I've been trying to get to Kenya for years and I finally made it there this July! I have been slowly building a network of friends, contacts and organizations doing similar work, in East Africa and the pieces finally came together to make my first visit. I spent over three weeks in Nairobi
embedded with the
Art of Music Foundation Kenya and their sistema-inspired project, Ghetto Classics, teaching cello, conducting the orchestra and leading teacher training workshops with the local teachers. I also worked with several other inspiring social justice organizations including
RefuSHE,
El Sistema Kenya. My final days in Nairboi were spent at
The Kenya Conservatoire of Music, where I led a cello masterclass and also performed solo with the orchestra. My trip to Kenya was a personal project, but I was also representing
MusAid
as we continue to look to establish new partnerships and expand our
impact!
The majority of my time was spent teaching with The
Art of
Music Foundation, an organization in Nairobi, Kenya, which teaches
music to over 300 children in Korogocho – one of Kenya’s biggest slums that is home to about 300,000 urban poor. The
Art of
Music believes that
music,
with its traditions of structure, discipline and excellence, can offer a
great awakening and opportunity to a broad spectrum of Kenyan youth and
they see
music uniting communities and changing lives.
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| Orchestra rehearsal on the first day |
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| Cello class--learning a fiddle tune by ear |
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| Recorder class |
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| One of many, many amazing portraits |
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| Ghetto claaasics |
I spent two very fun and inspiring afternoons with the incredible women of
RefuSHE--this
organization is doing phenomenal work with young refugee women across
East Africa. On the first day, we did a lot of body percussion and creative
composition activities. The second day was a cello show-and-tell, which
included a rousing sing-along of
Despacito. They also shared several songs with me and it gave me chills to hear them raise their voices together in effortless harmony.
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| Call and response! |
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| So that's what it feels like! |
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| What should I play? |
Another beautiful afternoon was spent with the El Sistema Kenya students at Kawangware Primary School. Through their instrumental programs, ESK aims to use classical
music to inspire hope and help under-served
children in Nairobi achieve lasting change in their lives.
I observed their violin class taught by a visiting instructor and then got a chance to lead a few music games and rhythmic clapping exercises. As I noticed with other programs, the kids jumped into the activities without hesitation or doubt, but full of enthusiasm and joy.
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| Fierce concentration |
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| Group shot post class |
One fun afternoon was spent visiting a satellite program on the outskirts of Nairobi. I led some clapping games and did a cello
demonstration--many had never seen or heard a cello before and began
laughing uncontrollably when I started playing--I guess it is pretty
absurd when you think about. It was really nice
to get outside of the city for an afternoon and see a different side of
Kenya!
I also had a chance to experience The Kenya Schools Music Festival, organized by
the Ministry of Education. The Festival brings together thousands of
students from across Kenya to showcase their musical talents in front of
judges, basically like a talent contest of EPIC proportions. Amidst the
chaos, a small group of students from the school where I was teaching were practicing an arrangement of a Kenyan popular song!
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| Ghetto Classics students practicing |
In addition to my teaching, I reserved a few days to take in the abundant spectacular natural beauty that Kenya has to offer. I visited the Giraffe Centre and David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and spent one morning at Fairview Estate Coffee farm learning about coffee production and the industry in Kenya. The estate was an experience in itself, complete with dazzling
waterfalls, banana orchards and a farm. I also hiked through the beautiful Karura Forest Park and was delighted by the ease of access to stunning nature not more than ten minutes from my hotel!
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| Karura Forest waterfalls |
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| Giraffe Centre close-up, watch out for headbutts! |
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| Fairview Estate Coffee farm |
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| Coffee estate farm |
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| Estate waterfall |
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| Karura Forest caves |
The final chapter of my visit centered around the Kenya Conservatoire of Music. I got to lead a masterclass and I was so inspired by the many talented cellists who performed for the class. Not only did they play beautifully and ask incredibly
thoughtful questions, but they patiently listened to, and generously
attempted all of my crazy ideas. I also had the unique honor of performing solo with the Conservatoire Orchestra for a benefit concert--how special to share the stage with my students!
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| With the Conservatoire Orchestra |
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| What a talented group of cellists! |
And a final special thank you note to Elinor Gollay for organizing a very successful benefit event and to all of the generous donors who made this project possible. It was an extraordinary trip and I can't wait to return to Kenya again very soon!
