17 June 2020

Marco de Souza: ‘Muziekles moet beschikbaar zijn voor álle kinderen’

The Leerorkest is an innovative form of music education that gives all children the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument and make music together during school hours. Marco de Souza founded the Leerorkest in 2005 in Amsterdam's Bijlmer district.. "Far too few children from the neighborhood were attending music lessons. I wanted to change that."

Marco de Sousa started the Leerorkest when he was director of the music school in the Bijlmer. "I saw all those children walking around the neighborhood. There are about 130 nationalities living in the Bijlmer. Many children from the high-rise buildings around us would look in and then walk past. I thought that was strange and wanted to change it. At that time, there was also a prevailing view that there was no point in teaching a child from the Bijlmer to play the violin. I was angry about that; I can't think of a single reason why children from our neighborhood shouldn't be able to play a classical instrument."

Children from affluent Amsterdam South came to us to play djembe because we had a good teacher. They could choose which instrument they wanted to play. Children from the Bijlmer didn't have that choice. I wanted to give them that opportunity. We started organizing concerts at schools. The children loved it, a bassoon with all those shiny buttons: it's magical. We went into the schools with a collection of instruments and the idea that we wanted to teach all children.

Everyone can learn to read and write, and that also applies to music. Remember, every child growing up in the Netherlands encounters classical musical instruments. Every Harry Potter or Disney film is filled with symphonic music. So it's a misconception that children from other cultures don't learn this at home.

Music as an oasis

Marco himself was born and raised in Brazil. “We started out poor, but my parents had business acumen and worked their way up to the middle class. They loved us, but there wasn't much emotional support, and I felt quite unhappy. When I was about six, my oldest brother came home with a record player and a classical album. That music became an oasis for me; it transported me to another world. Thanks to music, I felt protected and safe. I decided to become a musician, something my parents were against and didn't support. At a very young age, I started working to be able to take music lessons; I had to do everything myself. So I know what it's like to go against the grain. And I also know that it can make you happy.”

The Leerorkest is a household name in the Netherlands and has now expanded to Curaçao, Aruba, and Bonaire. Thanks to the Leerorkest, thousands of children from diverse cultural backgrounds discover the liberating power of listening to music and, more importantly, making music together. No money for lessons at home? We pay for the lessons, and the children receive a free loan of an instrument from the Leerorkest Instrument Depot Foundation.

Corona lessons

During the coronavirus pandemic, the children received online music lessons. This had an unexpected and educational side effect. Through the camera, the music teachers literally got a glimpse into their home life. "The goal of the Learning Orchestra is to make children happier, not just by teaching them to play an instrument but also by building a relationship with them," says Marco. "Through the online lessons, we came into the living room. Because you see more of the child, the relationship deepens. And parents saw how their children were being taught. Many families don't have a computer, and children would follow lessons, for example, via their mother's phone. And then the mother would vacuum or something while the child was having lessons. The lesson was part of the family's daily routine. We learned that we can reach the children in any situation; they are used to studying in a less-than-ideal environment."

Read more

• Via Take That! Parents can borrow an instrument free of charge from the Instrument Depot Leerorkest;
• More about music lessons with the help of the Youth Fund;
• View the website of the Learning orchestra.

Photo: Greta Muis. Marco de Souza among students.