Who has never wanted to learn to play an instrument? It is safe to say that almost everyone has this dream, but it is not always possible to make it come true. Furthermore, not all rural areas have a school nearby. With this in mind, the coordination of the SENAR-SP included in its portfolio the course “Viola Caipira – Basic Notions”, an instrument that has everything to do with the countryside. The participation is great. “It is a course that has no dropouts”, reveals Maria Angélica Del Arco, coordinator of the Rural Union of Mirassol.
In addition to learning the instrument, the public has the opportunity to value and rescue the country culture, create bonds and even improve their skills for performances and receiving fees, improving their family income.
In 2021, the local union had two classes, with an average of 12 students each. The groups are quite mixed, men and women, from 16 to 70 years old. What drives them is the desire to fulfill their dream of learning to play an instrument. And the idea that music can only be learned when we are still children, or that it is a gift, falls flat. “I was impressed to see how quickly even the older students learn. By the end of the course, they are all playing equally well. It is exciting to see their reaction when they learn to play their first song. They are so happy,” says Maria Angelica enthusiastically.
The Fernandópolis Rural Union also offered the Viola Caipira course to two groups this year, one with eleven and the other with 15 participants, as revealed by SENAR-SP assistant Renata Domingos Pereira. Just like in Mirassol, the groups were also formed by people of all ages and occupations, including rural producers and local communities.
Dedication
During the course, students learn 4 to 5 traditional songs from the country folk songbook, such as Menino da Porteira, Nuvem de Lágrimas, A vaca foi para o brejo, Chico Mineiro, Chalana, among others. The level of engagement is so great that it is surprising. Marcelo Mendes, 43, was so keen to participate that he was given a guitar by the union employees so he could continue practicing.
Renata, from SR in Fernandópolis, cites the case of Andressa Maria Ribeiro Lopes, 25, a rural producer and union employee, who ended up convincing her husband, Ivan Kleber Rodrigues Lopes, 29, and her father, Alceu, also a rural producer, 57, to take the course with her. The young woman liked the course offered by SENAR-SP so much that she decided to continue and is currently improving her instrument at a private school in the city.
Also from Fernandópolis, young Jean Ravelli, 17, overcame distances to fulfill his dream of learning to play the viola caipira. He rode his bike along 17 kilometers of dirt road to take lessons. Jean overcame other difficulties: he managed to buy an instrument, but was deceived by the salesman. In the end, he was given a viola by his teacher Francisco “Tito” Ferreira de Souza.
It’s hard not to get emotional when you hear a group of students playing together at the end of the course. This year, due to social isolation measures, the classes were unable to socialize and have this special moment with their families present. But Renata, from the Fernandópolis SR, is already planning: “As soon as we can get together again, we’ll organize a special, festive evening, with performances by both classes,” she says.
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