BRAZIL YOUTH MUSIC

The increasing incidence of the Covid-19 virus in Brazil has deepened our concerns about the children and young people of SOMUT - Sociedade Musical Tianguaense, the youth music project we have supported for several years.  Through its bands and orchestras it assists children and teenagers at risk of marginalisation and exploitation through the drug trade and sex trafficking. It is in fact one of the largest children’s social work projects in the state of Ceará (pop:8.9 million).

Membership of SOMUT is not just about learning to play an instrument, it supports children and young people with their ongoing education and learning and seeks to facilitate life opportunities for them. It also seeks to support their families in situations of need and distress.

Personnel from Steiner Music have visited the project on several occasions and witnessed its impact upon the lives of those children and young people. We have also seen the great joy SOMUT brings in its concerts and events for the communities in which it is located.

We are exploring the possibility of gathering wind instruments which are in good condition but no longer used and perhaps just gathering dust in attics and cupboards. These would then be shipped to Brazil and we are trying to identify a transport sponsor who might enable that. We will provide updates about this in due course, but if you know of any potential instruments do let us know via our Contact form – but please no eighty year old instruments held together with sticky tape – they have enough of those! The photograph shows young people from SOMUT with their new instruments gifted by Steiner Music, and below is a brief clip of them playing.