Music Brings Hope and Opportunity to Youth in Rio

Summary

The gift of music – through both learning and performance - transforms 180 youths’ lives in Rio’s poor communities, bringing happiness, a sense of worth and potential job and scholarship opportunities

What is the issue, problem, or challenge?

For 20 years, this project has been bringing the gift of music to poor areas of Rio, touching countless lives along the way. Learning an instrument brings joy, self-esteem and even potential alternatives to life on the streets and the drug trade. Youths from the project have successfully gained university scholarships and the more advanced students in turn become instructors themselves, whilst the orchestra and choir perform to the public to spread their message and raise awareness.

How will this project solve this problem?

Children receive 2 music lessons a week and also attend weekend rehearsals. Teaching includes: introduction to music, score reading, instrument instruction and singing & voice. The project now has an orchestra and choir and would like to release a CD

Potential Long Term Impact

This project is about touching the harshest of lives with music on a day to day basis. However, it also seeks to keep youths in education and off the streets, increasing confidence and opening long term alternatives for this marginalized community.

Project Message

Our project creates the capacity to generate opportunities and increase the universe of cultural references through the formation of the String Orchestra of Grota & even leading to careers in music.
- Marcio Selles-Lenora Mendes-Sergio Porto, President, treasurer, secretary respectively

Additional Documentation

This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).

Resources