VOA慢速英语:巴拉圭儿童用废品玩音乐

Last week, musicians from around the world gathered in Texas for the Southby Southwest film and music festival. Perhaps the most unusual performers at the event were a group of teenagers from Paraguay. Their musicalinstruments were made of trash – objects that had been thrown away. Thebody of a cello, for example, is made from an old oil can. The neck of the cellois a piece of old wood. In fact, every instrument these young musicians usecomes from recycled trash.

The performers come from a poor neighborhood in Cateura, Paraguay. Theneighborhood is near a garbage dump, or landfill.

Sixteen-year-old Ada Rios has been playing violin for four years.

“When I entered the music school, the instrument that I liked the most was theviolin and I have never been sorry for choosing it.”

Music teacher Favio Chavez thought of the idea for the group several yearsago. With help from the community and money from outsiders, he started theRecycled Instrument Orchestra of Cateura.

The orchestra plays many kinds of music. But Mr. Chavez says classicalmusic is the most important because it requires musicians to work hard andfollow rules.

“It is a value that is fundamental. Without discipline it is very difficult to playclassical music.”

Alejandra Amarilla is a Paraguayan who lives in the United States. She madea documentary film about the orchestra. The film, called “Landfill Harmonic,”played at the South by Southwest festival.

“Unfortunately, these children live in a community near the landfill. That is theirreality. But through music they are transcending their own environment. Theyare traveling, they are getting education.”

To get the money to finish the film, producers put a short video or “teaser” of the orchestra on the Internet. The online teaser helped raise money for the filmand the orchestra.

“After the teaser came out, a lot of people came through and donated from allover the world…donated instruments for them. So now they do have someformal instruments, but they keep playing with the recycled instrumentsbecause it is sort of their message to the world.”

She says the film and the young musicians show the power of humandetermination to get past difficulties.

“Out of a need, they created something beautiful.”

The “Landfill Orchestra" won an audience response award at the South bySouthwest festival.

I’m Jonathan Evans.

VOA Correspondent Greg Flakus prepared this story. Adam Brock wrote it forLearning English. The editor was George Grow.

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Words in the Story

landfill – n. an area where waste is buried under the ground

fundamental – n. forming or relating to the most important part of something

discipline – n. control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders beobeyed and punishing bad behavior

donate – v. to give (money, food or clothes) in order to help a person ororganization

determination – n. a quality that makes you continue trying to do or achievesomething that is difficult