Students experience the universal language of music
Maria Regina College Middle School, Naxxar, is in the concluding phase of an Erasmusplus project called Music Beyond Borders: Let’s Play Together. The 18-month collaboration in partnership with the Scuola Secondaria di 1o grado ‘Cocchi-Aosta’, of Todi, Italy, and Gymnasio Platania, of Chania, Greece, started in September 2022 with a planning meeting in Malta.
The project’s aim was to develop activities using music as a common language. It involved a number of students from the three schools who worked collaboratively on original musical works, took part in musical workshops and performed together in concerts in the three countries.
In the project’s first phase in March last year, students from Greece and Italy visited Malta and, together with some of our students, had a week of rehearsals and workshops to prepare for a concert.
Each school had to put on a short programme, while an orchestra comprising students from the three schools performed together the first movement of an original work composed specifically for the project. The composition was influenced by Mediterranean rhythms and themes.
The creation of the youth transnational orchestra enhanced the students’ motivation, increased their self-esteem and contributed to recognise further their cultural identity while respecting others. All participants were presented with tokens and certificates of participation.
Eleven students from our school took part in the project’s second phase, which took place in Greece last May. Over the span of a week, the students had the opportunity to explore Greek culture through music. After rehearsals and workshops together with the other students from Italy and Greece, they presented a concert in which students from each of the three schools performed a number of songs individually, as well as the second movement of the collective work as a whole orchestra and chorus. All students and participants were presented with certificates of participation.
The third phase of the project took place in Todi, Italy, last November. Eight new students took part in this phase. All the participants resided in the historical town of Todi and had the opportunity to visit other surrounding towns, namely Assisi, Nocera and Perugia.
The students rehearsed together throughout the week and performed in two concerts which took place in Todi and Nocera. This experience provided the students with a learning opportunity where they could work together and learn more about Italian culture through music.
The project allowed students to explore various elements of music to promote creativity, teamwork, communication, and to enhance their musical skills.
The project demonstrated how, as a universal language that goes beyond borders, music linked these young people who came from different cultures.
The youth orchestra created during the project acted as a medium through which students could use this common language to recognise and celebrate their own culture, respect others and find a common goal to be reached with the effort and input of others.
It was truly a positive learning experience for all involved, and the students were left with a sense of accomplishment, pride and a greater passion for music.
The bonds formed and memories created during and after this musical journey will forever echo as proof of this companionship and, as one of the students mentioned after the concert, “it seemed like we were a musical family”.
Nicolette Miller is head of department (music), Maria Regina College, Middle School, Naxxar.