Music Lessons for Vulnerable Communities!

Santiago de Chiquitos is located in the department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and is populated by only a few thousand people. We were fascinated to discover that a community with such rich indiginous traditions was also home to the Orquesta Misional de Santiago de Chiquitos and was flourishing with an abundance of South American Baroque Music. 

Since becoming one of our Global Partners, aspiring musicians from Chiquitos have received free music instruction through MFW’s excellent faculty. On the seventh of February, a Chiquitos’ native cellist, Pablo, was selected to perform in our Masterclass Series with renowned cellist, Ilamri Hopkins. Mr. Hopkins is the principal cellist of the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra in Norway and has performed as a soloist with various orchestras around the globe. Alongside three other cellists from Kenya and Trinidad and Tobago, Pablo performed a delightful rendition of Bach’s Prelude from his Suite in G Major and received guidance from Mr. Hopkins himself. 

Alongside our efforts to provide free music education worldwide, we have also been making sure that students have the tools needed to learn and engage in our program. Last year, we were contacted by a young, aspiring musician from Kenya, Velvine, whose dream was to be a professional double bass player and to spread music throughout her community. Velvine had the dedication, drive, and passion to achieve her goals, but she was missing one very important part of the equation: an instrument. Velvine explained to us that her only access to an instrument has been in Nairobi, four times a year, six hours from her hometown in Eldoret. 

Velvine currently has a bass en route to her thanks to the generosity of many different individuals. We thank Upton Bass, who donated an instrument to MFW, and a young couple from New York, who donated a flight case, strings, and various music books. After securing these materials, our founders set out on a two day road trip, picking up the bass and moving it over to Baltimore where our friends at Kenya Connect helped us to ship the instrument all the way to Velvine in Kenya. 

Our work would not be possible without your generous support. Thank you for playing such an important role in our mission and for believing in the power of music and education. 

Links:

• Vel's testimonial