WANTED: MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
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| The Venezuelan musicians from El sistema inspiring local children |
Matric students who play an instrument have been shown to do better than average. Learning to play an instrument teaches responsibility and enhances self-esteem. Practising for a concert promotes a sense of working together. Music is an integrating factor in a community.
All of which is why the DARLING MUSIC FOR ALL project, launched in February this year at the village''s annual music festival, the Darling Music Experience, is such a significant initiative. Though inspired by the remarkable Venezuelan music education programme El Sistema, which over the past three decades has created 120 youth orchestras, and enrolled over half a million children from mostly poor backgrounds in music schools, the DMA will do things the Darling way.
The aim is to become an outsourcing music education partner for local schools, using their infrastructure. The DMA will raise funds for the acquisition of instruments and organise youth concerts. The ultimate goal is a music school in Darling. But that’s way down the line.
Since February, a large group of children have enrolled and are learning to play the violin on donated instruments. Drumming lessons and guitar lessons are about to start. Along with musical instruments, more music instructors are needed - teachers of any musical instrument whatsoever, who live in or near Darling, and who would like to inspire children and pass on their knowledge for no reward, at this stage, other than the love of music.
Please contact Juliet Gosling Brown at 022 492 3085; 084 410 7380 or goslingbrown@telkomsa.net.
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