The Music Project is an NGO involved in empowering and uplifting the lives of disadvantaged youth through music education. The program since 2011 works with children of farming communities in the North and North Central Provinces who were affected by the war and provided them access to required facilities to pursue their passion in music.
The program had started by training teachers in Ampara, Kurunegala, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi and distributing over 3000 recorders and teaching tools to date. The students are trained to play instruments including the recorder, flute, viola, violin, cello, trumpet, clarinet, French horn and a variety percussion instrument. They are taught by fulltime instructors and international volunteers, who whet their appetite to learn the universal language which breaks all barriers.
Tokyo Cement Company chimed in as a partner of the project in 2017 for two years under its thematic program which aims to ‘build foundations for tomorrow’s leaders’. The partnership saw Tokyo Cement sponsoring 110 students of Palinagar Maha Vidyalayam in Mullaitivu and 50 students of Gunananda Kanishta Vidyalaya in Mawathagama, Kurunegala as part of the program.
The Music Project Orchestra travels across the country for performances which expands their horizon and teach valuable life skills such as collaboration, self-confidence and team work. Each year the children take part in two residential programs held alternatively in Kurunegala and Mullaitivu, uniting the two formerly divided communities using music as the link language. During these sessions, the children and their families from the North and South work as one community, sharing musical scores and their lives as they practice together to achieve melodious harmony. The orchestra also gets invited to perform at special events giving these children the rare opportunity to showcase their talent in front of wider audiences and give them a sense of accomplishment.
