Through theatrical storytelling incorporating songs and stories, Adolfo Ibañez Ayerve demonstrated the vital role of musicians in Andean culture. In Andean communities (ayllu in Quechua, meaning "family"), daily life revolves around agricultural practices intertwined with religious traditions, music, art, and festivals celebrating Pachamama (Pachamama in Quechua, meaning, “Mother Earth”). Musicians traditionally accompany field workers (chacras in Quechua, meaning “the land used for agriculture”), playing songs that inspire community members to maintain irrigation systems, work
the soil, and support one another.

Workshop Locations:
Cusco, Peru:

• Qosqo Maki: An organization supporting street children and those without parental support

• San Pedro Market: Working with children of the market vendors in Cusco with the valuable facilitation of local and international artists: Oswaldo Povea Vilca (Cusco), Maria Constanza Gil Echeverri (Columbia) in the mask and painting workshops. Edwin Chavez Farfan (Cusco) hosted these workshops at his cultural house on the street of Tres Cruces de Oro near the San Pedro Market in Cusco, Peru.

• Winaypaq: An alternative school in the Sacred Valley near Pisac

New York, United States:

• Peekskill, NY

• Katonah Museum of Art, Katonah, NY

Project Activities:
The workshops in both countries helped children create illustrated and photographic picture books documenting their daily lives, including home environments, favorite activities, local traditions, and cultural practices. The project culminated in a book exchange between Peruvian and American children, fostering cross-cultural understanding. The books were exhibited at the Katonah Museum's Learning Center in May 2006.