To hasten the development as well as the diffusion of music education in Cebu, Seven Spirit has a vision to open a music studio in Parian area, Cebu. Lagging behind in the development of arts and cultures, Cebu is not the most propitious place to learn music. We are trying to create a venue where children can practice as much as they want without caring neighbors, and musicians can focus on their own improvement of skills and technique. “All the music lovers gather in Seven Spirit Studio.” We hope we will witness this scene in near future.
In July 2012, Seven Spirit started the music education program with street children in Sto Nino area in Cebu, and we have a vision to expand the size of the activity in coming years. Our ultimate goal is to have an opera project in 2022, which is all casted by the underprivileged children. For the children, music education can mean as a portal towards the new world. When we involve those kids in great risks and danger, we will enhance the talent, personality, and sociability of each child. Learning music does not only enhances children’s individual talent or skill, but also can give chance for them to experience a new environment where children can be appreciated by others and society, or where children can relate themselves to others and society. Through this experience, little by little, children get to learn the teamwork, responsibility, and discipline, while understanding the value of appreciating others and even themselves.
Basing in this music studio, in cooperation with a researcher from University of Niigata Prefecture, Seven Spirit is to work on the Research and Development of music education program designed for the enhancement of LIFE-SKILLS for underprivileged children. Music education is well known for its great effect to enhance LIFE-SKILLs among children. In fact, the participants of El Sistema, the most successful music education program for poor kids in the world, have shown the dramatic decrease of crime rate as well as drop-out rate. Focusing on this LIFE-SKILLs enhancement, Seven Spirit attempts to develop a versatile method which encourage marginalized children to get socially independent by empowering their LIFE- SKILLs.
Although there are schools in Cebu which have course of music, those schools are also facing the scarce of facility and equipment. Music major students cannot satisfactorily enjoy the ideal environment for their training. To improve this given situation and to give better music learning experience, Seven Spirit is willing to help them with the free rent of our studio equipment. Instead of that, we are expecting them to share their knowledge and experience with our children in return. Observing those students practicing hard, children can have a good inspiration towards a further effort to achieve an ability to play like them.
We also are considering of tying partnership with professional musicians particularly in the field of classic. We would like to be dedicated to the development of the culture of classic music in Cebu by providing ideal venues for professional players, by producing opportunities for them to perform, and by providing the management of them. The presence of partner musicians can be a great contribution for the music education for children too! Given chance to observe the practice scene of their mentors, and to have lessons from them directly can give a positive impact on their learning. For the professional musicians, it must be a good opportunity to share their talents, blessings and play their social role as musicians.
The existence of frequent performance, for both players and audience, is essential to grow a culture of arts in a society. Especially for the players side, the more chance to perform with audience they have, the more chance to evaluate their performance objectively, and the more they can motivate toward the next stage. In utilizing Seven Spirit Studio as a venue of small recitals, we will open the opportunities for musicians to perform. By inviting musicians from in/outside the country, we aim to let Cebuano people to touch various kinds of music in the world.
