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Mar 7, 2011

The Hout Bay Music Project and André Rieu

Music Changes Lives
The Hout Bay Music Project and André Rieu
Maastricht, Netherlands, July 2010

Lwazi Mkula, aged 18, greets a visitor in the bustling lobby of the Vrijthof Theatre in Maastricht, Netherlands on a warm summer evening. A courteous young man with a level gaze, Mr. Mkula was born under apartheid in South Africa. Since joining the tiny Hout Bay Music Project seven years ago, however, his life has taken a remarkable direction thanks to remarkable teachers and his dedication to classical music studies. Today, Mr. Mkula is the first member of his family to attend college. At Cape Town University, he is majoring in music and law, and is teaching younger children at the same Music Project in the Eastern Cape Informal Township that is his home. By all accounts, he would not be where he is today without the support and music education he received at the Hout Bay Music Project.

At the moment, however, Mr. Mkula has other immediate things on his hands. Streaming into the Theatre close on his heels come a gaggle of energetic children, supervised by a few exhausted-looking adults. After a day of playing football outdoors at a nearby Limburg farm, these young members of the Hout Bay Music Project need to have dinner, focus their attention and prepare for their featured role in this evening’s concert on the Vrijthof plaza in Maastricht, with world-famous Dutch violinist André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra.

This is an article written about the Hout Bay Music Project by Jennefer Dawson. She has sent it to us to post here on the Harmony Parlor and although she wrote it last year for Maastricht, it was never published ... We thought it fitting to post it now with André's Tour about to begin this week in SA ... Click on the link to read the entire article:
 http://harmonyparlorphotos.blogspot.com/2002_05_01_archive.html#5350026149169704438
 

9 comments:

Alice said...

Whoa! This is longer than my "reports". Yes, music changes lives and I have my extended version: André with his music changes billions of lives...

Anonymous said...

Fantastic article, what it took to get the children here and the events that led up to the South African concert and introducing Kimi. Andre did reach his heights on this concert, it is emotional every time I look at the DVD. Changing the lives of these children and bringing hope to their lives is what music in this sense is all about. Music is powerful in thousands of ways and we can see through this article the impact it has on young lives. Thank you Sue for posting this article and the author.

Martha

InekeHolland said...

I greatly enjoyed this article!
Thanks Sue and John.

Suzanne Berry said...

This is such a nice story and you can see that Jennefer has put her heart into it ... we are very fortunate that she shared this with us.

Thanks Jennefer! :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks Sue and everyone for your kind comments - it was great fun writing this article. It was originally commissioned by a music education journal, but when they did not use it I sent it to the Harmony Parlor, thinking that I wanted these kids' stories to be told. FYI the middle photo is mine, of Leanne and the two young boys. Leanne gave me permission to publish the kids' pictures as long as I did not use their last names if under 18. Leanne and the children were truly delightful and it was wonderful to meet them. Thanks again Sue! Jennifer Dawson

Anonymous said...

Lovely article to read over a cuppa. Yes 'My African Dream' would be one of my favourites. Absolutely loved it.

Liz Perth WA

Anonymous said...

These talented children and their wonderful teachers, have shown to us all what the majic of Andre, Marjorie, Pierre & the orchestra can achieve with their music. Ever since first seeing this project on the Roadshow I was so in awe of their talent and innocence. I am sure this article so well written would have played apart in Andre' returning to good health. I do hope that Kimi stays with Andre' for a long time, she truly adds
a special majic of her own.Thankyou so much Sue and jennefer for sharing with us this very special article.
Dale Q. Melbourne

Cheryll said...

Well the time has come and Andre and his .JS.O. have arrived here in South Africa, cannot wait to see them here in Durban, the Hout Bay children really touched our hearts and I am so pleased that they went to Maastricht to show their talent over there, well this year I am extremely excited that there is another fantastic opera singer from Cape Town, James Bhemgee - what a voice that man has, he touched my heart when I first heard him a few years ago, plus Judith Durham, so what a show it is going to be!!!!!!!!

Cheryll said...

How wonderful is that, that a young man is teaching the talent that Our God has given him. Well done and may your career prosper!!

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Pierre and André September 30, 2016 Maastricht

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Photo Taken at Mexico City Concert ~ September 2013

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"Hello to all my fans on The Harmony Parlor!"


Soundcheck in Maastricht 2013 (RTL Photo)



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