Music School

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Mission

The mission of the Rroma Music Project is to provide an outlet for talented Rroma youth to fight against discrimination through performance by showcasing their musical ability to the community. Through the Rroma Music Project, traditional Rroma music, which is in danger of becoming a casualty of assimilation and modernity, can be passed on, and its heritage kept alive for a new generation of performers and listeners.

The need

For the Rroma people, music is one of the most integral parts of their cultural background. Through the centuries, the Rroma have played guitars, drums, and other instruments in settlements and around traveling campfires; however, these traditions are being lost in the face of a continued struggle against abject poverty. Without even enough money to put food on the table or provide adequate shelter for themselves, the Rroma cannot maintain any service of teaching their children the Rroma musical tradition, nor any means to share that music with the world. Additionally, enduring poverty means few chances for youth to express themselves through any format; music can be an outlet for their interests, energies, and sense of cultural self-worth.

How the project works

We begin with children at an early age, identifying children with musical talent in the first grade through individual auditions in local schools. Through auditions, we can learn which children have a natural ear for music, and which children have the necessary range to sing traditional and contemporary songs. After being selected, the children will begin lessons in singing and playing simple instruments - such as the recorder and piano - before possibly moving on to more complicated traditional instruments like the guitar.

Current and future project goals

The children selected for this program will become a traveling choir that can represent the Rroma school through local performances; there are many local opportunities for schools to perform and compete against one another, and through this project we will provide these children with the opportunity to perform their traditions as well as to promote their school and their community. We will also provide them other outlets to perform besides school competitions: singing in town centers or gathering places, putting on shows for other local children so cultural exchange can take place, and making recordings to share their music with even more of the public.

Student’s Easter Holiday Time spent Helping FAST’s Children! Written by Liz Greenhalgh This year’s music project has seen some fabulous volunteers and Liz Morgan from Cardiff was another one to add to this category. A primary school teacher in the ...  (more)

A Year Long Volunteering Adventure Brings a Professional Journalist to FAST Written by Liz Greenhalgh Previously a writer for a travel magazine in New York, Christine Maxfield decided it was time to get out there and really experience first hand those things that s...  (more)

Music Project Update: The New School Term Written by Liz Greenhalgh Class 4 This year’s programme began at the beginning of October again with it being potentially offered to 100 children. Numbers attending are slightl...  (more)

A Musician and a Plumber use their Skills to help FAST Written by Liz Greenhalgh Earlier this month we had a visit from James, a plumber and computer technician and Julia a music teacher. Both were a great support to our projects. J...  (more)

Music Project Final Update: A Review of the Year 2010-2011 Written by Liz Greenhalgh This years’ music programme will soon be winding down for the summer school vacation, and will continue again in September, with new students who will have just ...  (more)