Musical activity and inclusive musical expression
Hello!
My names is Mathea and im a 21-year-old graduate at Molde University College this spring. These past months ive been spending time with a bunch of beautiful children in Arusha, Tanzania. And together with 6 other students, we collaborated with our host college to try to learn how Tanzanian systems work and how we as social educator students can give the teachers a bit of our competence in too they're work. But as well learn and remind ourselves about things we often take for granted back home. Our focus on this journey has been the CRPD (Convention on the rights of people with disabilities) and the CRC (Convention on the rights of the Child). These conventions strengthen the rights of children and people with disabilities.
An article from the CRC that has been the focus of my work has been Article 13 point 1. It reads: "The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; This right shall include freedom to seek, recieve and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child`s choice." During this time getting to know their musical culture and how the kids act when the music started playing became my "hangup". As the engaged musician I personally am, i wanted to try to combine my social work and musical skills together. I want to tell you about a musical activity we did together with the children back in Tanzania.
This day we called yoghurt-activity day. The kids at Primary School and the dormitories gathered around the tables in the canteen and they got to eat a yoghurt which was a great success, even though this was not a common taste for the children! Later on after eating, they got washed up and cleaned their yoghurt container and it was time for the assembly of the yoghurt-music box! The children who had challenges using fine motor skills could practice this by putting rice in the container. If it was difficult, they got help from us, the students and the teachers at the school. And also, the kids got to help their neighbour if they struggled. Finally, we put a lid of baking sheet and a rubber band on top. Now it was time for the most fun part.
Yoghurt-activity day resulted in the kids using the yoghurt container as a musical instrument, and together we used it for making rhythms to the Swahili-music on the speaker. All the children went crazy and loved their new instrument. We went outside and started dancing and singing together, and this made me think of the small little things in the world. How precious and beautiful these small things in life are and how the kids in Tanzania really live in the moment. The joy and happiness, smiles and hugs. Despite differences and disabilities, these children treat each other as equals. And by helping each other they get to have the same joy, together. The blind kids get lead by the other kids at school. The deaf kids get to feel the yoghurt container and the bass from the speaker. Together they can have these types of musical interactions despite their disabilities, and experiencing these moments together with the children, is something I will carry for the rest of my life!
To be able to create this space and environment for the children in school i believe we have strengthened their ability to believe in them selves, and to dare to speak up for them selfes in different forms of art.