Recycled instruments

Post #4

A Youth Orchestra in Cateura, Paraguay, has their instruments made out of trash from the landfill. Favio Chavez and Luis Szaran came to Paraguay to open a music school. They quickly realized they had more students than instruments. Being resourceful, they went to the landfill and made violin, cellos, and other instruments artfully put together from trash and recycled them. The village is build on a landfill.

“Illiteracy is rampant there, and Cateura’s youngest inhabitants are often the ones responsible for collecting and reselling the garbage. The water supply is very dangerously polluted; on rainy days, the town floods with contaminated water. “A violin is worth more than a house here,” says Favio Chavez, the orchestra’s director and founder. In the midst of such an existence, these musicians have created something both special and truly awe-inspiring. “My life would be worthless without music.” says one girl in pigtails. A young man named Juan Manuel Chavez, nicknamed Bebi, has a cello fashioned out of an oil can and old cooking tools. “People realize that we shouldn’t throw away trash carelessly,” says Chavez at the end of the trailer. “Well, we shouldn’t throw away people either.” (Tsioulcas, 2012).

Instruments do not need to be expensive. They can be made of every day items, that play beautiful music. I had the privilege of meeting students, as well as Favio and spending the weekend with them, when they came to Cranbrook. It was a humbling experience that I will not forget. My youngest daughter also played her violin in their concert at the Key City Theatre.

Learning about other cultures and beliefs, is vital in a classroom. Not everyone is the same, but there are things that connect us all. These are students, not adults, from a range of ages. The Landfill Harmonic Orchestra beautifully illustrates that you don’t need expensive instruments or advanced technology to create music. They emphasize resourcefulness and creativity, showing that everyday materials can be transformed into unique musical instruments. By using items like plastic bottles, tin cans, oil cans, and scrap wood, the musicians demonstrate that music can be made accessible to everyone, regardless of economic circumstances.

A Recycled Orchestra not only teaches music and environmental stewardship but also fosters creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking among students. This would be a great project to have in the class. From designing their own instruments, to talking about waste management and the importance of recycling. Discussing how music can raise awareness about environmental issues, to organizing a performance where students showcase their instruments and what they’ve learned. Through this exploration, students not only learn about a unique cultural phenomenon but also develop a deeper appreciation for diversity and creativity in addressing social challenges.

Seeing the potential in what might be considered waste and to explore creativity with simple, recycled materials, it reinforces the idea that music is a universal language. This can be taught in a classroom setting. Building your own instruments, give students pride and explore creativity, which is important for the mind. It is ok to make mistakes and your instrument does not play, you can go back and revamp it. This will help a student with a growth mindset. A recycled orchestra can help students thrive on imagination and collaboration, reminding us all that the heart of music lies not in the cost of instruments, but in the joy of expression and connection.

In a Future Classroom, students can bring items from home to help build their instruments.

Examples

cardboard

milk jugs

elastics

soup cans

balloons

magazines/newspaper

straws