Day Three

Today we got up to eat and leave by nine (some of the peaks of the day from some of the band members were that they got to sleep last night!).  We then traveled to the PUCP, Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, to perform for, and give a clinic for their students in the ProJazz Program.  We had a blast.  The students were so receptive to the clinic on rehearsal techniques and then we got to play with them in a combo setting.  You can never go wrong with Autumn Leaves in G minor!  They are some great players and our combo folks really enjoyed playing with them.  It was amazing to watch these students grow and build their jazz vocabulary and performance techniques in a short amount of time.  Literally, the whole room was smiling and nodding each time the students played, because of how quickly they were utilizing the techniques that we discussed.  We made some great new friends today!

After packing up, we headed pack to the hotel for lunch.  Have I mentioned how well Dr. Campos is treating us?  He went to get us empanadas (chicken, spicy chicken, beef), sandwiches (pork and turkey), some Inca Cola, and some french fries.  Great food and great company!

Then we headed to the Minister of Culture museum where we saw artifacts from the Incas and the three cultures of people that lived here before the Incas.  Amazing pottery, masks, copper, and interesting stories of the people and sacrifices.  

Then we headed to the First Baptist Evangelical Church in Lima to get ready for our next performance.  We set up and had a little downtime before our performance.  I turned around to talk to one of the early arrivals at the concert, and halfway through the conversation, I realize that she was wearing a BAYLOR sweatshirt.  Come to find out, that she was an exchange student at Baylor in the Fall of 2014, and she even sang in the Concert Choir!  Sic'em, we found a Baylor Bear down here!

Then we played for this great congregation.  We started by performing Amazing Grace with their Music Minister.  It was a moving performance!  It was a great concert and we had a lot of fun.  Everywhere we play, there are so many people videoing us on their phones.   It's great to know that they are enjoying it so much that they want to take the music home with them.  We got a chance to talk to them about how we feel that music is a gift from God, and that we love sharing that gift.  The minister of the church was very excited to have us there (actually there were 4 ministers there from other churches as well) and he prayed for us a great prayer.  He prayed for us, our trip, our families and I really thought this was an amazing thought, the churches that we attend.  We have truly been blessed so far on this trip.  We hope we left them with a little joy and happiness, after they tapped their feet all night long!  We definitely felt that joy and happiness playing for them. 

Then after we said goodbye to our new friends, we went back to the hotel to drop off our stuff and then out to a restaurant.  The place is in a mall that has been dug into the side of the cliff looking out over the Pacific Ocean.  It is such a cool place.  

And once again, our host, Dr. Campos outdid himself.  There was so much amazing food and drink  We ate family style, Cooked veggies with avacado, Peruvian corn, an appetizer with three sauces for dipping, french fries and roasted chicken it was sooo good!  The drink is made from boiled corn and prunes and many other fruits.  It didn't last long on our table!

One of the things I love about these trips is watching the students have a great time just talking to each other and getting to know one another. There was so much laughter at the table tonight and on the walk back to the hotel.  It's so much fun to see.  

 Joke of the day (Jonah):  Did you hear that a piece of pie in Jamaica is $10?    And I also heard that  a piece of pie in Key West is $15?  How about the fact that pie in the St. Lucia is $20?  Yes, it is a scary thing, those Pie-Rates of the Caribbean!

 Hopefully everyone is in bed now.  We are leaving at 9:00 to go and play for and meet some kids at the Dr. Campos' program.  We will find out all about it tomorrow!

Goodnight everyone from Peru and Sic'em Jazz!

 

Our clinic at the ProJazz program. 

  

Our new Jazz Friends in Peru!

 

Some Pre-Inca Peruvian Artifacts

 

This isa painting made by 4 women, under the influence of a 

hallucinogenic plant in the jungles of Peru.

Tina wailing!

Dawson rocking it!

 

Cole nailing some changes!

Our bus driver "Puma" and his new hat!!   Yes, his name is PUMA!!

 

Luke making some new friends

And once again!  Amazing food and company