Music for kids a vehicle for social change

‘‘ Teachers report the kids are more focused and ready to work after their music class.’’

It’s Arohanui Strings’ anniversary and a massive chocolate cake has brought an extended caesura (pause) to the afternoon’s orchestral practice.

‘‘We are seven years old today!’’ announces Alison Eldredge, a professional violin and viola player, who is also the group’s founder, director and programme manager.

A spontaneous round of Happy Birthday breaks out, fulfilled by violins, violas, cellos and double basses. Most instruments are not full-sized and virtually none belong to the small fingers that play them.

Eldredge founded Arohanui Strings-Sistema Hutt Valley back in August 2010 with no instruments but a big idea – to provide free, quality music education to all children regardless of their financial status.

The American-born, Canadianraised Suzuki violin teacher had seen the power of classical music for all while playing in orchestras in Mexico.

‘‘The Mexican government funds several professional orchestras,’’ she says. ‘‘It believes classical music should be accessible for regular folks. When we lived in Mexico a ticket to a concert was the equivalent of $5. Amazing.’’

While there she learned about El Sistema, founded by Jose Antonio Abreu in the slums of Caracas, Venezuela, in 1975. Abreu believed classical music could be a vehicle for social change.

Eldredge agreed. So when she moved to Wellington for her husband to play French horn in the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, she decided to create an El Sistema group in her Hutt Valley community.

‘‘I started small, going to St Michael’s School in Taita and asking for access to one class. I had no instruments, so I started my first class of 6-year-olds on singing and clapping, and learning to make a violin bowhold.’’

Seven years on, a lot has changed. Eldredge now has a team of professional teacherartists who help her take Arohanui Strings’ in-school and satellite programmes to 120-150 children a week at six Lower Hutt schools. Three afternoons a week, 70 children come to St Michael’s to play in Arohanui Strings’ core orchestra programme.

‘‘We get our orchestra kids at the end of the day and they’re tired,’’ says Eldredge. ‘‘So the first thing we do is feed them, thanks to Kaibosh and Good Bitches Baking. A lot of really good social stuff happens around the food.’’

And while the group started with nothing, now these children have access to 90 violins, 10 violas, nine cellos and four double basses, all donated or bought with donated funds.

El Sistema isn’t about plucking out the talented few. Arohanui Strings’ orchestras are open to anyone who wants to play, while donations provide individual lesson scholarships for some particularly motivated students. Eldredge says parents and teachers recognise the impact of what the kids are learning.