Thailand has an abysmal record in initiating projects to help its disabled members of society so it comes as something of a surprise to see a group of children, all of them blind or severely visually impaired, appear on the stage at a recent charity dinner ready to entertain the audience through their music.
The kids, aged between nine and 18, are members of the Thai Blind Orchestra, the country’s first music ensemble of its kind and which brings together young musicians either blind, visually impaired and/or suffering multiple disabilities. The brainchild of Alongkot Chukaew, director of the Thai Elephants Research and Conservation Fund near Khao Yai national park, the orchestra has been delighting fans of classical music since its inception in 2014.
Chukaew, who is also a classical musician, teaches disabled children as part of his Elephant Education Programme for Blind and Disabled Children, by using audible aids and the natural environment. During his classes, he noticed how music caught the attention of his young charges and with the help of Kritsanapan Punsuk, a Thai volunteer, decided to introduce his students to classical music.
The young musicians are taught by 23-year-old Kritsanapan Punsuk, who also conducts the band, as well as other young music graduate volunteers.
“None of the children had any musical skills before. It’s not easy to teach them because they cannot read music scores or see the musical instruments,” Punsuk says.
The children were introduced to a braille system to read music and are taught individually to memorise the positions of their fingers when playing their instruments. Some of the children need up to two years to learn how to play an instrument and perform music.
The orchestra is funded by several charitable organisations and all the musical instruments are donated. Every year, the orchestra performs several shows to raise funds to benefit the blind and visually impaired.
For the most recent, a Rotary Cub charity dinner, 16 visually impaired children gathered regularly for rehearsals at the School for the Blind and the Blind with Multi-Handicaps in Lop Buri province. Their programme comprised four Thai classical songs, including one composed by His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej, as well as scores by Mozart. As with every show, they also performed a modern Thai song called “A Starfish Tale”, the closing lyrics of which have important message for the youngsters as well as their audience: “Don’t be afraid to be unlike others. Although you are different, you are only yourself”.
In Thailand, Buddhist devotees believe in karma and attitudes toward disability suggest that disabled people should surrender to and accept their fate. Alongkot and his volunteers challenge this notion and through the Thai Blind Orchestra use music to encourage children and help change negative attitudes toward disability.
This source first appeared on The Nation Life.