Group Picture Before the Concert

Albanian Folk Song "Doli Liza" With Harmonicas Above!

I’ve been so busy for the last few weeks that I haven’t been able to write anything, and things are still completely crazy busy. But we just had our end of summer concert here in Kosovo, so I wanted to post some pictures.  The kids did great and I’m really

Granit's Harmonica Class Performing

proud of the Youth Volunteers who worked so hard this summer to teach these children.

Pennywhistle Class in Concert

The concert was just for the Y Marina and Z Rexha School children.  We will be doing a concert in a few months with the children from our newer classes in the villages of Skivjan and Shishman.

I’m leaving Kosovo on Wednesday and will be back in the US the following Tuesday.  I don’t know if I’ll be able to post anything before then.  But I’ll get back to posting regular blogs in about 10 days, so stay tuned!

Burim Conducting "Titi Torea"

The view over Prizren

It is hard to believe that I am more than half way through my stay in Kosovo, having been in Gjakovë for ten days. Somehow it feels as though I have been here a lifetime. With each day I fall more and more in love with this country, the kosovar people and their culture. As I mentioned in my last post I have come to Kosovo to be trained in the SMF teaching method. The past six days have been especially exciting then, as I have had the opportunity to practice much of what I am learning.

After the group lesson that I gave the male youth volunteers on Tuesday I decided it would be both more effective and more manageable to work with the boys individually. Nick, one of our most enthusiastic and eager volunteers, was first to sign up for a lesson. I had a wonderful time teaching Nick but we weren’t without out challenges. Like many of the volunteers, Nick has trouble matching pitch. To improve his facility with identifying and internalizing pitch, I created an activity using simple pitch patterns. First, I asked Nick to play the pattern on his pennywhistle. Once he was familiar with the pattern, I asked him to sing the pitches in that same key. From there, we moved the pattern through different keys, having Nick produce the starting pitch from a triad given at the keyboard. Completing the exercise was a slow and tedious process but nick remained focused and determined throughout our entire session.

Playing music games with the SMF students

Since our first lesson, I have been standing near Nick  during singing class each day. As he has continued to practice the exercises I have assigned him, I have heard a  noticeable difference in Nick’s ability to identify and internalize the correct pitches. Hearing Nick sing “Yellow Submarine” in-tune yesterday morning was music to my ears!

Working with Nick was only one of many personally  inspiring teaching experiences that I have had this past  week. Aside from giving voice lessons to several of the  volunteers, I have been busy teaching in the classroom. Mostly, I help to lead and conduct singing classes. I have also been teaching our youngest students music games to help them learn note names and rhythmic values. While I have never entertained the idea of teaching, my time in Kosovo has awakened within me an interest and growing passion for teaching young people. There is nothing quite like watching a child fall in love with music and knowing you had a part in inspiring them to do so.

–

A Mosque in Prizren

The volunteers atop the Kalaja Ruins

Every Saturday Liz and Burim take the youth volunteers on a day-trip to show their appreciation for a week of hard work and dedication. This past Saturday we took the volunteers to Prizren, a city just 45-minutes from Gjakovë. Prizren is often referred to as the crown jewel of Kosovo; it is, to say the least, gorgeous. Unlike Gjakovë, Prizren managed to avoid large-scale damage during the war. Thus, Prizren still has a large number of Ottoman era buildings. I especially loved seeing the Gazi Mehmet Pasha Hammam Turkish baths, which were built in 1573 and the Gazi Mehmet Pasha (or Bajrakli Mosque), which was built in 1566.

After we explored the city, the youth volunteers and I climbed two kilometers up a steep path to the Prizen Kalaja. While no one knows exactly when the castle was built, it has been suggested that the Kalaja dates back to the 6^th century. From atop the castle ruins there are breathtaking views of Prizren and the Pashtrik Mountain to north and Zhupa Valley to the south.

Sunday was spent with Leka, one of the SMF youth volunteers, and his lovely family. Before Leka took me to meet his family, I asked him to show me the Hadum Mosque. The Hadum is the oldest mosque in Gjakovë and although it was set afire by Serbian forces during the war, it was beautifully restored in 2005 to resemble its original form. Of equal importance is the graveyard on the Hadum grounds where the most important and influential Albanians of the city were buried.

The Hadum graveyard

After we visited the Hadum it was off to Lek’s flat for lunch. I should mention that while there are many things I love about Kosovo, I have developed a particular fondness for traditional Albanian food (my friends and family are completely surprised by this, I know). Moreover, because Kosovars pride themselves on being welcoming and hospitable, sharing food is central to culture here. For this reason, I have found that nothing says “thank you” or “I’m enjoying my time with you” like a big smile from a full stomach.

Luckily for me, Lek’s mother is a wonderful cook. She had spent the afternoon preparing a delicious chicken and rice dish, served with a light soup, fresh bread, feta cheese and tomato slices. Once we were through with lunch, Lek and his family loaded up their car and we headed to liqeni i Radoniqit, a lake just 15-minutes outside of the city. We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, sunbathing, eating watermelon and drinking Turkish coffee!

A view of the lake

That’s all for now – I can hear the midday call to prayer from outside my window, which means I have only a few hours left to prepare for tonight’s lessons.

Peace, love and quarter notes,

Garrett

A view over Gjakovë, August 1, 2010

Greetings from Gjakovë, Kosovo! My name is Garrett Rubin and I am a musician from Sacramento, California. I attend the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York where I study classical voice performance and cultural diplomacy. At Eastman I am president of Eastman for the Shropshire Music Foundation,
a student organization that raises money for SMF. Needless to say, I couldn’t be happier to be in Kosovo with Liz, Burim and all of the wonderful SMF youth volunteers.

I arrived in Kosovo this past Saturday and was met by Liz and Burim at the Pristina Airport. The drive from Pristina to Gjakovë was an eye-opening experience in itself. Kosovo is doing major road construction so it took two and half hours over a mostly unpaved gravel road to reach Gjakovë. Driving through the countryside, the effects of Kosovo’s high poverty rates were obvious. Many of the buildings and homes that we drove past were in very bad condition, having either been poorly rebuilt or not rebuilt at all after the war. Some structures still had large bullet holes across their exteriors.

Garrett with youth volunteers, July 31, 2010

Once in Gjakovë I was taken to the SMF house as the youth  volunteers had organized a welcome party for me! I was  thrilled to meet this group of young people that I had already  heard so much about. We had a great time together – they  taught me Albanian phrases and traditional Albanian folk  dances (both of which I need to practice!) At the end of the  night we sat in a circle and they each explained why they  enjoy teaching for SMF. It became clear that this is a  dedicated and bright group of teenagers, all of whom love  music and believe in its power to heal and help others.

On Sunday two of the youth volunteers, Jeta and Edona, spent the day showing me around Gjakovë. Jeta and Edona are sisters and have been in the program for two years. Edona is older and she describes herself as a dedicated student interested in pursing the best education possible. Currently, she is a student at the Gymnasium, Gjakovë’s best high school. Her sister Jeta will be entering high school this fall. She is an extremely talented and accomplished musician. She plays the flute beautifully and as the other volunteers will tell you, she is one of the best singers in the program.

The girls showed me all of Gjakove. As I learned, practically the entire city was destroyed in the bombings and fires of the war, so most of the buildings and homes that stand today are new or rebuilt structures. My favorite part of the city is the Old Town, which was rebuilt to replicate the traditional Albanian buildings lost in the war. The architecture in Old Town is beautiful and shows a strong and surprising east-meets-west influence.

After my city tour, Jeta and Edona took me to meet their parents. Their father and mother are similar in character to all of the Albanians I have met: kind, welcoming and open. Unsurprisingly then, their mother had prepared a traditional Albanian meal for me: feta and noodle soup to start and chicken cooked with tomatoes, rice, onion and spices. Lunch was served with fresh homemade bread and a thick, yogurt-like dairy drink. To describe this food as delicious would be an understatement.

Students from the IDP camp, August 2, 2010

While we were eating, their mother expressed her most sincere and deep thanks to me for what America did to help Kosovo establish its independence. Her sentiments echo that of most Kosovars, who appreciate the US military intervention in the Balkans.
—
The SMF Kosovo program runs Monday through Friday at four different sites in and around Gjakove. On Mondays and Thursdays, we teach a large group at the Yll Marina school in Gjakove; on Tuesdays and Fridays, a group from one of
the remaining refugee camps (or, more accurately, IDP camps) comes to the SMF house to work with Liz and a few of the youth volunteers while the remaining youth volunteers travel to Skivjan to work with children there; and on Wednesdays we go to a school in the village
of Shishman fifteen minutes from the city.

In addition, every weeknight the youth volunteers come to
the SMF house for training, which usually runs from 7:30 to 10:30. In the training classes, the youth volunteers are taught penny whistle, harmonica, singing, ukulele, drumming, guitar and conducting. This summer Liz has also added a classical music appreciation class. As a musician trained in the states, I was surprised by both the quality of education that these programs offer and level of musicianship that they foster.

I came to Gjakovë to be trained as a teacher in the SMF method. Mostly, I am watching Liz and Burim teach so that I can learn how they do what they do. Yesterday, however, I had the opportunity to teach a group lesson. Because many of the youth volunteers have no previous singing or music making experience prior to their participation in the SMF programs, many struggle with internalizing pitch. This is especially true of the males, which is to be expected developmentally for their age group as singing is usually more challenging for boys than girls. To help, I gave the male volunteers a group voice lesson! It was my very first teaching experience and while we had a lot of fun, I realized just how much I have to learn about teaching music. Luckily, I have Liz and Burim to learn from…

Laberim in drumming class, August 2, 2010

Giving the group voice lesson made me even more appreciative of Liz and the work she does. Having observed three days of classes and trainings, I can tell
you that the SMF Kosovo programs are nothing short of spectacular. The structure and method that Liz has developed over the past eleven years does far more than teach music proficiency. Through these classes, the kids are learning life skills necessary to become successful adults: confidence, work ethic, analytical thinking and a capacity for self-expression. There is a particular need for this type of education here in Kosovo and the effects the program is having on the kids is obvious. The older youth volunteers that have been in the program since they were young exhibit characteristics that are not common of many of their Kosovar peers. Most have or are working on college degrees and they all speak passionately about different careers and interests. Each will tell you that they wouldn’t be where they are today without Liz and the Shropshire Music Foundation.

… more to come! I am in Kosovo for another week and half and hope to update the blog every few days.
Peace, love and quarter notes,
Garrett

Sewing Pennywhistle Bags for SMF Students in Uganda! June 2010

By Amy Hill

Our young women’s program from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints wanted to do a service project that we could share with everyone up at our Girls’ Camp this summer. We knew we wanted to do something that would really have an impact on other’s lives and give us the opportunity to serve. We knew about the SHROPSHIRE MUSIC FOUNDATION from a presentation we attended where Liz Shropshire spoke.

We decided that we wanted to reach out to the Youth Volunteers in Uganda, who give so much of their time to help and instruct other kids on the power that music can have in their lives.

Making Pennywhistle Bags for SMF Students in Uganda! June 2010

The main instrument that the Youth Volunteers teach to the kids in Uganda is the pennywhistle. We received donated material and sewed 50 penny whistle bags for the children in the Uganda classes to carry their pennywhistles in. We also earned enough money and collected donated items to give each of the 9 Uganda Youth Volunteers a backpack, baseball hat and a fun pen.  They will receive the Backpacks when Burim travels to Uganda in September.

Loading Backpacks! June 2010

Inside each backpack is several letters from each of us. We told the Uganda Volunteers all about us and how much their volunteer work has inspired us. Their favorite song to sing is Popcorn Popping. So we thought it would be fun to learn to play that song on the pennywhistle!

Arizona Young Women Learning Pennywhistle, June 2010

Arizona Young Women Learning Pennywhistle

In honor of the Shropshire Music Foundation Youth Volunteers in Uganda, we purchased pennywhistles and performed our own “Popcorn Popping” on the pennywhistle at our summer Girls’ Camp.  It was a huge hit! Everyone loved our performance and we did too! We all will have our pennywhistles for the rest of our lives to remember our new friends on the other side of the world! We hope they will write us back!

Here are a few comments from the girls who participated:

I felt so moved by what these kids are doing; thinking of others when they have nothing themselves. – Sierra Schuyler

Over these past few weeks, I’ve come to the conclusion that pennywhistles are so much more difficult to learn than people think. – Ciara Voy

Putting together the backpacks was really humbling. I’m so lucky to be in a country with the freedoms we have. – Emily Birkmeyer

I felt very helpful and felt as if I made some kind of impact in someone’s life. – Tatum Hill

I admire the youth volunteers for their strength and willingness to serve. – Karen Manning

I really enjoyed learning to play the pennywhistle and sewing the bags. – Shaelee Riding

I felt amazing knowing that I could help the lives of children in Uganda! – Abby Clark

Writing a letter to the volunteers was the time I felt the happiest. – Cassandra Tobler

I was grateful for the opportunity to help those less fortunate. – Alyssa Allred

When we first started learning to play the pennywhistles, I thought it would be easy. Then, it was hard! I think it’s beautiful that the volunteers have learned to play them and so many other instruments! – Gabi Manning

Serving the Uganda Volunteers was really a neat experience. I especially enjoyed sewing the pennywhistle bags. – Ashlyn Galloway

It was fun and I enjoyed helping out the best I could! I loved trying to play the pennywhistle. - Jami Soledad

I really enjoyed playing the pennywhistle! – Makenna Payne

I really enjoyed learning how to play the pennywhistle. I had fun being a part of the service project. – Victoria Enriquez

My experience in helping with the backpacks, pennywhistles and letters to the volunteers, I thought it was a wonderful experience and I hope those kids will be happy. I hope the best for them. – Cameron Church

It was an unforgettable experience learning to play the pennywhistles! – Samantha Sund

I loved playing the penny whistles and making the bags. – Liz Briscoe

I wrote to Policarp, I felt great! This is such a wonderful foundation! - Paige Galloway

The foundation is amazing and being a part of it made me feel like I was making a difference. – Hannah Manning

Arizona Young Women's Group With Backpacks for SMF Uganda Volunteers

Laberim, 2009

My name is Labërim Cërmjani. I am eighteen years old. I was born in Gjakova –Kosova in 1992.   I currently attend the Secondary Professional School (High School) “Gjon Nikollë Kazazi” studying Information Technology.

I was only seven years old when Serbian police forces violently expelled me and my family from our home.  My family didn’t know which way to go or what to do. That day was very difficult for me because I was only “a child” and because we left our home, our neighborhood, our relatives and our friends.

All of this happened by police violence.  I was so sad about all of this and for my grandmother’s death (when this happened she had a heart attack).  She was only an old sick scared and worried woman for us, her family. This sad and frustrating period of my life happened in 1999.

Laberim (on right) with Other Youth Volunteers in Ukulele Class, 2010

A few years later I learned that in our town there is an organization which by music brings together children of different ages.  I was so interested because I like music very much. I appreciated it from the beginning when I joined SMF because I already played the violin and this helped me with my practicing.

I am a volunteer in this Organization because my wish was to learn and practice music, and I want to share my

Laberim Painting Old Lid for SMF Children's Carnival, 2010

music knowledge with younger children.  My wish to be one of the volunteers in this Organization is based on the fact that through SMF I have developed the humanity, supporting feelings and ability to share my ideas with others.

The program which SMF Organization offers is very important for me because there I made new relationships (many new friends), whose passion is music (instruments). This part of time helped us to forget our hard (difficult) lives.  This Program helps me a lot, because my life is more creative, more active, more interesting and happier.  I have enjoyed and am enjoying every moment being involved in this program.

Laberim (middle) Playing Kazoo with Youth Volunteers, 2010

This program has been very good for the children of Kosova, who had very difficult, stressed and traumatic lives during the war. It gave to the children the opportunity to have confidence in their lives, to believe in the world, art, people and everything they like or dream. They have learned to be more active, creative and helpful to other children who needed and wanted to be involved in this program.

Laberim (top right) With Youth Volunteers on Ancient Bridge, 2010

I plan to attend university and to go in for honors, get a good job, work hard, and help the six members of my family.  I pray to God to help me realize my plans for the future, not to be only wishes and dreams.  I won’t believe that I can’t realize all of these plans because of the social conditions in Kosova.

Youth Volunteers Playing Kazoo on SMF House Porch, 2010

A couple of years ago, some wonderful friends of our program gave us kazoos.  I have to admit–I love kazoos. When I was young I was in a unicycle club and we played kazoos while riding our unicycles in parades, and I thought they were magical instruments.

Miri Teaching Kazoo, YM School, July 2010

So I thought the kids here would probably like kazoos too.  I decided to start by using them in the song YELLOW SUBMARINE  for the part of the band (“and the band begins to play…”

Blini Teaching Kazoo at YM School, July 2010

The funny thing about playing kazoo is that it is totally funny.  You really can’t help laughing.  Part of the reason is that playing kazoo tickles, and part of it is because the noise is so different.  And the best part about playing kazoo is that all you have to do is think about a melody, and suddenly you are playing it!  No pesky fingering or complicated tonguing techniques required!

Granit Teaching Kazoo at YM School, July 2010

On Wednesday we had our first Kazoo lesson with the youth volunteers, and as you can see in the first picture, they loved it.

Xheraldina with Her Kazoo Class at YM School, July 2010

Then Thursday we introduced them in the Yll Marina School Singing Class, and all the children learned how to play.  In the beginning, the children didn’t know what to think about this strange new instrument that is so different from anything else. But by the end, they were all laughing out loud and clapping!

Adea, 2010

I’m Adea Haxhiavdyli and

I am 14 years old.   I just

finished the 9th grade.

During the Kosovo war in

1999 I lost my father.

I was 3 years old and it

was really difficult for me.

Adea (on left) as Student, 2009

I was 10 years old when

I joined this program

and I joined because

my friends were there

and they had learned

many things about music

and I was curious to

know more.

Adea Teaching Notes, July 2010

I became a volunteer

when I was 13 years old.

I became a volunteer

because I like teaching

children how to play

instruments and that’s

what I’m doing now.

Adea Teaching Pennywhistle, July 2010

This program means a lot

for me and helps me to

forget the war. I think

the program is good for

children that they learn

to play the instruments

and not go in wrong

directions and also they

play different games.

I plan to continue

volunteering, go on to

university, have a job

and a family.

Fiona and Albana Teaching Singing Class with Blini on Guitar, May 2010

I’m really enjoying being back in Kosovo, especially being reunited with our fantastic Youth Volunteers.  They work so hard, and I am so proud of them.  I thought I’d explain a bit about how they come to be Youth Volunteers.

First of all, every Volunteer is a local of the country we are based in.  (i.e., the Kosovo Youth Volunteers are all from Kosovo, the Uganda Youth Volunteers are all from Uganda, etc).  We don’t bring outside volunteers into the countries where we work, because we want to develop a program that is completely locally-run and locally taught.

Jonila and Xheraldina Teaching Pennywhistle, May 2010

The first requirement to being a youth volunteer in Kosovo is that you must have been a student in the program for at least one year.  The next is that you must have finished the 8th grade.  Most of our youth volunteers have just finished 8th or 9th grade when they begin, but we also have teenagers who become youth volunteers as late as 17 or even 18, sometimes in their last year of high school.

Burim Teaching New 2010 Volunteers, July 2010

A new group of Youth Volunteers starts every July.  Their 1st year as a youth volunteer they come to “regular” training one night per week and work on the Pennywhistle and Harmonica, and start learning teaching techniques.  They practice teaching each other every week so they will be ready to start teaching the children in their 2nd year.

In their 2nd year as Youth Volunteers, they come 3 times each week.  First is the regular training listed above, second is ukulele, and third is conducting and drum combined.

2nd Year Volunteers Starting Ukulele, July 2010: Poema, Edona, Granit, Adea, Jeta, & Labi

In their 3rd year, they come 4 times each week–continuing with everything listed above and adding a beginning guitar class.

Zana Teaching Pennywhistle Training, 2006. Zana is an incredibly talented musician and teacher, & started training our volunteers before she was old enough to be a volunteer herself!

After the 3rd year, and sometimes before, they also teach training to the younger volunteers.

This is just the training schedule, and it goes on Monday to Friday year round.

Orgesa Teaching Notes, July 2010

For teaching the children, we have 2 different schedules

–one during the school year and another during the summer.  During the school year we only have classes with the children on Saturdays.  During the summer, we have classes with the children every day from Monday-Friday.

It makes for a very focused schedule and the youth volunteers become very close friends with each other.  I especially love the summers because we are together much more and I get to see the youth volunteers so often.  The first week of school in September is always hard for me–I go through “youth volunteer withdrawal” and have to get used to only seeing them a few times each week instead of every day!

Youth Volunteer Party, End of Summer 2009

Yll Marina Singing Class, July 12 2010

In Kosovo school gets out in late June, so our summer programs have only been going for a few weeks.  On Monday and Thursday morning children from all over Gjakove come to our classes at the school Yll Marina.

On Tuesday and Friday morning we separate– half of the Youth Volunteers go to the Village of Skivjan with Burim, and half of the Youth Volunteers meet me at the SMF house, where we hold classes and activities for the children still living in the Slovene Village IDP Camp.  Burim picks up the camp children before taking the Youth Volunteers to Skivjan.

"Popcorn Popping" at Yll Marina School, July 8, 2010

On Wednesday morning we have all-volunteer training for 3 hours.  This is great because I get to teach the Youth Volunteers new songs, games to play with the children, and we talk about what we are doing with the children and how we can all improve.

Youth Volunteers Roasting Marshmallows, Sat. July 10

Then on Saturday, we take the Youth Volunteers who have helped the most during the week on an activity.  Last Saturday we had a campfire and roasted hotdogs and marshmallows (I brought the marshmallows from the US).  It was so fun, and the volunteers had a blast.

Youth Volunteers at Bonfire Cookout, Sat. July 10

Durim, 2009

My Name is Durim Jupa, and I am 18 years old. I come from Gjakova, Kosova. I graduated from High School this year in natural science.

During the wartime I was 7 years old, and I remember when Serbian soldiers came and told us to leave our apartment or they were going to kill us, so my family and I moved to Albania. After we left they burnt our home and they killed some of our neighbors, two of which were my classmates– that was the first year of school for me.

And there are many more bad memories of the war that we try not to think of, but try to move on with life.

Pennywhistle Class at Z. Rexha School, Fall 2000. Durim is front row left, wearing overalls

After the war my teacher told me about the Shropshire Music Foundation.  I was 8 years old when I joined, and I joined the program because I liked music.

Durim's First Summer as a Volunteer, 2004

I stayed as student for 4 years and then I became a Volunteer in 2004, when I was 13 years old.

I became a volunteer because when I was a student this program helped me a lot– in  music education and also to become a better student in school.  Also I feel a lot better when I know that I am helping others and I find this program a great way to help other kids in Kosovo in the way that the program has helped me.

As a volunteer I teach kids and I train other volunteers to teach and be nice to the kids, learn more music, and I am also responsible for some of the leadership work in the Program.  I work for about 20 hours during the school year and 40 hours during the school break.  This summer I am in charge of our new program at the village Skivjan.

Youth Volunteers After Concert, 2006. Durim is in the front, second from right.

This program is very important to me. It helped me to be more responsible, become closer to others in a social way, to love kids even more and want to help them more, and to become nicer to others around me. It is also important for the kids because it helps them to be friends to each other and to learn peace through music. Even if they are not very talented in music, they still find that want to continue more, because we create a good and safe environment for them where they feel very good.  We want them to know how important they are and that we care for them.

Durim, 2007

In the future I plan to continue with university studies.  If I have a chance I would prefer to continue my studies in the USA for a better education and better opportunities for me, my family and my country. I would also try to always be part of the Shropshire Music Foundation wherever I am.  My grade point average for high school is 4.9 out of 5.

[Note from Liz: Durim is a wonderful, honest, and hard working young man who helps our program more and more every year.  If anyone would like to help him to go to college in the US, please contact me through the link on our website http://www.shropshirefoundation.org/contact-us/]

2003: Durim (front right) & Vigan Frantically Copying Music To Take Home & Practice. We had no electricity & it was almost pitch black in the room so they really hurried.