American Music Students in Kenya
[MP3]https://server1.vnkienthuc.com/files/3/Media/se-ed-students-kenya-1sep11.mp3[/MP3]This is the VOA Special English Education Report. [A]Current[/A] and former students from Berklee College of Music in Boston recently returned to the United States after three weeks in Kenya. They were part of a [A]cultural exchange[/A] program aiming to influence lives through music. They taught music, performed and donated instruments to a Kenyan [A]community[/A] center. They also learned about traditional Kenyan music.
Music is an important part of life in Kenya.
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SAM LUTOMIA: "Growing up, I sang a lot in school. And we had [A]competitions[/A] and choir and music every year."
Sam Lutomia works for the Berklee College of Music. He was born and spent his early years in Kenya.
SAM LUTOMIA: "When I moved to the States, I get [A]exposed[/A] to a higher level of music. And I was like, ‘Is there something I can do now that I'm in the States?'"
He helped to create a group called Global Youth Groove. Its goal is to bring western music to young Kenyans, and get them to [A]consider[/A] music as a career.
SAM LUTOMIA: "I started talking with students at Berklee College of Music and faculty members, and they all [A]responded[/A] positively. And we started collecting [A]instruments[/A]."
Thirteen Americans made the trip to Kenya in July. They [A]included[/A] four high school students from the Boston area. One of them was Marina Miller.
MARINA MILLER: "We started out in Nairobi. We got a chance to meet with local [A]musicians[/A] and listen to them play."
Project coordinator Aaron Colverson says the Americans [A]presented[/A] a gift during a visit to Kakamega in western Kenya.
AARON COLVERSON: "We've gathered like 20 instruments. We had some [A]recorders[/A] and also an entire drum kit, lap tops and recording software."
Many Kenyans [A]attended[/A] the activities offered by the group.
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Berklee student David Chapman says for some of the Kenyans, it was the first time to see and [A]touch[/A] such instruments.
DAVID CHAPMAN: "Their music classes would just be them [A]reading[/A] books about western instruments."
Aaron Colverson says music can give someone a sense of [A]power[/A].
AARON COLVERSON: "When you put music in front of kids, it seems that their minds open up. Music gives them a chance to [A]express[/A] themselves through songs and writing the songs."
The American group also [A]performed[/A] at a national music festival. During the trip, Aaron Colverson says, they met with local musicians and listened to them play. They also learned about traditional Kenyan [A]instruments[/A], dances and songs.
AARON COLVERSON (singing in Swahili): "It's pretty music to say nice to meet you, in Kenya where there are no [A]worries[/A]."
Trip organizer Sam Lutomia says he is happy with the levels of [A]energy [/A]the exchange program has produced. He hopes the trip will take place every year and [A]expand[/A] to neighboring countries.
And that's the VOA Special English Education Report. You and read and listen to our reports at 51voa.com.I'm Bob Doughty.
