ABA & GLP | Innovation Field Notes
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? If that tree is anything like the Tokyo White Hands Chorus in Japan, it definitely won’t go unnoticed — even if felled by COVID-19. In 2017, inspired by its Venezuelan counterpart Coro de Manos Blancas, El Sistema Japan (ESJ) established the Tokio White Hands Chorus (TWHC). It is designed to provide children with diverse needs access to enriching musical education and experiences through self-expression and inclusive interaction. Initially, the choir was established for deaf and aurally impaired children, who ‘sing’ by means of an expressive musical sign language that they developed together with specialized tutors. The next year, ESJ also welcomed children with blindness and visual impairment. Now, truly becoming a socially inclusive choral group, TWHC actively invites any child who likes singing, to enjoy music with people from different backgrounds — regardless of disability.
This past year, as the cultural sector globally continues to suffer the consequences of COVID-related shutdowns and scalebacks, TWHC staff have reviewed their online teaching approach to suit children with socially diverse backgrounds. Online lessons, particularly for the pupils with disabilities, have proven to be an effective tool for continued musical development. These lessons are tailored to allow the children to listen (or look) more carefully to their own voices or hands while working in smaller groups. Though challenged by the lack of physical gatherings, musical motivation has been kept high by successfully participating in video productions for projects such as the Global Ode to Joy project by Google Arts & Culture. TWHC continues its mission to offer music as a medium for social integration and mental development through an education programme that implements a culture of joy and peer-learning alongside excellence. In doing so, ESJ contributes to a wider ambition in Japan of realizing a society with an inclusive mindset.
Authored by GLP 2022 Cohort members
Benjamin Bayl (Australia & Hungary), Zinia Chan (Australia), Brendan Jan Walsh (Netherlands)
