BUILDING BRIDGES THROUGH MUSIC

By: Mirjana Milenkovski

By: Mirjana Milenkovski

“The language of music is universal. Using it, the children benefit from all the positive aspects of music: their artistic side comes out, they learn to concentrate, discipline and memory improve and their self- esteem rises as they realize they are good at it. They come out from our classes happy and re-energized”, says Pedro, the music teacher from Valencia who joined the El Sistema music teaching method introduced in Serbia by the Music Art Project in 2014.

Pedro came to Serbia to introduce a new music teaching method in the primary school Branko Pesic and the secondary music school Stankovic. This school where the majority of 350 pupils come from vulnerable families, be it internally displaced Roma, refugee and asylum-seeking unaccompanied children or returnees under readmission agreements has embraced the programme in September 2018. The school had no music teacher, so the innovative music lessons came as a blessing. The children are eager to attend, attentive and willing to participate in class. The principal says the school attendance has gone up and the drop-out rates have decreased since September.

Pedro is working with two groups of children: the youngsters, who learn the basics of music and sing in a choir, and the older ones who play in an orchestra, the instruments for which were provided by UNHCR. “Making music together in orchestras and choirs offers the children the possibility to be with their peers, share aims and interests, thus making them feel part of a team. The orchestras and choirs are small societies, with each individual child contributing in his/her own way while learning about the necessity to adapt to the rest at the same time”, Pedro notes.

Boys and girls, local children side by side with their peers from Syria and Afghanistan laugh as they guess the names of the notes Pedro is playing for them. The smiles on their faces prove that the benefits of this programme will be multiple
The Music Art Project joined El Sistema social inclusion programme in 2014 and today covers 650 children in 13 primary and music schools in Serbia with the assistance of the Ministry of Education, Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion Unit and the centres for social welfare. MAP also contributes to lifelong learning and professional development of 250 music teachers through masterclasses, and conferences led by renowned musicians and El Sistema representatives.