On Giving Back to the Community

I believe that it is essential to give back to the community in order to create a better world. Through my violin and viola teaching near my home in Lynnwood, I have the opportunity to affect the lives of children, youth and adults who come weekly into my studio for instruction. For me, teaching music is not merely the means to help students enjoy music and learn to play the instrument; it allows me to help them shape their own attitudes, thinking, discipline and problem-solving ability.

I love to participate in the process of transformation. Working with young kids especially is so satisfying, since their minds are so open and they have so much enthusiasm. Guiding my students toward those “Aha!” moments, seeing their faces light up and hearing the results gives me so much energy! I feel that I gain so much from teaching that my performing would not be the same without it. I really learn from my kids.

There is another way I give to the community as well. I am active in the Lynnwood Bahá’í community and have served on its local governing council for the past eighteen years, much of that time as elected Secretary. Since the majority of the members of the Lynnwood community are immigrants from Iran or have escaped the persecution of the Bahá’ís there, I get plenty of intercultural experience. I grew up with an intercultural perspective. My mom grew up in Africa, many other family members have lived literally around the world, and my extended family is multi-national and multi-racial. Having learned Spanish from living in Chile in the 1980’s and later from my Colombian wife, I feel right at home with listening to people speaking to each other in their native language. I have gotten to the point that I can make correct interjections in English into a conversation that my Persian friends are having in Farsi, much to their surprise!

Working in the Seattle Symphony is a source of joy for me on many levels. For me, one of these satisfactions is the level of diversity within the orchestra. Working with my colleagues who come from so many different places just feels right to me. I feel that one of the benefits of my job is to be able to hear several different languages backstage. The diversity of our musicians is one of our strengths that enable us to reach out to the community and engage. I hope that the Symphony will continue to grow and expand its community interaction.

Wesito & Friends is a very natural expression of my deep belief in the oneness of humanity. I wish to share not only what the many kinds of Latin music mean to me, but more importantly, to help people to understand in a meaningful way that the diverse means of cultural expression all come from the same human spirit.

Enjoy! Happiness makes everything possible and worthwhile.