Module 4 - Landfill Harmonic

Music has been a part of every culture that has ever been researched, however, music has a different meaning for every meaning.  Music can be something fun or it can be a sense of life.  Different life circumstances can dictate something’s importance to them, and music is no different.  The Landfill Harmonic Orchestra is a very moving video about a poverty stricken town.  The slum has been developed on top of a landfill, yet music education is thriving.  String instruments are constructed from random objects discovered in the landfill, something that is very much out of the ordinary.  The comments that the two girls interviewed stated such as “butterflies in my stomach” and “My life without music would be worthless” are very good indications that music is a very important aspect of the community members lives.  The kids live in poverty and in a place with very little opportunity; they find success and joy in music.  Many poverty stricken communities do not have the benefit of music education because of funding issues.  This community sees the benefit of music education and while they do not have funding, they are very creative with what they have available to them and construct their own instruments from free resources.  This musical opportunity is clearly a driving factor in their own lives.

Often, music education is taken for granted by those who did not have the opportunity to participate as a child.  In order to educate the community and non-music people about the importance of music education, it is important to do more than say “Every student should have music”.  While as music teachers we work with children every day, it is important to incorporate the children into why it is important for music education.  Students can easily present to schools boards, administration, and parents about the importance of music education to themselves.  These types of presentations can be done through a speech at a school board meeting, through a presentation at a music concert, or through letters where excerpts can be presented on a school website, concert program, or letters to politicians and government officials regarding funding for music education.  Additionally, the current music students can speak with potential students during recruitment and explain to the students how important music has been in their lives.