Day 14-My First Interview & Some Great News!

Today was very exciting. I met with Carlos Puig, who I wrote about in my Blog Post for Day 13. Carlos just moved into a new apartment and had no car (because it broke down), so he asked if I could pick him up to go somewhere to talk and do the interview. He suggested we go to a bar or somewhere to talk, but I needed a quiet place to audio and video record him, so I brought him back to my hotel room to record him here. I normally wouldn't bring back people I have just met to my hotel room or place where I am staying, but I had enough positive reassurances about this man that I felt very comfortable. He just finished his Master's degree at UM, came recommended by two of the Faculty of UM, as well as sounded like a very sweet man over the phone. Between this and reading his biography online about his extensive touring experiences and life story, I concluded that it would be fine to bring him back here. My "gut" feeling about this was exactly right. We came back here and we talked for 2 hours about Cuban Music, the Education system both formally (conservatories) and informally (streets/jams/etc.) in Cuba, as well as the Buena Vista Social Club, the history of some Cuban music (Son), and other fascinating things about Cuban culture, music, and history. He was a very nice guy, was very generous with his time, and gave me a fantastic interview which will greatly help my research project. This was a great first interview to conduct and has given me to "jumpstart" that I need to finish up my work here in Miami. Through our talk, I have discovered some things that I am most curious about within Cuban Music and Cuban Music Education, which I will make sure to ask all of the other musicians that I will interview in the future. The only thing Carlos asked in return for his helping with my study is that I send him the audio and video footage of the interview and send him my final research paper. I agreed wholeheartedly to this request and will look forward to sending him my final product when it is complete.

After I dropped Carlos back off at his apartment, I came back to the hotel and made dinner and imported the video from the interview onto my computer. I finally was able to talk to my cousin Lisa (who lives in the Miami area and who I've been playing phone-tag with for a few days now). I'm looking forward to seeing her and her husband one day next week!

Jorge Gomez (from Tiempo Libre) called me back this afternoon after I had left a message on his voicemail yesterday. I called him to request a piano lesson and an interview. He told me that it would be "no problem" and we agreed on getting together on Friday at 2PM at his apartment in Miami Beach. He told me that he does not have a keyboard, but a small keyboard. At first I had suggested that we meet at the University of Miami, where we could use an acoustic piano, but after some discussion we decided his apartment would be a better location. This way, we can do the interview and lesson all at one time, and be sure that we'll have a quiet space to conduct the interview. I'm not that concerned about learning on an electric piano, mostly because I want to learn concepts, exercises, and basic tenets of Cuban Popular music from a Cuban musician; the type and quality of instrument doesn't' matter for this. As long as Jorge can show me some concepts on the keyboard, we will be fine. I can always adapt them to the acoustic piano later on. The most important thing, in my opinion, is the interview, and I'd rather have this done in a quiet environment. I asked Jorge what he charges for a lesson and his time for the interview, and I was humbled and amazed when he told me the following: "For you...nothing". On a strictly financial note, this was great to hear because I am trying to take as many lessons and conduct as many interviews as I can on a limited budget. On a more personal note, I am continually humbled and amazed at the Cuban people's kindness and friendliness. Jorge only knows me through an e-mail I sent him, mentioning that I know a few of his friends and colleagues and telling him a little bit about my research project. I am very much looking forward to our meeting on Friday!

I also called José Curbelo to confirm our interview for Thursday at Noon. It was a good thing that I called to confirm, because José informed me that he had just had a tooth pulled this afternoon, and was not feeling that well. He asked if we could reschedule for sometime next week. He told me to call him on Sunday to reschedule. He sounded very sincere in his explanation, and sounded as if he was in pain. Luckily I am here for another 2 weeks, so postponing this interview is not that big of a deal. I will look forward to meeting with José next week.

I think José canceling tomorrow is a blessing in disguise because now I will have time to actively pursue  a translator for a few of the interviews I want to conduct with musicians who only speak spanish. I will first go to the Cuban Heritage Collection at UM tomorrow morning and see if any of the student workers would be interested in making a little extra money to help me translate. If that does not pan out, I will have to consider other sources to find a translator. I'll also look forward to meeting with Yoel Del Sol at some point on Thursday.

I'll leave you with a saying that Carlos Puig said to me right before I dropped him off at his house this afternoon after our interview: "Querer es Poder." This roughly translates: To want is to be able to. OR as the definition is stated on Cal State Fullerton's website: If you have the desire, you can achieve. This is not the first time I have heard this phrase in spanish (the first time from Profesor Morton of Temple University's Spanish department). A quick side note: Profesor Morton has been extremely helpful with my project (both in practicing my spanish skills and discussing Cuban music). He is a lover of Cuban music, and I have learned many things from him through our discussions about this music and about the spanish language. I just wanted to thank him for his continued support and assistance to date. To go back to this phrase I've been talking about, I find it very intriguing that two people have mentioned this to me in less than a months time. It gives me inspiration as well as the impetus to succeed. I really want this project to succeed and for my knowledge of Cuban Music/Culture/History to continually grow into a career of continued acquisition of knowledge about a topic that I have become very passionate about. I will continually keep these words in mind throughout the rest of my trip as well as for the future!