Thierry Greblot and Daniel Malavergne, two musicians from the Harmonie des mineurs du Martinet, accompanied by Silvette Millet, are intervening in five classes in the valley. An awareness-raising initiative and a bet on the future as the group, founded in 1907, is losing steam.
A true one-man band. This Monday morning, Thierry Greblot slowly moves, strapped with about ten musical instruments around his body, to the small classroom of a primary school in Saint-Julien-de-Cassagnas. Inside, there are about twenty students who are a bit sluggish after their vacation, as their teacher, Vanessa Belhadi, starts the morning with a lesson on Marie Curie. It’s about radioactivity, but with the arrival of this musician from the Harmonie des mineurs du Martinet, it’s about breath.
Accompanied by Daniel Malavergne, this duo has been intervening since October to introduce the basics of wind instrument practice to the vast majority of these students who have never seen one before. “We will stand up and breathe together, then we will blow, without mouthpieces, into the plastic instruments to make a sound that should not stop.” The goal is primarily for them to discover music, instruments, and to flourish.
On the benches of this elementary and middle school class, Harlan, 10 years old, admires the tuba, while Lyna enjoys herself and laughs, Paul jokes about losing an hour of recess, and Arthur dreams of playing outside of school.
Different reactions precipitate in a musical time with pedagogy and authority to play in unison. “You are as soft as a bunch of green beans,” comments Thierry Greblot as the energy of those who set the tempo quickly tends to wane. “Don’t go out of time,” whispers Daniel Malavergne as a conch solo structures everyone’s rhythm.
At the end of the hour, listening to others gives birth to a collective creation, like in a football team where you must retrieve the one who is lost, details Daniel Malavergne.
On the social side, this musical time offers an educational blend of culture, social interaction, and pedagogy for teacher Vanessa Belhadi. “Socially, it connects the students of the Auzonnet valley, brings a cultural element with the history of the Harmonie des mineurs du Martinet, and, in terms of pedagogy, it is important to have professional musicians and real instruments.” So that a true passion is born.
Context: The article discusses a music education initiative in France involving musicians visiting schools to introduce students to wind instruments and form a “plastoband” for a concert in May.
Fact Check: The project aims to expose students to music, create a sense of community through music, and encourage a passion for playing instruments, rather than focusing on making professional musicians.
