A ray of hope…

Dominica, along with many other countries in the world, is going through some difficult times and one can easily to become despondent.  However, today, at the closing performances of the Old Mill Summer Arts Programme, I witnessed a ray of hope. 

Over the last couple of weeks, children between the ages of seven and seventeen have had a wonderful opportunity to experience all aspects of the creative arts.  If, starting from scratch, so much can be achieved in that short space of time, just think of the potential talent that could be nurtured over a period of years.  Their performances were inspirational.  

I witnessed a similar achievement on the island of Tortola in the 1980’s.  Two visiting music teachers from Canada took children who previously had played nothing more than a recorder and, in the space of a couple of years, formed one of the finest fully fledged school orchestras this side of the Atlantic.  Their repertoire ranged from the classics to jazz, from calypso to pop.  They toured the United States to rave reviews.

Here is the next generation of creative artists ready to move the world.