Pilot project takes chorinho and music classes to public schools

More than 60 students from the Cruzeiro Integrated Secondary Education Center (Cemi) participated in a unique experience. On the afternoon of this Friday (3), the students went to visit the Espaço Cultural do Choro de Brasília and followed a class-show with musical performances in a repertoire full of classics of the musical style.

The initiative is part of the Music for All project, which, with the support of the Government of the Federal District (GDF), through the departments of Education (SEEDF) and Culture and Creative Economy (Secec-DF), brings tears, a one of the oldest Brazilian musical genres and recently recognized as Brazilian Cultural Heritage, for public schools in the DF. The project expects to serve 250 young people in total, divided into ten classes with 25 students each.

The pilot project of the Clube do Choro and the Escola Brasileira de Choro goes to the school every week to give musical classes on choro. Instrument classes and joint practice are weekly, lasting two hours, and take place after school. One Friday a month, one of the meetings is dedicated to a class show at the Club. The methodology consists of approaching the genre by visiting works by great composers such as Pixinguinha, Waldir Azevedo, Jacob do Bandolim and Raphael Rabello. In addition to the theoretical part, students also learn to play instruments such as cavaquinho, guitar, tambourine and percussion.

According to the director of the Choro School, Henrique Neto, Música para Todos is made up of three pillars. “These are face-to-face classes, our group of teachers goes to the school to work on crying with the students, we are currently at Cemi and IFB [Instituto Federal de Brasília]. And, finally, we will make nine complete courses available, in an online format, further democratizing crying,” he explains.

Still as a way to bring the population closer to the musical style, the initiative includes presentations in various administrative regions. “We are doing traveling circles around our city. We want to bring crying to people in various public places, such as Parque da Cidade and other cities in DF. In a total of 40 wheels”, adds Henrique Neto.

Satisfied students

Every Friday, in the afternoon, CEMI students and teachers participate in choro classes with club members. Third year high school student, João Paulo Silveira, aged 18, states that after classes he adopted the musical genre for life. “It’s really cool to play, at first I thought I didn’t know the musical style, then I saw that it is included in all styles, what I learn here I can play in other styles, like rock. The crying is enormous. Together with friends, we train and play at home, it’s a very good project”, reports the apprentice.

João’s same excitement is shared by the other students who are part of the project. According to the director of Cemi Cruzeiro, Getúlio Cruz, there is a waiting list at the school for students interested in participating in music classes.

“The students embraced the project, it is a very important musical situation, as they choose an instrument to work on, it is all free of charge. It is their awakening to musical taste, it develops coordination and socialization. Every day I receive students interested in joining the project. We want to serve everyone by October”, highlights the director of Cemi.

At the end of the courses, participants will receive a certificate of completion in a ceremony at Clube do Choro, followed by a musical performance with hired groups.