As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, we鈥檙e inspired by the personal resilience and professional determination of doctoral student and tenor saxophonist Pablo Beltran (DMA, Jazz Studies).
The Fulbright Latin American Scholarship Program of American Universities scholar from Bogot谩, Colombia, recently reflected on the hardships he experienced leading up to his arrival in Boulder and his studies at the College of Music.听
鈥淪ometimes, we can鈥檛 change the challenges around us, like sickness and poverty,鈥� he says. 鈥淏ut I鈥檝e learned that it鈥檚 better to embrace these things and make the most of the life that we do have.鈥�
Indeed, Beltan鈥檚 triumph over unforeseen circumstances began during his first semester as a master鈥檚 student in jazz performance at the University of Northern Texas. 鈥淚 was living my dream at one of the most well-known, prestigious jazz studies programs in the world,鈥� he explains. 鈥淏ut then my wife, Maria鈥攚ho lives with hearing and sight impediments鈥攃ollapsed and we had to return to Colombia for her treatments.鈥澨�
As a way forward, the couple proceeded to set their sights on Barcelona, Spain, where healthcare for Maria was more accessible to them.听Despite those odds, Beltran kept on, earning a master鈥檚 in jazz performance at the Liceu Conservatory in 2019. Soon after, he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship 鈥� just months before the pandemic hit.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what life brought to us,鈥� says Beltran, recalling two-week hotel quarantines he endured in 2020 to begin his doctoral studies at CU Boulder. 鈥淲e had one saxophone, one piece of luggage and a large service dog named Mingus. We learned to live with minimum stuff and we just embraced our experiences.听
鈥淭hrough all the difficulties and setbacks, we were able to see beauty.鈥澨�
Adds Beltran, who鈥攁t age 18, moved to Cuba to explore his interest in music by studying the Russian method, a move that helped set the course for his technical skills on the saxophone: 鈥淚 chose CU Boulder partly because of its focus on creating healing communities.鈥�
Back in Colombia, Beltran taught music at the college-level for seven years before going to college himself. 鈥淭eaching鈥攁nd teaching how to learn鈥攈as always been my passion,鈥� he concludes.
