Myrna Meeroff shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Myrna, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
For the past 6 months I have been thinking of making a change in the direction of my career. I started out as a orchestral musician and left the orchestra 15 years ago to pursue different styles of music. It has been incredibly rewarding but lately I have felt a pull to change directions. I went to see an acrobatic show in Fort Lauderdale and was mezmerized by the artistry. Immediately my mind was racing with ideas about how to create my own version using tango. I was born in Buenos Aires and learned to dance tango in my twenties but I haven’t danced since before the pandemic. I want to return to my roots but also to fuse the tango with techno, visual arts and acrobatics. I am still figuring out the details but the idea of it all has been feeding me for months and I know that it will all come together soon.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Myrna Meeroff. I am a child of war. My family escaped the Dirty War in Argentina when I was a small child. When we arrived in the US they would not let me in to the country because they they thought I was a terrorist. I was 4 years old at the time. Apparently I cried so much that the customs official finally stamped by passport and let my family in to the US. When I was 6 years old I was raped by the assistant principal of the elementary school while the janitor watched. I died that day. It was the arts that saved me. I was able to get my emotions out through song, dance, poetry, storytelling and theater. I started the non-profit organization the South Florida Chamber Ensemble to harness the incredible power of the arts for healing. I share my stories with our audiences to empower them to find their own healing. All the programs that we do are my creations. We have a program for VPK students to get kingergarten ready using music, dance and folklore from around the world. We have a monthly Adult Concert Series. Our overarching theme this season is focusing on American arts. We have Science 2.0, a program that uses arts and sports to improve math and reading skills in elementary school students. Super You empowers youth to find the superhero within as they learn about the path of their favorite comic book heroes. Our newest program is Opera in the Classroom. Opera is the perfect vehicle to introducing children to the arts since it contains all art forms. We are currently working with students in Hialeah on a Revolutionary Drum opera using recycled materials. The SFCE is a fully sustainable organization. All of our projects use recycled materials. We are working with Jazwares to reinvent props and costumes using their discarded materials.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
My mother was the greatest person I have ever known. She passed away 4 years ago and I have been floundering quite a bit without her. She was the kind of person who would give a stranger the shirt off her back. When she died I moved back to the house I grew up in to take care of my father. It has been one of the most difficult times of my life, managing my business, my two sons, my father and the household. I have been in and out of hospitals since her death. I am still struggling with my health issues. My mom was always soft spoken. She gave freely to everyone in the family. She showed me the meaning of strength and compassion. I try every day to fill her shoes.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
My life has been a series of painful moments. I was forced to leave my country and my extended family. I was raped and age 6 and again at age 26, by someone I truly cared for. I was sexually harrassed by my professor in graduate school. I stuck it our for the entire scholastic year only to be removed from the studio at the end of my first year. It was one of the most difficult moments of my life. The other horn playes through me under the bus but I persevered. I returned home bruised and broken. Three months later I auditioned for an orchestra in South Florida and won a job. I joined the music competition circuit and won first place in the International Rising Star Competition and performed a piece I commissioned for the performance in Carnegie Hall. I quit playing in orchestras because I was sexually harrassed by most of the conductors I worked for. I lost my faculty position in Florida and was offered a one year position at a University in Washington DC. When the position ended I returned to Florida and divorced my husband of 11 years when I discovered that he had lied to me about everything. I am struggling at the moment but I know I will get past this because no matter what, I persevere.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
The person I admire the most is the actor Tobias Menzies. I had the opportunity to meet him in London just before the pandemic when the South Florida Chamber Ensemble was on tour in Europe. I always admired his ability to use facial expressions rather than words in his works. He is also one of the kindest and most humble people I have ever known. He was incredibly gracious when we presented him with the SFCE Light Prize. He took the time to sit with me and talk about his career path and will never forget that experience as long as I live.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am definitely doing what I was born to do. Every program that I create, every story that I tell, every song that I sing is a representation of who I am and how I want to live. I was incredibly shy as a child and those who knew me then don’t recognize be at all. I started out hiding in the back of the orchestra and now I stand proudly in the front of the room, no holds barred.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sfcemusic,.com
- Linkedin: myrna meeroff
- Twitter: sfcemusic
- Facebook: southfloridachamberensemble
- Youtube: @sfcemusic
Image Credits
Photos taken by SFCE staff members Christine Pascual Fernandez and Marie Schwartz
