In the classrooms of the Institut Escola El Molí, hundreds of boys and girls spend the month of July rehearsing with violins, cellos, and clarinets. They are part of an unconventional summer camp: an intensive orchestral training program organized by the Vozes project, whose goal is to bring classical music to segments of society where it is not usually present. The effort put into these weeks of rehearsals culminates in a series of three closing concerts, one of which takes place at the foot of the iconic red airplane at the Tibidabo amusement park.
Although July’s activities consist of hours of daily rehearsals, the organization’s work is not limited to the summer months. The project runs throughout the school year and includes nineteen training centers located primarily in the districts of Sant Martí, Nou Barris, and Sant Andreu. According to the organization’s latest records, a total of 981 children are currently benefiting from the program, learning to play musical instruments year-round.
From Students to Teachers in Their Own Neighborhood
The orchestra brings together young people of different skill levels and ages. The classrooms are divided to group those who are just beginning to read sheet music with those who have already mastered instruments that are large for their age. The project’s continuity over the years has allowed former students to return to the classrooms as teachers. After discovering the initiative at a community center as a child, one of the current teachers now dedicates her time to teaching the wind section, passing on to the new groups all the knowledge and support she received when she first started.
The initiative demands a great deal of work from the organizers and musical directors, but it seeks an impact that goes beyond the technical aspects of rehearsals. Vozes’ leaders emphasize that tackling ambitious musical challenges and mastering them has a direct impact on the children’s self-confidence. The message they convey to the young performers is straightforward: if a student realizes they are capable of learning to perform a complex piece on their instrument, they internalize the belief that they will also be able to overcome other difficulties or achieve other goals that come their way throughout their lives.
The enthusiasm sustained throughout the camp weeks finally culminates on the outdoor stage. In front of hundreds of family members and onlookers who have made their way to the mountaintop, the young orchestra performs its repertoire under the direction of its teachers, demonstrating technical achievements that lay the groundwork for the coming academic year.
