On Friday May 24th, 2013, during the rehearsal of the National Symphony Orquestra, conducted by Maestro José Antonio Molina, at Altos de Chavón Amphitheatre for the Festival de Primavera, a new music program for the Hogar del Niño School´s School for hearing and speech impaired children was launched – with the intention to promote awareness all over the country.
This music program for hearing and speech impaired children of Hogar del Niño has been created by The Muse Seek Project-a nonprofit project run by the Dominican artist María Batlle,which aims to promote social awareness through the creation of artistic activities and digital movement in partnership with Music and the Deaf (UK) and with the collaboration of The Altos De Chavón School Of Design (DR) for the hearing and speech impaired community of the Dominican Republic.
[“Muse Seek Project” – sounds familiar? Originally the Muse Seek Project was an art exhibit presented by Maria Batlle at The Gallery in Altos de Chavón as part of the “Artists in Residence” exhibition. Click here to read more.]
During the launch of the project the children got, not only opportunity to meet the Dominican National Symphony Orchestra and Maestro José Antonio Molina, but also to play and experience the instruments during the rehearsal!
Each one of them played the Piano and also the Cello while the others placed their hands on it to feel the vibrations. This exercise was repeated with percussion and wind instruments.
The day ended with an individual interview in which each student expressed how they felt, trying to put into words something so unique, unknown and fascinating – all defined the experience with feelings of love and happiness.
This was a moment that began a change, the first steps along a road which will continue to change the minds of these children and of all Dominicans, replacing the word disability for capacity, turning plans into actions and dreams into reality.
This life-changing experience was possible thanks to the collaboration of amazing people like José Antonio Molina and the National Symphony Orchestra, Ana Pereyra, the Hogar del Niño and Casa de Campo. This is only the beginning!
Before the Muse Seek Project developed into this incredible not-for-profit project “promote social awareness through the creation of artistic activities and digital movements”, the Muse Seek Project was an art exhibit first showcased at The Gallery in Altos de Chavón.
A unique and fascinating combination of music, painting and poetry, it is easy to understand how the “Muse Seek Project” has continued to grow and develop…
The exhibit “Artists-In-Residence 2013″ officially opened on Thursday the 4th of April at The Gallery in Altos de Chavón and was presented by 4 very different artists from very different backgrounds; Maria Batlle from the Dominican Republic, Duncan Tonatiuh from Mexico, Altos de Chavón graduate Mildor Chevalier from Haiti and his wife, Saba Farhoudnia from Iran.
The Hogar del Niño is a children’s daycare and educational center for over 1500 children, located in La Romana town, just outside of Casa de Campo. Children from as young as just a few weeks old up to 18 years old are cared for and educated daily, from as early as 5:30am and staying as late as 7pm.
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