Today’s
Good People, Good Works
will be presented
in Spanish,
with subtitles in Arabic,
Aulacese (Vietnamese),
Chinese, English,
French, German,
Indonesian, Italian,
Japanese, Korean,
Malay, Mongolian,
Persian, Portuguese,
Russian, Spanish
and Thai.
E (m):
Here in Paraguay,
many people, uh, are
doing something cultural,
something for the kids.
And us in particular,
we are on the road,
providing that
bridge between culture,
between countries,
and inviting people,
to come to Paraguay.
This is our interest,
and this is our longing,
to make a better world
through music.
HOST (IN SPANISH):
Welcome, joyful viewers,
to another edition of
Good People, Good Works.
Today,
we’ll revisit the Sounds
of the Earth project
founded in 2002 by
Maestro Luis Szarán
of Paraguay, which
improves the lives
of disadvantaged children
by giving them
the opportunity to interact
with and create musical
sounds and instruments.
Through Maestro
Szarán’s guidance,
Sounds of the Earth
has exposed more than
12,000 children
in Paraguay, Argentina,
Bolivia, Brazil
and Uruguay to the vast
world of music.
Using a “Conservatory
on Wheels” approach,
the project’s teachers
travel to different areas
so they can offer
musical training to less
fortunate youngsters.
The students’ parents
act as managers
and help run Sounds
of the Earth programs
in their respective
communities.
Besides being founder
and director of
Sounds of the Earth,
Maestro Szarán
is an internationally
renowned musician,
composer and conductor,
who directed
the Asunción City
Symphonic Orchestra
and the Phylomusica
Orchestra of Asunción.
The Maestro received
the National Award of
Music from Paraguay’s
Parliament in 1997
and was also knighted
by the Italian government.
From a young age,
he has had an enormous
passion for music.
Luis(m): Well, eh,
I come from a family of
European immigrants
from Eastern Europe,
who arrived in Paraguay
in 1938,
after the Chaco War
and before World War II,
and my parents settled
in the south, between
the city of Encarnación,
Carmen del Paraná,
Yutu, Casapa.
And one day
I was at my school,
I was eight years old,
and there came to play
a famous guitarist,
called Sila Godoy.
And I really…
I went crazy to say it in a
quicker and easier way,
when I heard that
wonderful instrument,
which is the classical guitar,
and so I went to my
mother’s house, running,
after school and said,
"Mom,
I know what I want..."
HOST:
In Sounds of the Earth,
making musical instruments
gives students
a chance to be creative.
Let’s now find out
the fun of learning
at Sounds of the Earth.
MF (m):
Hallo,
I'm Mauro Figueredo,
better known as Maurito.
I play the bass, which is
made with drums
from chemicals,
and it uses materials
such as a broomstick,
and the only normal thing
about the instrument
are the strings.
Here, as a handle,
is what once
was the leg of a table.
MF (m):
Thanks to this instrument,
we demonstrate that
what counts is the person
themself,
what the person is,
what they do,
and how they are able to
collaborate to succeed
every day and be better,
and do their part to
make the world better.
Unknown Guy(m): Well,
Creating the instruments
is mostly imagination,
you know?
We imagine and we
look for a way to replace
a normal violin
with something that
we can find in the trash.
For example, this violin
cover is already broken;
we look for a way
and see exactly
what form it has,
and how we can replace
it with something solid.
DC (f):
My name is
Diana Carolina Benitez,
(I am) 22-years-(old);
I have played the viola
for seven and a half years.
I'm from the city
of Carapeguá. I started
to study this instrument
in the music school
in my community,
thanks to the invitation
of my own brothers.
My instrument is made
from a container
found in the trash,
the cover is a paint can;
then holders and wood
were found in the trash –
all recycled.
DC (f):
The truth is that we have
infinite goals, because
from the point of view
of how you’re looking at
this you can find
thousands of choices…
such as recycling,
instilling values,
or wherever you see,
you will find something
meaningful
in this piece of junk,
as some might call it.
M.E.B (f):
My name is
Maria Eugenia Benítez.
I am 16 - years- old.
I play the violin.
The violin is made
basically of a roasting pan,
which was a container.
The lid,
it was a paint can here,
a fork and pieces of wood
found in the trash.
HOST:
In order to make
these unique instruments,
patience is the key
to success.
Unknown Guy(m):
In fact, working with
recycled materials
is a project in which you
have to be very patient,
because many times
the recycled material
does not work, because
they are garbage and/or
the metal is oxidized
or something.
So sometimes
we run the risk of
the project not working.
Israel(m):
Here we are again
putting together a violin.
This is a roasting pan,
an old roasting pan.
We reinforced it
with wood here,
where the handle will go,
which is also being repaired.
This we did once,
but it got broken here.
So now we repair it,
and we will place
the handle here again.
Israel(m):
Here we have a violin.
It is the cover.
It has to be tight enough
so it does not vibrate,
even a little.
Otherwise,
it will sound like tin.
There it is tuned,
we put the holder, so you
can stretch the strings;
we are going to
put this string here…
Israel(m):
I'm putting the last strings.
Israel(m):
Then let's try to tune it, to
see if this violin will work.
Israel(m):
This has to fit here.
It fits. Perfect.
Israel(m):
There it is. We adjust
the bridge to fit well.
There it is.
HOST:
What does a cello made
out of recycled material
sound like?
Let’s find out!
JC (m):
I am Juan Chavez
from Carapeguá,
and I play the cello.
This particular instrument
is made of oil cans,
the tailpiece is made of
some old spatulas,
the wood was found
in the trash, and the pins
as you can see are spoons.
The only thing normal
in this instrument
are the strings.
AB (m):
My name is Arturo Benitez,
I play the saxophone.
This is a recycled
saxophone that is made
of tin from the gutter,
which is used in water
drains, buttons,
handles from spoons,
forks, buttons,
and it is basically a fully
recycled instrument.
Everything is completely
recycled material.
A. B (m): Well,
We built our own
instruments,
we did not know
how it would sound,
we couldn’t even imagine.
When we started testing,
I said, “Wow,
sounds good, sounds good,”
and started playing.
And what you feel
is excitement, a thrill and
satisfaction for your work,
work that one produces,
and thus with those feelings
you try to do your best
on stage.
J.A (m):
Hallo, I´m Juan Ayala.
This instrument is made
of a gutter pipe
and reused metal, coins,
pieces of forks, locks;
and it is a flute that
sounds pretty good.
I've heard how it sounds
and it is a good instrument.
It is made of trash.
SMTV (f):
Could you tell us what
feeling you get when
you play an instrument
built by yourself from
recycled material?
JA (m):
Actually a pretty good feeling,
because not only
does it express feelings of
sharing with colleagues,
it is fun too.
It means getting away
from the routine of playing
with formal instruments.
HOST:
Besides helping children
learn music,
Sounds of the Earth
also teaches them
how to be good citizens.
MF (m): Oh,
The main purpose of
forming this group is
for musical training,
but does not forget
personal training;
rather the project seeks
to utilize music as a way
to form good citizens, so
music development 10%,
but good citizens 90%.
MEB (f): Well,
First, it is an opportunity
for a very good kind of
growth that really
helps young people
get off drugs, alcohol
and keep away from that,
because playing
an instrument is
a big responsibility.
You have to rehearse,
you have to go to be
with your orchestra,
and sincerely you do not
have much time left
to be on the streets
into drugs and stuff.
JC (m):
Music changes life a lot;
it shapes good people
and everything.
SMTV (f):
What is your message
to all the
international viewers of
Supreme Master TV?
JC (m):
That music, art, all of it,
is an amazing world,
and Paraguay
is advancing thanks
to this project of
Maestro Luis Szarán.
And that we must
seize the opportunities
that are given to us
and appreciate what
we have and what it is.
MW (m):
Besides the friendship,
camaraderie, we have
learned many values
such as love, respect,
responsibility
and commitment
to what we are doing.
HOST:
As students at
Sounds of the Earth grow
up to be fine role models
for younger children,
they also have a chance
to contribute
to their communities.
MEB (f): Well,
First is to help other
disadvantaged children.
Therefore we can help
by making instruments
very low, very low cost,
so we can reach
many more people.
AB (m): Well,
With this group,
what we want is first
to encourage kids
to play music, and second
to encourage the children,
and encourage
the children that one can
be valued for what
you are and see what
you can be on your own.
HOST:
Before we close today’s
program, here are some
final thoughts about
what it means to learn
at Sounds of the Earth.
SA. (m):
The main message
is that in music there are
no borders, that much
can be done with little,
and that the lack of
resources is not an
excuse not to succeed.
MW (m):
Through good and bad,
we support each other,
we help each other focus
and continue to grow.
E (m):
We encourage all people,
all communities,
youth, children.
You really can do it,
can do it if you have
determination,
and no matter how
humble your family is,
you can succeed.
E (m):
When you have a dream,
when you have a vision,
and you are not
lucky enough
to have had the means,
perhaps economic,
or being born
in a community that
offers such opportunities,
I believe that with
ingenuity, talent, work,
and effort a person
can on their own
achieve dreams.
E (m):
With this,
we are demonstrating
that with the minimum,
you can also access
great opportunities and
you do have the quality,
if you have talent
and if you have the will
to succeed.
HOST:
Our appreciation
all the Sounds of the
Earth students we met,
for sharing
your experiences in the
program and introducing
your splendid
instruments to us.
Also, our deep thanks
Maestro Luis Szarán
and Sounds of
the Earth volunteers
for spreading love
and kindness to the
underprivileged children
of Paraguay and other
South American nations
through your
benevolent initiatives.
May the activities
at Sounds of the Earth
continue to bring joy and
happiness to many more
young people.
For more details
on Sounds of the Earth,
please visit:
www.SonidosdelaTierra.org.py
OUTRO (IN SPANISH):
Cherished viewers,
thank you for joining us
today on
Good People, Good Works.
May the glorious music
from Heaven
forever lift all souls.