It All Began With a Song
By Kike Calvo, Safina Center Senior Fellow
One day earlier this year, a melody started playing in my head. I have long been fond of listening to music and exploring the nuances of musical creations from around the world. But my introductory classes to music as a child were long ago archived as part of my childhood memories.
In an effort to support my daughter’s education, who was still home-schooling at the time, we ventured into the wonderful journey of learning to play piano together. This proved to be a fun and challenging effort that developed into me writing my first piano song: Un Recuerdo para el Mañana, which translates into a Memory for Tomorrow.
It is a very simple score that tries to capture the joy of becoming a dad for the first time; the priceless feeling of inspiring others to dream and aspire.
Believing in the universality of art and music, I decided to invite musicians from around the world in a collaborative effort to help my dream come true: Bringing awareness to my project, The Adventures of Pili. This is a project involving the creation and donation of bilingual books about nature and global culture to kids living in remote communities around the world, including the Amazon and the Orinoco.
By collaborating with musician and arranger Enzo de Rosa, I was able to elevate my initial composition into a longer piece for piano, violin and cello.
I invite musicians from around the world to join the movement and show support for my project by sending a video of yourself playing the song.
Easy Level Piano Tutorial
Medium Level Piano Tutorial
If you or someone you know is passionate about music, please pass these songs along.
And yes, I am still learning to play piano, and probably will for many years to come. But remember, like everything else in life, it is about the journey and not the destination.
I invite you to enjoy the versions of the song included below, sent to me by people from many parts of the world, including Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Georgia, Spain, Brazil, Colombia and Pakistan. And remember, you can follow the project here and subscribe to my YouTube channel here.
Enjoy!