On a sultry evening, children between the ages of eight and 15 in Uppalam area squatted on a ground looking at a group of youngsters from France as they were being divided into six teams. With 20 children in each team, the children were taken to colonial-styled rooms built of compressed bricks in Shakti Vihar Centre of Volontariat, a non-governmental organisation.
Huddled around a French student, the children were trying to learn the different musical notes taught to them. The engineering students from France taught the basics of music, dance and theatre to the children.
“We are here to help them cultivate a taste for music and put a smile on their face and a taste for learning. Once they get the taste for music, the quest for knowledge and learning would naturally follow,” says Adrien Placais.
Adrien Placais is part of the 13-member music troupe called ‘Note Away’ from France. Of the 13 French students, nine are studying engineering in Ecoles Centrale Marseille, four are from Centrale Lyon. “We have taken a year off from studies to travel around the world to teach music,” he says.
All the 13 students are part of their school music band. After spending the first six weeks in Peru and the next six in Philippines, they have decided to give music lessons to the 120 children at Volontariat in Puducherry.
The team of youngsters between the age group of 21 and 23 years include Gregory Battailla (plays Trompette), Laura Macre (Saxophone), Anne-Sophie Smets (Basse), Lucie Petitprez (Saxophone), Eugenie Rispe (Trompette), Simon Dubois (Souba), Guilhem Clavecie (Basse), Youri Berrahal (Trompette), Julien Berteau (Trombone), Julien Dugeny (Caisse Claire), Chris Berd (Trombone), Thibaut Hochart (Grosse Caisse).
They play reggae, pop, techno music and latest music from France using instruments made of brass including saxophone, trompette, basse, souba, grosse caisse.
“We got know about the work of different organisations in Peru, Philippines and India through Fanfares Sans Frontieres, which is a network of non-governmental organisations and musicians. They helped us identify the right places where we could go and teach. We are carrying a rich experience of teaching music to street and impoverished children. The experience of travelling to Peru, Philippines and India has changed us completely. We have learnt that people who have less give the most,” said Adrien.
Sendil Coumarane.M, Director, Volontariat, said that they organised extra curricular activities for the poor children in Uppalam area after the school hours at Shakti Vihar. “We got an opportunity to get the Note Away team to teach music to the children.
The 120 children who are learning music from the team will perform at a public function in the coming weekend,” he said.
The ‘Note Away’ team will watch the children perform and leave for France.
