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