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Children Classical Guitar Recital

30 years ago, most parents in Myanmar were not enthusiastic about their children pursuing an interest in music -- particularly with the guitar. There was no such thing as an art school or a music school. Even today, we struggle to find a proper school for guitar. Today, things are changing, and we invite you to join us in embracing this change.

By Myint Than Tun

Children Classical Guitar Recital | ©Goethe-Institut Myanmar Theint Eaindray Khin, whose native town is Ma Gway, is 13 years old today. Her father is a classical guitarist and as well a guitar teacher in Ma Gway. By the time she was 9, she started to learn how to play the guitar. Her father taught her the basics, and after she proceeded with online instruction. Theint Eaindray Khin | ©Myint Than Tun
Helen is 9 years old. Her parents allowed her to study music with teachers. She started with the piano, and by the time she started playing the classical guitar, she was already familiar with classical music. She has been learning the classical guitar with me now for almost 9 months.  Helen | ©Myint Than Tun

Nyi Thuta is my son. I cannot tell when I started to teach him how to play the guitar. Moreover I don’t even know how I taught him. It happened so because he must have been hearing the sound of classical guitar being performed by me since he was in her mother’s womb. What is more? Even before he came to get able to speak, I intentionally included a guitalele among his toys. I taught him how to read music and what basic technical approach was all about in a way that the father and the son were playing with toys.   Nyi Thuta | ©Myint Than Tun
Nyi Thuta is my son. I cannot remember when I started to teach him how to play the guitar, but he was able to find his passion and seek the beauty of the classical guitar on his own -- perhaps starting from inside his mother's womb. When he was a toddler, and before he could speak, one of his favorite toys was a guitalele. I taught him how to read music and what the basic technical approach was all about.  

Today, when I teach children how to play the guitar, I teach them how to enjoy the music first. The process of learning, then becomes more enjoyable. I want the children to understand music as something joyful and rewarding. I want every child to learn how to play any kind of musical instrument, and that in a way, each is related as a creative tool. This does not mean that every child must become an artist, but if every child has the chance to experience and appreciate music and art, then the world will become a much better place. 

On 26th November 2022, the “Children Classical Guitar Recital” was performed by ________Theint Eaindray Khin, Nyi Thuta, and Helen. I strongly believe that this occasion offered each of us a chance to see some of the hidden beauty that exists in the hearts of our children. Let us nurture it and encourage it. 
 

Concert Review by Donal Phyo

It was so raining in the afternoon of 26th November 2022 that I thought to myself not to go to the music event anymore. However, as it was a music event performed by children, especially in such a time like this, finally I had been anyhow present at the “Children Classical Guitar Recital” event. As a matter of fact, I arrived at Goethe-Institut with careless ease as I took this event as any other usual student recital ones organized by some guitar tuition centers that used to take place all the way in previous years. However, by the time I had already entered into the concert hall of Goethe-Institut, I found it somewhat different and unique from other student recitals due to its sweet and simple as well as neat and tidy setting. The parents brought along their children to the event and half of the auditorium was filled with children. Moreover, baby stools took place as the first row so that the children would be able to sit straight in front of the performer and clearly see and hear what the performer was going to do. Anyway, in the beginning I thought to myself, what if these children got chaotic and disturbed the performers instead of enjoying the show nicely. However, by the time the actual performance was beginning, it was totally the opposite. One can say that the objective of the event organizer, which is children performing classical guitar for children, was indeed a total success. In regards to the number of audience sizes taking place in the auditorium, I thought the majority were youngster. This is the evidence that the young people are getting more and more interested in classical music than before.