"Colombia Creativa"
May 2013.
Rafael visited Leticia on the Amazon River in May 2013 to work with the local music program at the Colegio Sagrado Corazón de Jesús through the Colombian Ministry of Culture. He was named as an "expert on the pedagogy of young bands" by the Costa Rican Ministry of Culture and sent through the Sistema Nacional de Educación Musical (SiNEM). Rafael worked with the local band throughout an entire week providing rehearsals and lessons for students, as well as master classes for the resident music director, and workshops for other directors in the local area. He also met with the governor of Amazon State, Lic. Carlos Arturo Rodriguez, to discuss the promotion of music education in the region and the societal impact that such programs represent.
While in Leticia, Rafael was invited to visit Tabatinga, Brazil, to conduct a master class with the Brazilian Eighth Infantry Army Band. Of course, a boat tour on the Amazon River was a highlight of this brief visit to Colombia.