Angie and Diana had a chance to speak with Ingrid Luciano, the coordinator of the the conference and Dr. Angel Pechardo, the director of Justicia global. In our hour-long conversation we shared MUSE's feedback on their experience at the conference and in the Dominican Republic.

As we were ready to leave for the airport, Dr. Pechardo asked us to take back to the whole MUSE choir and community that "there is a house in Santo Domingo (the Justicia Global House) where you are loved and we are waiting for you." He then presented MUSE with the gift of a bowl and said "This bowl is made by an indigenous woman. She started with earth, water and fire and added one important thing--love. We send this love home with you" - Diana Porter (AI)
View Diana's Pictures

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30 MUSE Women's Choir members traveled to Santo Domingo to participate in the conference Arte y Revolución run by Justicia Global, a social justice organization. With all hands on deck, the group pulled together and grew together discovering new ways to communicate and testing a new global path for MUSE’s social justice work.

Highlights of trip:
* Upon arriving to the airport, we received our first of many tastes of salty, warm Caribbean breezes. After being greeted by members of Justicia Global including Diana’s son Mark, we saw the ocean on our first bus ride, to the hostel!
* Our first morning in the capital, we gave an inpromptu concert on the steps of the National Archives One archivist and Justicia Global leader was campaigning to start a community choir among the Archive staff. The sunny hall was filled with archive technicians and national leaders gathered to commemorate the instution’s oral history radio program. The audience gasped at Lois’s voice in I’m Gon’ Stand, and one woman even cried during the Duerme Negrito, remembering her mother singing that song to her as a child.
* Although the evening’s concert was challenging at best, we also got to hear a group of campesino singers and a local merengue dance/singing group of girls and women.
* Friday morning! We rehearsed with a local a cappella ensemble (10) that arranges performs and spreads the word about Dominican music. They workshopped El Pambiche, suggested ways to improve the feel of syncopation. We ended up dancing with choir member (with Donna of course in the front of line!). This was an amazing experience for everyone, and Cathy commissioned an arrangement for MUSE from the director.

Off-roading: The different meal schedule, the waiting for buses, language barrier and oh, did I mention the waiting? were definite challenges for all members, but we were grateful for Jon and Leonard’s suppport and for Mark and Jake’s (who was visiting from Colombia) patience and leadership. Some of neat things were Saturday night clubbing (a cultural emersion for all), mashed plantains, guava paste candy, and Maya’s amazing peaceful and peacefilled UNaptly named hostel Fior di Loto. Friends were made, sometimes with the Dean of the University. - Katie Johnson (SI)

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When we got there, the man at the hostel wasn't friendly. But, we worked through differences, tired from traveling, bus mishaps. Alternately, when we went Saturday night that Justicia Global built, even though we didn't get to stay, these kids were riled up! Right there you can see the difference they (J.G.) make. The kids have to go to school in shifts because 5000 kids attend. Several of us were interacting/speaking Spanish. And even though, I would say probably at that time morale was low, it was late, and we were tired, hungry. It was real. You meet these kids and see what Justicia Global does. It's a reality check to where you are and what you're doing there.

By the time we leave, getting on the bus to Fior di Loto, we met this amazing woman. She made the trip. --for me. This woman, Maya. She was an incredible beam of light. Originally from Bologna. She was a world traveler. She went to India and saw the way that they treat little girls there and made it her mission to help them. She chooses three or four children a year to sponsor. She told us her whole life story. She has 300 girls at the Fior di Loto. And the stories of the children they've helped, no she doesn't speak the language. Choosing girls by herself, by what she sees and her feelings, rather than let others interpret what they want her to hear. She's got photo album after another...As we were sitting there Tuesday night talking to her, she was telling us her life story. We were moved, we don't know how we found her, but her mission was so closely joined with ours (MUSE's). It was so serendipitous. She was saying anyone that's about peace and justice, that's what I'm about. To find in a little hotel, to be able to find her, was just incredible. We were all extremely inspired. This hotel, decorated in the Indian (India) tradition; it's a completely different feeling being there. all the staff was kind. It was kind of like when we sing everybody's favorite song, like "We Are" or "Wanting Memories" there's this warm feeling that you're left with. That makes your heart feel full. You feel complete. And I was just inspired. And I know we all were. That was one of the best parts of the trip. And also the vocal workship we did. We learned a lot about el Pambiche Lento.

All in all it was a great trip. Meeting the rest of Justicia Global was great too. All the kids translated for us. These kids are positive. I wish I could've been like this when I was a kid. Their dynamic of helping and jumping in; all the kids were absolutely fabulous. That part of it was just awesome to see. There were a couple times I got a tear in my eyes looking at these inspirational lives. I'm glad I went. We were renewed. There was also a term that was coined "MUSEbands" because of Len and Jon who were there every step of the way and were so supportive. And then, Tucki was this awesome fireball of a woman. She can do anything! Oh, she's coming to play the piano, oh she can play the flute, and the saxophone and she can synchronized swim! So often in MUSE we hear someone's name but never get to meet them. It was a great trip.
- Kelly Cobb (SII)
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We’ve flown over 2,000 miles and back, all safe and sound, and for that I am thankful. The moment we stepped onto Santo Domingo earth was a personal relief, but also marked, what I think is fair to say, the beginning of an unforgettable experience, adventure, and journey for all Muse members.

Whether there were previous expectations or not, there was a little, or a lot, of adjusting to be done. Cold showers became more tolerable (for me) as each day went on, and waiting, for what seemed to be endlessly, for the bus to come was a perfect moment to just “let go”. The language barrier, whether with hostel workers or members from Justicia Global, made it difficult for many Musers to interact and share themselves with the natives.

The conference definitely kept us busy, and being able to sing to the people of the Dominican Republic was both a gift and a challenge. Technical difficulties, Tucki’s relationship with the Casio, the language barrier, making group decisions with the information we had, and very tightly packed bus rides to and from the hostel were some challenges. Being able to interact and share music with the Matisse Choir, singing to a very welcoming and appreciative audience at the Office Secretary of Culture for the archive staff, and experiencing Dominican music and art were definite gifts.

Observing one another in these situations allowed for new and deeper connections, an appreciation for diverse personalities and points of views, an opportunity to grow and learn more about ourselves, and to open ourselves up to a different culture, language, and struggle.

TO see with our own two eyes the poverty, pollution, and trash filling the streets was not easy, and to see the mixture of people, the vivid colors, the crowds, Spanish words, and children dancing is what I see as the living spirit of this country.

Following the conference and saying farewell to grumpy Salvador at the Hostel Primaveral was a relief, and also a certain “letting go” of our time in Santo Domingo. Upon arriving in Juan Dolio, getting acquainted with mara at Fior di Loto was a blessing in itself, and also marked the start of a very relaxing, non-scheduled, and peaceful day, or few days, depending on Muse departure dates.

Still surrounded by natives in Juan Dolio, our Dominican Republic experience never ceased to be filled with its culture, politics, and people. Because of our own personal histories, experiences, and personalities, we may have looked differently, seen differently, thought differently, and valued different parts of the trip, but our last night as a group, we came together- we shared our thoughts, we laughed, we cried, and we thanked. It was memorable, it was beautiful, and a reminder that we took this trip together, and it’s now forever a part of the way we see the Dominican Republic and the world around us. It’s a reminder that there is still fighting to be done, and justice to be achieved. I thank everyone on the trip, and I feel blessed to be a part of this choir which strives for so much of what the conference and the people from Justicia Global strive for in their own country every day. - Julie Lessard (SII)

A Lesson in Patience

While walking or riding in a bus through the streets of Santo Domingo, I frequently heard horns honking. I soon noticed that the feeling it invoked was different than here in the U.S. Somehow the horns in Santo Domingo seemed friendlier. I asked one of our bus drivers who explained that the beeping is a way of warning other vehicles of a car’s presence, usually in an intersection where stop signs and traffic lights seem to be a mere suggestion. I was reminded of this “friendly-driver” mentality the other day when a driver slammed on her horn because I pulled in front of her and wasn’t going fast enough. If I had one thing I could teach my fellow Americans from my experience, it would be to adopt a Dominican driver’s mindset of being friendlier and a bit more patient! - Julie Brock (AI)