Young visually impaired Thais change negative attitudes with classical music

Bangkok, May 30 (efe_epa). —  Young Thais with visual impairments and other disabilities are using the power of classical music to try to change negative attitudes towards disability in the country, an epa journalist reported.

The Thai Blind Orchestra, the first of its kind in Thailand, is comprised of young musicians aged between nine and 18 years who are either blind, visually impaired or have multiple disabilities.

The musical ensemble is the brainchild of Alongkot Chukaew, director of Thai Elephants Research and Conservation Fund near Khao Yai National Park in Thailand’s northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province.

The director, who is also a classical musician, came up with the idea in 2014 after using audible aids to teach children with disabilities in his Elephant Education Program for Blind and Disabled Children.

He noticed that music caught the attention of his blind and visually impaired students, and decided, with the help of recent music graduate volunteers including 23yearold Kritsanapan Punsuk, to introduce them to classical music.

Alongkot created the orchestra by introducing 16 children to a Braille system for reading music and teaching them individually to memorize the positions of their fingers when playing their instruments.

Some of the young musicians needed up to two years to learn how to play an instrument and perform with the group.

“None of the children had any musical skills before. It’s not easy to teach them because they cannot read music scores or see the musical instruments,” said Kritsanapan, who conducts the group.

Alongkot also hoped to change attitudes towards disability in Thailand, where Buddhist devotees believe in karma and often adopt the view that people with disabilities should surrender and accept their fate.

The orchestra is funded by several charitable organizations and all the musical instruments are donated.

The children meet for rehearsals at Lopburi School for the Blind and Multiple Handicapped Blind Children in Lopburi province, 150 kilometers northeast of Bangkok.

The orchestra performs several shows each year to raise funds, the latest being a charity event hosted by the Rotary Club at the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok hotel on May 17.

As well as performing scores by Mozart and classical Thai songs at the charity show, the young musicians play a modern Thai song ‘A Starfish Tale’, which they include in the program of every performance.

The lyrics of that song include the fitting and poignant line: ‘Don’t be afraid to be unlike others. Although you are different, you are only yourself.’