.
Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Um so how young would your how old would you be after one year two years then you would teach more uh if you have two years playing you have to teach to everybody who is starting. Yeah. but in a maybe in a sectional rehearsal. So maybe um some winds or strings or percussion and you you can see you can also teach to individual class normal individual class every every week uh one hour some something like that. But this teacher have to receive a lesson from another another teacher who is older than him.
Okay? like for example five years old playing the horn and then the next generation ladies is it dangerous for as a horn player um to just play in the orchestra because it’s also about the sound it’s you can enjoy playing with people but at some time you need to work on the sound you have individual lessons as well yes exactly yeah every we call in Venezuela our school of music nucleus those nucleus have normally a teacher who who teach to everybody he who are playing that orchestra or that those many orchestra in that nucleus and then when they start to be became a little bit more um I mean professional or something like that they go to the conservatory we have just one in Karakas it became part of the institution so uh in that place they can play more conertos for horns and more repertoire from horn and became to became for a professional player who are the main teachers in the in the conservatory these days now.
Now, now Daniel, I mean, yeah. So, you really grew up? We are starting really our class. I started like seven years ago. Yeah. Uh we at the beginning we I had more than 50 students because we had Oh, that’s amazing. more more demand of student that teachers we have and and little by little I had less stu student because many people come to the conservatory to to help to to teach and that that’s why Daniel started like five years ago he has a very big class now with good results it’s a big responsibility exactly yeah um so your orchestra your fantastic orchestra um that you you are so full of energy you all played in the youth orchestra the Simon Boulevard youth or youth symphony the national national youth orchestra of Venezuela exactly exactly that’s okay national kinder orchestra we were it’s very confusing all these it’s tero and then there’s the national youth orchestra and then there’s um so you all came from the same one yeah exactly we come we come we came from the same orchestra it started in 1994 and then in 94 and we had we had with the first tour on 1999 and then in 2002 we became like a national youth orchestra before it was it was like a a child orchestra I don’t know kids orchestra kids orchestra yeah the national kid orchestra and then in 2002 we became like the national jud orchestra and I think in 2004 we became like a symphony symphony orchestra I just ask some 2005 I just jump around a bit because when the questions come uh Nina who’s watching ing in New Zealand.
Hi Nina. And it’s very late there. She says, “Are there chances for teachers from other countries to come and experience your education?” Of course. Everybody’s invited to get on a plane. Of course, you can. We had already many teachers from from everywhere. We had Fergus came many years. I’m coming. Yeah, exactly. Of course. Very soon. Of course. So, you can come. Nina says, “So, do you know him?” Yeah. Chile. Well, you’re all related anyway. Thank you. So, you started in the same youth or not, not at the same time because these boys are are young and we are old on this side.
So, and and you had incredible success very quickly with Gustavo um as the it was just incredible. It went Yeah, of course. Because we have one of the great conductor in the world and also of course for with our master who did everything our teacher for everybody in 40 years. So he did everything for us. Incredible. Yeah. He he did the the the way for everybody even if he’s not still with us and now because he’s like a little bit tired and he’s still doing many things for us.
Yeah. From Venezuela. So you guys really hit the headlines. You know, it was suddenly this orchestra full of full of passion and full of mambos. How many times did you play mambo in your life? Many times. Yeah. I lost the kong maybe in the maybe more. We have actually Jacob, we have a little film, don’t we, of them playing in the filmon in Paris. um a a bit of a percussion with the guy playing the Can we show that [Music] [Applause] [Music] now? Heat. [Music] Heat.
Heat. Heat. [Music] Okay, that was great. You played really fantastic. They didn’t hear a thing of what we just played, but but you heard it. What did you think? It was this cool guy doing the doing the and it was it was the piece we played. Exactly. The last one. The last four music. Yeah. But we have Leo, so we don’t need Mara. Leo, you play You play in the band. Yeah. Yeah. Play the guitar. You play the guitar and you sing. Sing him a little bit.
Maybe. Will you sing maybe later for us? Maybe. Would you like some more cake? What can I How can I persuade you? We’ll we’ll come back to that later. That’s perfect. So, um, so you guys took off. You had your esteem. You had your films made about you. You were followed everywhere with cameras. These guys are such camera trophies. Really professional. Not really. Not really. She’s very kind, but not really. Um, but tell me how you’re a very elite group because so many kids learn the horn or learn instruments in in in Karakas or Venezuela, but not everybody can be in the youth orchestra.
You’re now in the professional orchestra. Well, we’ll get to that in a minute. Where what do the kids do who don’t get into the youth orchestra? Where do they play? They have to play in the orchestra. This is a really it’s obligatory to to play in an orchestra. In the youth or in an orchestra. Yeah. From the really the beginning. Yeah. But how many orchestras do you have? Uh I don’t I don’t have right now the number but more than 500 600 orchestra. Youth orchestras. Wow.
Yeah. Okay. and more than 7,000 children’s in 7,000 700,000 children right now in this year for 700,000 children learning that is incredible. Yeah. So the next question for me would be what what happens when you you this is now a professional orchestra. You’ve been a professional orchestra for for how long? How many years? So you got your mouth full. I’ll ask him. [Laughter] say we we don’t use a this word like a professional it’s it’s different in our country but we of of course we we live from we have a job yeah it’s our job we have a start from this orchestra so we are professional as as administrative job I mean yeah but not everybody can do that so you are how many horns you’re eight horns we we are right now eight horns Patron invited for Oh, they’re sitting in the back.
You want a cake, huh? [Laughter] They’re too shy now. They’re too shy. [Laughter] So, you’re eight horns and because everyone was always asking if 700,000 kids are learning instruments, but what do they do? How do they earn then? How do they get a job? Little by little, every generation do a a new professional orchestra. The Karakas Youth Orchestra and the Teresa Karano Youth Orchestra are going to be professional very very soon, maybe this year. And so everybody can go to those orchestras and to start like a normal professional career.
But what about the audiences? Do you have enough people coming to concert? A lot really a lot. When Gustav is there, a lot of people do the line before the concert. Is he is he like Justin Bieber? Is he like a pop star? The concert in the in the center of the of music is is free. It’s free. It’s free. You see, I didn’t know that either. So people can just go to concerts. Yeah. Everybody we have to change this. This is amazing. Yeah. Exactly. Or we have also uh almost a concert every every week in our new building there in Caracas in our hall and many orchestra can play there from the inside of the country and of course from the national the the Jude orchestra of incarcas also there.
So every concert are free. That’s fantastic for free. That’s really incredible. But you still get paid. Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. because myo did this foundation. Amazing foundation for everybody. Yeah. Wow. Wow. So that’s uh Karakas is the place to be for music it sounds like. Yeah. This is very nice. Um what what inspired what why why did you guys want to be musicians? Because because well because you and your family. Yeah. But like what inspired everybody else? Why to be a horn player? You can tell me in Spanish and you can translate.
Yeah. The grandfather was playing the guitar. Everybody was talking in the family and they decide to to to say to somebody have to be a musician. I am that musician. So, but why the horn and not the cello or the trumpet? It was the the trumpet at the beginning. She showed him the instrument and then he played just a C. He played the C and then started. Yeah, that’s it. Ah, well, you’ve come a long way. You play very I heard lots more notes than just a C.
And Nelson, what about you? from their father and mother. They they say to him, “Okay, let’s start the music and just play an instrument and to do the the music in the system.” Okay. They want they wanted a musician in the family also. Yeah. Yeah, but if it’s such a good a good a good life to to be a musician, it’s better than than I don’t know working. You know, this instrument quattro is very of of course the most famous traditional instrument in Venezuela. Almost everybody plays this instrument almost a little bit.
So I think in Venezuela everybody can be a musician even if as a amateur don’t worry about that. But everybody can play a little instrument or traditional instrument. So everybody’s kind of musician. much more free. I find you guys can just oh we’ll just make some music and we’re like just a moment I just have to you guys just ah we just play and I love it. I really love it. Um but I do have a question. When you’re talking about um your friend Carolene Caroline where are the girls horn players?
We are. Where are the girls? We have before hornies Caroline. Kolhu I remember some from the youth orchestra. Yeah, exactly. And more. Yeah, we had like we had in the horn section, our horn section more than four or five girls before. But there’s not so many in the orchestra. We counted them. There’s about 20. It’s the same as in my orchestra. Maybe just right now maybe. But before we had more girls, but you have a lot of girls uh girls in this study. Yeah. Yeah. A lot of in the juda there is a four female horn players.
Four girls. Four girls and Carlos. There are two girls in the Orchestrath orchestra. There are no three. Three three girls. Okay. So come on girls in Venezuela. Girl horn players. We need some We need some more girls. Although it’s very nice to be the only group. It’s very it’s very nice. So let me see what’s going on here. Um do we have some questions here? Everyone’s just saying hello hello hello. Um ah Jean Gabriel Soara says he asked a question which which even I know the answer to.
Do you think that can be exported to other countries? It’s a fabulous system of education. Well funny usage say that it’s in many many other countries. 50 countries right now. 50 countries. It started in Scotland, of course, now in France, in Germany, in Japan, in states, in in all countries in South America. You visited though, didn’t you? You you went you went did you go to to to Scotland um to see what what what’s that like? How does it work? It’s a very small program where uh made a copy of the the system.
Did they have a professor and they teach very younger kids? Did you understand the Scottish accent? Maybe a little bit. It’s difficult. So Scotland is a big one and uh states in in Los Angeles in New York there are five almost five nucleus and the whole country in South America started maybe 20 or 30 years ago and Colombia of course and France in Japan and Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portugal. Yeah. But the most most important thing is every country have to adapt about from the system from their situation their you know what I mean?
Yes, I know what you mean. has to adapt to the infrastructure of of the city, the law, the law and all. Yeah, the law as well, but also um you can’t make just make all concerts for free. It would be nice. I wish we could. Yeah. At the beginning for us, it was like a social project and then little by little by little a musical project and then artistic project and now a human project. So every we don’t we have problem different problem that for example Portugal, France or Germany.
So we have to adapt this system to every country. Yeah. Well, you know, so Simon Rattle, one of his most famous quotes is that classical music should be a necessity, not a luxury. Exactly. Do you translate this? How do you translate [Music] this? So what what’s the best thing about your job? Me with you here. more more bravo. Yeah, I think we trying to make a difference in first in our country because we are trying to get get the people close people from lower poor families.
Yeah. Yeah. To get the get them close to the music have a better life, a better quality of life. Yeah. Yeah. So you feel that you can you can help. That’s that’s a meaning. It’s it’s not just a job. It’s it’s what we what we are, you know. You know, it’s it’s it’s other people go to work from 9 till 5 and they do their jobs and they go home and then they are who they are. But we are we are lucky because we get to when we play it’s what we are that comes out even if it’s of course we are like a family and sometime we fight between each other.
I guess it’s normal like a family as well. Yeah. So who’s against who and who? Yeah. But the the feeling to to to help to everybody who who are playing by side of us is this is very important for us all all the time I think. Yeah. Do you do anything else apart from play horn? Yeah. You conduct. Yes. Because you but this is something not very unusual in Venezuela. that start because uh the the the the same project the the same system make that you have to maybe conduct.
I I was um making made a a horn section uh workshop and Maler Maler one titan and uh that works was nice the people likes and can you please make with all the brass section now? Yes, of course I can do it. I know the piece uh well I can help and then that work that that that works was very that good. So uh can you please work with all the wing the the section the the wood wings and brass and yes of course I can do all that the mil and in that moment I I was like a no I I must to prepare better because it’s not just the own section it’s a lot of people so I was to talk with the master Antonio I I you know I need to something and He tell me, he put me in the way to make the So, who is he teaching as well?
The the uh the conducting because look at all the conductors. There’s there’s a whole army of them coming out of of Venezuela. So many if he’s watching. Hello Rafael. I sent a message Lu also conductor in Ecuador right now. The National Orchestra. All right. Okay. I I I I uh take class with a professor there is a professor Teresa Hernandez. So she’s Teresa Teresa Hernandez and uh I’m now with with her of course we have a lot of like a horn player I have in the podium Gavo Cladio Mro a lot of this great conductors and now in this view I can this position I can see some tips that that help me a lot.
So, do you prefer to go or do you prefer to go? What I prefer? I prefer hell. You know, this is easy. This is not easy. We said it on camera. This is easy. You do this and somebody plays. When us when the director do that is 100, no 1,00 2,000 3,000 and whatever do it is one cent. That’s very true. That’s crazy. And we have many message in Spanish from the Venezuelan horn quartet who Nelson played also. Yes. You play in the Venezuelan. So hello to the Venezuelan horn quartet everybody.
Hello. Hello. Hello. All your friends at home. So they say saludos Venezuela. You read that. I can’t. Yeah. We are proud to see you all all and especially the teacher Daniel Joseph and our brothers. Oh, that’s nice. That’s nice. You have a lot of concerts with the Venezuelan. They started in September. So they have just right now four four concerts. All right. Yeah. But it’s good. They play very good. Very great. Wonderful. So what did you like the beginners uh who did you who were your like idols?
Did you did you have internet? Could you watch Dale Clevenger and Stefan at that moment? At the beginning or now? At the beginning. at the beginning that moment was my professor his father that I saw like you know in that in that moment when I was a child of course a lot of many very good home players it’s very difficult to say we we well how could you listen you would listen on you get at that moment yeah 20 years 20 years ago now completely different I I had this uh CD from Michael Thompson.
Yeah. Yeah. It was a my first CD at that moment. I was I think 10 years old. So I remember very good that CD. I remember my first my first wasn’t a CD. It was a cassette. Yeah. Long time ago know what a cassette is. We know that. So maybe cassette of GANA and the Vienna playing Mozart concerto. Fantastic. His father take the give me a disc. A record. Yes. Record. But the big one. Okay. Yeah. The big the black the black one. The big one.
You know who was your idol? Your horn idol. He’s very too because he’s very play. Is he watching? Yeah. Hello. that the thing the thing is that he was our professor and he was the the the first one in the Simon Bolivar in that Simon Bolivar orchestra. So the Simon Boliv orchestra that were our first orchestra I want to play like a Javier he played he played loud. Okay. Well, um could you say that your school of horn playing has a traditional sound or do you do you make take because most of you play on Alexander horns but not everybody knows I think it’s a combination combination of the for us I think is the Germany schools is is a combination with a Venezuelan teaching no I think okay many teachers go to we came America, France, uh and Germany.
We came we came here in 2002 like a youth orchestra. In that moment start uh this uh conven is a meeting with the Berlin filmonic professors and they start to to came to Venezuela and they give us a a class. So and these are the woodwin quinteted. That’s right. Yes. Thomas and brass section and the in the string quartet. So it’s quite German inspired the German. Yes. Yes. Yes. We we start to to buy the horns Alexander all home section. Yeah, we get about the about the the foundation get all the whole section the instruments and and we then paid little by little.
Okay. Well, I have to say that the the hangouts are coffee and tea are sponsored by music Alexander Gabura Alexander. Thank you guys. Thank you Alexander. So they are our official supporter for the horn hangouts because we we do so many now. It’s look at this. I mean look at all it’s quite a big setup. Um so I have a question from Tini. Does Simon Bollywood Orchestra also play opera? Yes. Yes. Less but yes. Last time in and in the middle of December we played the churandot.
And also we have we have big tour in Milan. Last year in August we play the lab. I heard you’re going to Salsburg too. Yeah. To play. Is it this summer or next summer? Next summer. Yeah, next summer. Yeah. To see there’s a very special player. Yeah. A very special piece is coming. I’m going to be there to to Is this some Russ? Yeah. Keep a lookout for it. I’m not going to give it away, but uh it’s very very very special. I’m going to be there.
Yeah. Um I would like some up and I would like some live music. What do you think? Yes. As you want. Yes. Lao has brought a piece that he said is from me, right? Yeah. And you you But it’s not on the horn. No, it’s on the quatro. Would you guys like to hear it? I certainly would. Do you need This is It’s a traditional Venezuelan song. Simon composer, Simon. Sorry, Simon Diaz. Simon. Simon Diaz is a famous composer. Yeah. From there. And it’s [Music] about farm from from the farm.
Yeah, it’s very complicated to translate, but it’s about love. About love. It’s about love. Oh, gracias. Okay. World pre quatro premiere on today. We have Oh, thank you. Fore! Foreign! [Music] Foreign! [Music] Foreign speech. Foreign speech. [Music] No, [Music] Sombra says come for say [Music] No matter. [Music] city. [Music] Palm [Music] Foreign speech. Foreign speech. Foreign speech. [Music] My Latina. [Music] [Applause] Gracias. Yeah. What an amazing present. Thank you. I have more present for you. Oh, more. Oh, this is for you. No. Yeah. This is amazing.
Oh, thank you so much. I hope you enjoy. So, I have to learn it for next time. This is for me. That’s incredible. Thank you so much. Oh, God. Wow. What an amazing present. [Music] [Applause] Wow. But but you we might need you might need it and thank you so much. My you just don’t want to carry it home in your suitcase, right? Thank you so much. That was really beautiful. Beautiful. Um so that’s I’m totally from Lao’s music. Um we have people everyone is talking.
Uh bravo Leo, you sing as well as you play the horn. Yeah. Beautiful song. Bravo Leo. Good. That’s me. That was you. Oh yeah. So, what a beautiful source. What? No. No. What do you are Oh, you are. Are you? No. No. Wow. It’s It’s amazing. Hello, Teresa. Hello, everybody there. How many horn players are in that orchestra? 10, I think. 10. 10. I think it’s really incredible. So really there’s How many horn plays you think there are in Venezuela? It’s like 12 12,000 12,000 horn players.
I just have the feeling there’s so much music going on in the schools and and orchestras getting funded and funny all of Venezuela is going to be classical symphony orchestra soon. This is really the country is orchestra. Yeah. Yeah. We we are growing up every day doing more youth orchestras going to the really poor areas more and more. What do you do when you go to the poor areas? You take you go you take your horn to your horn. You carry it like that. I I I take my horn.
I go to teach. I I do sectionals. I do general rehearsals and I conduct the orchestra. I I talk with the administration, the the manager of the orchestra. uh many many things we have all the time many activities in in the system we we can do shamber music we can sing we can sing in a choir we can play as a soloist we can conduct we can do everything as we want really this is amazing we have a a dream from is a life for us where we can do the the music as we want all the time and also playing the orchestra is very very very funny very very incredible for us with Gustavo of course but we have many ways in different places where we can work and we can also play music and to share to share with everybody we can teach in the conservatory you can teach in every nucleus so we have many things for example for us it’s very we we are talking before it’s very important to to to teach in the conservatory and to have more students because they are going to be the other teachers for the future.
Of course, if we have more or less 50 student between him and me, uh maybe 20 20 will be very good horn players and also very good teachers. If they do the same thing, maybe in 10 years or five or maybe less, I don’t know, we will have 2,300 or 300 or 400 more horn players playing much better. But what should they do? Will they get a job? that may it’s not necessary to to to became a a professional in the music. Many people who were playing with us in the orchestra at the beginning started a new career.
Of course, in the orchestra we have a a doctor, we have some lawyers in even in our Yeah, in this lawyer. Yeah, he’s a lawyer. Yeah. If you’re in trouble, I will call you. Exactly. Exactly. I’m marrying Liam next. So we we don’t you will need this. Yes. Wow. Yeah. So if if you after your studying your studies in the conservatory or if you want to do something else you can do but you will you will have this discipline from the orchestra and this passion this mystic things from the system and you will be a very good professional in that career.
It doesn’t matter what your profession is. What you learn as the basis in the orchestra helps you for any other career you want. Exly. The the meaning is to became a very good citizen in the country. If you are a musician, of course, it’s much better for us. Of course. Yeah. Exactly. But if you are a doctor or lawyer, yeah, you will be very very important for our society. So why did you want to be a lawyer as well as a horn player? Well, I think I I was to contribute to the foundation from another way.
I am I am the disposal of the foundation. Any charge in the in the management. You work for the foundation as a lawyer. I will in the future when I was not active with the horn, I will will help the foundation. Yeah. Always good to have a have something and something else that you can do or conduct. Many people from the orchestra as a engineers. Yeah. are working in the in the in our building new hall in the new hall as a you know for a videos and many things as a doctors and so that those people are working in the system also not playing but doing something else wow the organization too they are a woman that now he play alto in the orchestra and now he’s in the organization for for the hotel and everything okay so keep it in the Yeah, because they they understand the the the problem of musicians in on tour and and normal life.
Music AO created a galaxy of stars. Thank you, Maria, for that one. Oh my goodness. Yeah, Leo, man of the moment. They’re still praising Leo here. In Chile, thank you. Hi guys. Hola to Chile. Hello. My goodness. This is really wonderful. Um I could talk to you all day, but you have a concert tonight. Do you have a big concert? And you first horns have to sleep. Have a little rest. What do you do on the day of a concert when you’re not doing a horn hangout or I take my iPad I I so the same as this little shower.
Yeah. Um do you rest? It’s important. Do you eat as many bananas? We in our horn section, we eat bananas before concerts. Yeah, we do it. We tried. Oh, no. But Well, we’re really looking forward to the concert. Thank you so so much for coming and telling us all this what fantastic stuff. I mean, I I I want to move to Venezuela immediately. It’s No, I’m really inspired by the fact that that kids have so many opportunities. Um, I’m sure there are advantages and disadvantages and people can talk about the the good things and the bad things, but for me the most important thing is that young people love music as much as I do and that that’s our responsibility as as musicians to give back what what we learn and you seem to be doing all of this.
So, bravo. Big round of applause from the horn hangout. Thank you for all the audience around the world. Thank you. And I’ve just seen all these one. Ah, there’s there’s more. There’s there’s so many so many people karin your horn section. See you soon in Venezuela. I hope so. I would love to very soon. I would love to come. I really would. And to play us out, should we? What about a little how do you call on how do you say enor? Yeah, we can play a little.
I want to hear Leo play again. Can we maybe play from, you know, play Venezuela? Exactly. That’s a perfect Okay, let’s set up this. I will go and talk to talk to Chris here. Am I Chris or I’m here or I’m here or I’m here? I’m here. I’m here. I’m just coming over here. Um, while the boys get set up, I just want to tell you thank you for joining in. Really, it’s been fantastic having you all online. The hangouts, as you heard us say, are supported by Gabbruda Alexander, who are the makers of most of the horns here, and we’re very, very grateful for that.
Thank you. Huge thank you to Tim Kelly, who stayed up until Tim, what time is it over there? I don’t know, middle of the night. Um, thank you for staying up. Thank you to all the team. We have Jacob. Can anyone do a quick swing to Jacob over here who’s our wonderful editor. Thank you Jacob George and Jean and York and Chris and Sven behind this camera. If someone can get him, we are um making an episode of my program for the Deutsche TV Sarah’s music.
This will be fe the horn section will be featured on that. So there was a lot going on today. Thank you very much for being a part of it. And the next hangout will be I haven’t decided yet. We’ll see. Write in and let us know who you would like us to interview and I’ll see what we can do. So till the next time, see you on the horn hangouts. Thank you to this amazing group of horn players, the horn section of the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra from Venezuela.
Thank you. And how do you say in Spanish? Symphonica Venezuela. Symphony Venezuela. Okay, good. Right. and we would like to play you a little encore and be peace. See you next time. Where’s my horn? Oh, there’s another horn here. Okay, good. Okay, boys, where are we going from? Okay. Oh, yeah. Leo, [Music] Venezuela. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Woohoo! Woo! Come [Music] on. Heat. Heat. [Music] Woo! Heat. Heat. [Music] Bye-bye. See you next time.
Horn Hangouts are created by Sarah Willis of the Berlin Philharmonic. Brassbanned is a proud long-time collaborator and streaming partner.
