Chords of Change is a journey of transformation, blending the power of music with a commitment to uplift others. Here I teach guitar to underprivileged children and this initiative seeks to inspire growth, empowerment and hope. Each action is a step toward creating a legacy of positive change that resonates far beyond today, giving these children a lifelong skill.
The Goal: To empower the kids with a skill and if possible, have them perform on stage in front of an audience in a year’s time.
This project started with me going to the nearby government school in my neighbourhood, to identify their needs and wants. I wanted to help the children in some way, and I went there with the mindset that I would probably be providing them with academic help. Unfortunately however, they did not have a music teacher at school and it struck me: I could combine my passion for guitar and for giving back to society to create a valuable impact. Immediately, I went and spoke to the vice-principal there, to ask if I could do this project. He said that he would need to get government authorisation for it. I waited for about a week and they got back to me with good news, a green light!
I took 2 guitars on loan from my local guitar store after informing them about the cause, and I aim to finance these guitars through some fundraising. I also requested people from my community to donate their old guitars if they were not using them. Totally, I now had 5 total guitars, which was my target since I had 5 students keen on learning!
Now, I go there on a weekly basis, taking 1 to 1.5 hour classes and teach all the interested children in a classroom at no cost.
Here’s the lesson plan (what was completed in each class):
Class 1:
- Introduction: Parts of the guitar and their functions.
- How to hold the guitar and correct posture.
- String names and numbers (6th to 1st string).
- Tuning basics
- Activity: Plucking each open string in order (E, A, D, G, B, e).
Class 2:
- String names and numbers (6th to 1st string).
- Basic plucking technique: Downstroke and upstroke.
- Activity: Learned the ‘Happy Birthday’ song
Class 3:
- Introduction to open chords: A major, D major and C major
- Practice holding and strumming the chords.
- Activity: Playing a chord progression using the three learned chords
