Have you been inspired by your trash today? If you’re like most people, you probably haven’t thought much about potential other uses for the things you throw away. Drum teacher Mike M. wrote in to share a story he found about a group that is actually making beautiful music out of garbage! Read on to learn more and get inspired to keep playing and sharing your music!
Through a channel of social media I recently reconnected with an old musician friend. He posted a link to a story that came from seemingly nowhere and blew a breeze that knocked me out of the uninspired corner I had blown into creatively, sending me happily tumbling down the open trail. The story I had stumbled upon was about a group in Paraguay called Recycled Orchestra, featured in the documentary film Landfill Harmonic. These children and teens are making beautiful music on instruments of equal beauty and craftsmanship fashioned out of garbage, trash, and discarded items. So many things about the story moved me that I am forced to choose just a couple here.
Early on in the trailer for a documentary being shot about the group, 13 year old Ada states that just hearing the sound of a violin gives her butterflies, a feeling she doesn’t quite understand let alone know how to explain. When I saw the look on her face as she spoke I actually gasped out loud as the hair on my arms rose, a tear of recognition formed and a shot of energy swept through my spine. Such a powerful, shared sentiment and one that makes playing and studying an instrument less of a chore-like “practice” and more of an opportunity to spend time near such power. I still am quite often stirred on a gut level like that by the sound of drums, a symphony, a lonely person with nothing but a voice and a cheap acoustic guitar, a single violin, or a street performer.
At another point in the movie, Ada’s friend Tania says “My life would be worthless without music”. Though I am fortunate to have a life filled with people I love and who love me, as well as a cozy life compared with the residents of this Paraguayan village, I can certainly relate to this sentiment. There have been many times in my life so far when I have felt the time I spent playing playing and practicing on my own, and learning about and sharing music with my friends is something large and sustaining that keeps me going in tough times.
Playing your instrument or even just hearing the right piece of music at the right time can transform your mood or attitude. In the case of the Recycled Orchestra, music can uplift and inspire an entire community. Favio Chavez, the group’s founder and director recalls “We’ve seen cases where parents with addiction problems have quit taking drugs to go to their kids’ concerts. And in a lot of cases, the parents have gone back to finish school because their kids are being seen all over and they think ‘They are going forward. I want to as well’.” Pretty powerful stuff!
Their story should remind us all of our good fortunes and also that every chance we get to play our instruments, no matter the condition of the strings that need changin’ or dented drumhead or exhausted reed, is not a chore, but instead a privilege and a timeless gift that enriches our lives and those who come into contact with the music we make. Learn more about Recycled Orchestra and how you can support the film on their Facebook Page.
Mike M. teaches percussion and drum lessons in Las Vegas, NV. Mike has been teaching for 15 years and drumming professionally for 25 years. He joined the TakeLessons Team in May 2013. Learn more about Mike or search for a teacher near you!
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Photo by The U.S. National Archives
Megan L.