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A7 NEWS JANUARY 31, 2008 THE METROPOLITAN

Maestro fnds his rhythm at MetroWhenever Alejandro Rivas rais-

es his baton in the air leading Metro

students through complex notes and

melodies, he eels at home.

For Rivas, standing on stage is

something indescribable, almost

surreal.

From the moment I raise my

baton, I just think about music rom

beginning to end, he said.

The second-year orchestra con-

ductor, a native o Venezuela, has

ound himsel at Metro where he

encourages his students to push

themselves to a higher level o mu-

sicianship.

He also recognizes the lack o

interest at Metro toward classical

music.

The one thing that the musicdepartment wants to improve is get-

ting the student body at Metro more

involved in the arts.

The aculty here has worked

hard in telling the students, not only

music minors or majors, about all

the great opportunities here to enjoy

ensemble concerts or musicals, he

said.

Our goal is to see an increase

o interest in our Metro students

toward arts by making them aware

about all the great stu the music

department has to oer more than

60 concerts are programmed or the

spring semester alone.

Metro students can enjoy or-

chestra concerts on campus at no

charge, but Rivas said that i they

were able to attend perormances

outside o Auraria, it would enrich

their lives immensely.

Its easy or a student to stay

home with an iPod, even i they like

classical music, he said.

Its expensive to go to peror-

mances. We need to make lie easier

or students so they can enjoy these

things without worrying how much

theyre going to spend.

The music department tries to

catch the attention o Auraria stu-

dents through dierent music es-

tivals during the year such as the

String Festival, Jazz Festival, the Cho-

ral Celebration and dozens more.

These are all events ree or

Metro students and really un to at-

tend, Rivas said.

Not only are the perormances

entertaining, but watching Rivas

conduct is just as amusing.

A cellist at age 8, Rivas began

touring Venezuela perorming as a

soloist and a part o various ensem-

bles. Ten years later, showing inter-

est in conducting, Rivas studied un-

der his ather, a ellow musician.

He was then accepted to one o

the most prestigious music conser-

vatories in the nation in Cincinnati,

where he earned his masters and

doctorate in orchestral conducting.

Impressed by Metros music pro-

gram, he was excited about what

Denver had to o er culturally.

Rivas passion or the arts is seen

through his conducting, and it is evi-

dent that his students eel the same.

Amy Medina, who has played

the clarinet or Metros orchestra or

our years, talks about Rivas in high

esteem and commented on the sig-

nicant changes he has brought to

Metros orchestra.

He is an amazing, passionate

conductor who truly believes in the

music he eels it in his heart, and

its really inspiring, she said. The

whole ensemble has greatly im-

proved in the last two years that he

has been here.

Metros next orchestra concert

is March 9 perorming Beethovens

5th Symphony. Also included in the

concert is a Greek piano concerto

eaturing Tamara Goldstein.

By david cardenasdcarden4@mscd.edu

Photo by J. ISAAc SMALL/jsmall4@mscd.edu

Metros new symphony conductor Alejandro Rivas stands in the King Center concert hall on Jan 28. Rivas conducted orchestras in Ohio or fve years ater receiv-ing his masters and doctorate degrees rom University o Cincinnati College-Conservatory o Music in 1999. He spends summers in his native Venezuela where heconducts symphonies, orchestras, choirs and workshops.

Kenya Political conficts not tribal related, elections riggedexit polls and early results were

showing the winner as Odinga

they were about to announce the re-

sults and suddenly everything went

black.

Shamala said Kenyans had no

radio, no TV and communications

were cut o or two days. And then

they came back and said Kibaki won,

and the people just erupted.

Shamala cites the European and

U.S. election observers who said they

had evidence o widespread irregu-

larities.

Shamala said the media coverage

o the situation has alsely portrayed

the ghting as ethnic rivalry.

The reasons behind the confict

are complex, going back to the co-

lonial borders drawn by Europeans

without regard or the people living

there.

This confict did not start on

Dec. 27 there are also historical

actors that people need to look at

this is about land, wealth and power,

about the haves and the have-nots,

he said.

I this was tribal, i they re-

ally hated each other, then why were

they not killing each other beore?

Shamala said to reducing this

to ethnicity is to miss a very impor-

tant point. The colonial structures

were designed or exploitation o the

country, and when the colonial pow-

ers let, those same structures were

let behind and taken by the new

power.

The executive branch is too

strong in Kenya, Shamala said.

The judges are appointed by the

president, and in Kenya the presi-

dents cabinet members are oten

chosen rom members o parliament

there is not enough division o

power between the three branches

o government.

Associate proessor Derrick Hud-

son, who led the 2007 Metro trip to

Kenya, agrees that the role o eth-

nicity in the ghting was being over-

stated.

My take is that he (Odinga) rep-

resents the young he tends to be

a bit more crossing ethnic boundries

representing the younger generation

against the old guard, and in the end

Kibaki has used ethnicity to stay in

power, Hudson said.

Most o the power in Kenya is

centered around the Central Prov-

ince where Kibaki is rom, and one

o the main points o Odinga is to

decentralize power.

Hudson said the Kenya trip or

this summer would probably not

take place. The oce will keep up on

breaking developments, but he said

he doubted it would happen.

Both proessors, though they are

saddened and concerned about the

current situation, ended with posi-

tive refections.

One o the very important

things Kenya needs to learn is to dis-

agree without resorting to violence,

he said. Hudson said that while he

was disappointed, it was important

to remember that democracy is new

in Arica.

In the short term, this is very

bad or Kenya and its people, Sha-

mala said, but in the long run this

is a revolution and will turn out good

it may take a while but when the

dust settles, whoever is president will

have to think o the people.

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