THE BURMA GUITAR PROJECT: Helping a small music school guitar program in Yangon, Burma
THE CLASSIC GUITARS INTERNATIONAL 'PAY IT FORWARD PROGRAM" DONATES A NEAR NEW DAKE TRAPHAGEN ANNIVERSARY MODEL CONCERT GUITAR TO THE BURMA GUITAR PROJECT, ALONG WITH TWO NEW STUDENT GUITARS, ONE VICENTE ARBOLADO AND ONE ALHAMBRA.
NOTE: CASH DONATIONS OF ANY SIZE WELCOME, INCLUDING "PAY IT FORWARD" GUITARS. PLEASE CONTACT ME, ANYTHING HELPS!! THANKS!!
- Chris Kamen |
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Two dear friends of mine in Germany have devoted their lives to their love of the classical guitar. Wilfried and Mechthild Halter are fine guitar players, and both are professional guitar instructors as well. Wilfried is an instructor of guitar at the Frankfurt Conservatory, and Mechthild is a teacher of guitar at the public music school in the nearby town of Obertshausen.
Wilfried and Mechthild (Wil and Mechti) became aware of a small music school located in Burma, in the town of Yangon (formerly Rangoon). The school had a classical guitar program, but it was so severely underfunded that they found the few old factory made guitars there often barely serviceable, many had the original strings on them in fact, because there was no money to buy new strings. When a string would break, the guitar would simply be missing a string, and new strings were so rare that none of the staff at the school was entirely certain exactly how to tie a new string on!
But, the teachers and the students had a deep love and appreciation for the joy and focus and contribution to their daily lives that studying the classical guitar brought to them. It was this love for the guitar that Wil and Mechti noticed, and which led them to initiate what they call "The Burma Guitar Project".
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The entrance to the music school in Yangon, Burma |
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Project co-director Wilfried Halter
instructing the music school staff |
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Project co-director Mechthild Halter provides instruction
to one of the music school teachers |
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The Halter's have travelled to Burma regularly, and, using their own funds, time, skills and contacts, are endeavoring to make a difference in the lives of the students and teachers at this school. Recently they visited the school again and this time were able to bring new strings donated by the centuries old famous string maker in Germany "Pirazzi" who generously donated strings for not only guitars, but also bowed instruments. |
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But the most important contribution the school receives is the instruction shared by the Halters. They spend most of their time at the school teaching the music school staff, not only how to play the guitar, but also indirectly, how to teach guitar. This helps elevate their ability to then spread this knowledge to the many younger students that attend the school. I have seen videos of the Halters instructing the staff, and you can instantly sense the deep focus and appreciation of the staff and students at the school. They are 100% engaged in every moment. |
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Oliver, a project volunteer from Germany
provides a lesson on technique to staff teachers
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On their most recent journey to the school Wil and Mechti were accompanied by Oliver, a friend and volunteer who assisted them with the project by also working with the staff and providing lessons.
I was very pleased to be able to arrange, through the Classic Guitar "Pay it Forward Program" , the dontation from a very generous anonymous client, of a fine, like new special anniversary model Dake Traphagen concert guitar. The intended recipient of this guitar is a talented and promising student at the school in Burma who not only will have the good fortune to play this special guitar, but who may, if all goes well, also be presented the opportunity to study guitar in Germany, again, thanks to Wil and Mechti's efforts.
Wil and Mechti have hopes for replacing old broken guitars and adding new guitars for the students, strings, foot stools, music stands, just everything needs improvement or replacement. The Halter’s have spent significant amounts of their own time and money to get the program started, and now they are hoping that those of you who can, will help in any small way possible. Please send me an email if you can contribute any amount at all to this worthy program that is truly changing lives in a world where students can not even afford to replace a broken string.
I am going to start the donations, by adding to the Dake Traphagen guitar already presented through the Pay it Forward Program, and I will donate two additional student guitars to be delivered on their next trip back. Please join me and send a small check to help out if you can…
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