Last December 4, at 10 a.m., the Child and Youth Choir and the group of students who are learning how to play the guitar performed presentations at the Children’s House, an extension of the Nucleus-of-Light of Figueira in Belo Horizonte, located in Minas Gerais, Brazil.
About 70 people watched the event, a presentation of the work of musicalization and choir chant developed with 25 children and youths from 7 thru 19 years old. Almost all of them study at public schools and are assisted at the Children’s House, where they participate for free in complementary activities such as music, drama, story-telling and sewing workshops. The children and youths also receive dental and psychological assistance, as well as their family members.
“They love music. They have much musicality. Several of them are Afro-descendants. They like to be valued and to discover their own talents”, says Andrea Sophia, a volunteer that supports the project.
To Daniel, a teacher of musicalization, the activity goes beyond music: “beside the work with rhythm, interval, the work with music in itself, we do a work of basic upbringing, teaching the student to ask for permission, to thank. It is a different profile from what I find in private schools”.
Shirley is a mother of four children who participate in the project. She felt that her children changed after they began attending the musicalization and choir classes: “They feel very good and like to participate a lot. I feel they have had a maturing”.
Demian works in the project as a guitar teacher and also gives classes in private schools. He has obtained donations of several guitars to be used in the classes: “I have been talking about the work and some people have sympathized and have made the donations”.
