Soma Children's Orchestra and Chorus

The Soma Children’s Orchestra traveled to Tokyo and participated in “El Sistema Japan Orchestra Festival” late last month. It represented an extraordinary opportunity for the children not only to visit Japan’s metropolis with peers but also to explore and create harmony with those who are coming from different backgrounds.

50 children left Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, for Tokyo early in the morning. Ahead of them was a long bus ride to Tokyo, but the children never seemed to bother. “It’s always fun to travel with friends”, smiled Hinano, a 3^rd grader girl who joined the Soma Children’s Orchestra 4 years ago.

As soon as the children arrived in Tokyo, they joined a rehearsal with the members of other orchestras – specifically, the Otsuchi Children’s Orchestra, the Fellow Orchestra and finally the Hands On Orchestra. What is interesting and challenging about “El Sistema Japan Orchestra Festival” is to bring together these orchestras of different backgrounds. To briefly introduce the other orchestras; the Otsuchi Children’s Orchestra is another El Sistema-inspired program from the tsunami-affected small town of Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture. The Fellow Orchestra is a Tokyo-based group of adults, including professional musicians, while the Hands On Orchestra is composed of 7 elderly ladies who just started learning the violins. “This event is all about the participants realizing a sense of unity by overcoming the differences in age, hometown, affiliation, proficiency and life experiences“, said Yutaka Kikugawa, Executive Director of the Friends of El Sistema Japan.

Till the last minute, over 130 members from 4 different orchestras practiced together in search of ‘united music’. The tickets were nearly sold out, and the audience was impatiently waiting for the curtain to be raised. The musicians dressed in black and white appeared on the stage. They all seemed very nervous. Once they started playing, however, they gradually looked uplifted and happy getting into the rhythm of music together with others on the stage.

The differences exist among the participants, but they also have things in common. That is, they all love music and believe in the power of music. “Playing the violin, I was filled with a sense of togetherness. It was such a great feeling”, said Takayuki, a freshman who played the role of Concertmaster at “El Sistema Orchestra Festival”.

Thanks to the generous supporters like you, we can organize events like “El Sistema Orchestra Festival” and let the children in Soma experience and build connections with the outside world. Through this event, the children learned that they can go beyond borders and deepened their appreciation for music. We appreciate your continued support – thank you!

The Nutcracker, Jingle Bells, White Christmas … the small coastal town of Soma in Fukushima was not covered with snow, but its civic hall was filled with a collection of heart-warming Christmas treasures called “music”. 

After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the Friends of El Sistema Japan have been providing free music education to children in partnership with the local government of Soma. Specifically, the children learn strings and chorus with peers in an inclusive group setting. It was meant to support and help them overcome distress caused by the devastating earthquake and tsunami. As you may know, Fukushima has suffered not only from the direct loss of people’s lives and houses but also from the ongoing misery associated with the 2011 nuclear power accident.

The Soma Children’s Orchestra & Chorus was formed with an aim to nurture life skills of the affected children through music. Our El Sistema-inspired orchestra and chorus is a microcosm of the world, which is composed of preschoolers to high school students, children from both single-parent and big families, disabled and so on. These children achieve musical excellence together by learning about each other and growing as a team.    

The Children’s Music Festival was first held in March 2015. It served as a venue for the Soma Children’s Orchestra and Chorus to present music to their families and local residents. Soma once gained musical fame with its folk songs and has a long tradition of playing and appreciating music, so the event has met with high expectations from the local community.

The 3^rd Children’s Music Festival organized last Christmas was also joined by the local junior high school and high school brass bands. The two-day festival boasted a wide variety of music by children and culminated with Finlandia, a masterpiece by Sibelius. “Music synchronizes with an array of emotions. Happy music can lead you to smile no matter if you are playing or listening to it”, says Kurumiko, a junior from Soma High School.

Thanks to the generous supporters like you, we can continue to provide free music education and organize events like the Children’s Music Festival for the children in Soma. We can assure you that they have gained and are still steadily gaining life skills through music. Furthermore, our program helps not only the children but also the community itself with positive ripple effects.

Music grows children. Music unites everybody. We appreciate your continued support in our endeavor. Thank you!