PRIVATE music lessons are not cheap nowadays but interested children from the middle income and lower income groups can still have an opportunity to pick up some instrument skills by joining the Tanjung Bungah Community Orchestra class.
Each participant is charged a subsidised fee of RM60 per month for twice-weekly lessons conducted every Thursday and Friday at the Tanjung Bungah MBPP market complex. The class is organised by Sungai Emas Village Community Management Council (Sungai Emas MPKK).
This is made possible by Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Zairil Khir Johari, who has allocated RM12,000 a year to the orchestra. There are currently 36 participants.
“The class is open to Malaysians from seven years old and above. We don’t want it to be free. We want them to be committed,” Zairil, who is also the state Public Works, Utilities and Flood Mitigation Committee chairman, told a press conference in Komtar today.
“They can learn to play the guitar, ukulele, piano, drum, violin, viola, cello or join the Junior Orchestra or music theory.
“There are a lot of talented future musicians. Sometimes, they don’t have the opportunity to learn how to play the instruments. Moreover, here is a chance for them to play in an orchestra.”
Zairil, who has previously donated his piano to the orchestra, said sponsors are welcome to donate musical instruments too.
The programme was started in 2012 and was enhanced by introducing an orchestra in 2015. But the event today was to restructure it so that more people would be aware and join the classes.
Also present at the press conference were the orchestra conductor Khor Kar Hoe, Sungai Emas MPKK secretary Tan Ee Har and Sungai Emas MPKK committee member Tan Beng Hoe.
The programme is supported by a non-governmental organisation, called Zero Orchestra (with tagline Zero to Hero), which has been organising the ‘Music Flows in You’ concert since 2016 to raise funds for charity. This year’s ‘Music Flows in You 2019’ will be held at the Dewan Sri Pinang on Nov 30.
Khor said students have to bring their own instrument when attending classes except for those taking the piano and drum lessons. He said they could accommodate a maximum of 20 students for each class but only a maximum of four for the drum lessons.
On Thursday, the classes are for drum (6pm-6.45pm), violin/viola/cello (6.45pm-7.30pm), Junior Orchestra (7.30pm-8.10pm) while on Friday, the classes are for piano (7pm-7.45pm/7.45pm-8.30pm), music theory (7pm-7.45pm/7.45pm-8.30pm), ukulele/guitar (8.30pm-9.15pm/9.15pm-10pm).
For further details, contact 016-214 2248 or 04-890 3866.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud