A sound that changes everything

An interview with Girge Glock by Paul Klahre

We interviewed Girge Glock, a former volunteer with Brass for Africa in Uganda in 2016, to travel back almost ten years to the beginnings of the Root Brass Band. An exclusive insight into the development of one the unique programs of Root Foundation, which Girge remembers above all for its enthusiasm and joy.

Girge, you did a voluntary service in Uganda in 2016 and also took part in a Brass for Africa project during that time. How did that come about?

I was actually working in a school. Hoping to be able to make music in Uganda, I had also brought my trumpet with me. At Brass for Africa in Kampala, I was able to make music with others.

...and then you thought it would be great if there was also a Brass for Africa project in Rwanda?

Yes, relatively quickly. I knew that Brass for Africa also existed in other places and countries. Since I had a personal connection to Rwanda and knew about a country partnership between the German State Rhineland-Palatinate and Rwanda, I considered expanding the project there. I discussed the idea with the founder of Brass for Africa, who supported the idea of going to Rwanda and proposing a suitable project for a new brass band there.

How did you find out about Root Foundation?

If I remember correctly, I actually found Root Foundation through a website. Quite naively, I simply wrote to them to ask if I could come by to take a look at the project. And by chance, I got hold of you, Paul, and you said to come straight over – at the time, you were organising a huge sports day [the Children’s Sports Day 2016 with almost 1,000 participants from 10 different organisations] at the national Amahoro Stadium. It was very impressive. I also remember a very famous musician who was there and who the children and young people were absolutely thrilled to see. We talked about a possible collaboration, and shortly afterwards I drove to the Root Foundation centre.

And then you wrote a report to Brass for Africa suggesting various suitable organisations. Why did you recommend Root Foundation in particular as a partner?

As I recall, I strongly recommended Root Foundation because it was a good personal fit and the organisation was in a good transitional phase. You could tell that a lot of heart and soul had gone into it. That people were putting a lot of their free time and commitment into this organisation, even beyond the norm. And that was a nice appeal, in contrast to more professionally or commercially run NGOs. They do great work too, but they were already more established.

At the same time, it wasn’t a project that was just getting started, but one where you could assume that children would enjoy coming regularly to take advantage of the program activities. My impression was that Brass for Africa, i. e. teaching and playing brass instruments, could really add something to this offering. At the same time, there was a certain structure that was strongly linked to this emotional commitment. I thought it was the perfect combination, and I believe it has proven itself in the long run.

It has indeed: today, over 140 children and young people are part of the Root Brass Bands, which have three different levels. Back when you started, did you think the project would be so successful?

No, not at all. Of course, I hoped that there would be a band. And my fear was that we would run out of funds. But perhaps also simply that the motivation to keep this project going in the long term would wane. Of course, there are certain organisational costs involved. You have to provide teachers, you have to rehearse together regularly. Maintaining the instruments is also not easy. Then, of course, there is a certain amount of noise pollution. So there are a number of obstacles to the long-term viability of this project. I hoped that the project would continue in the long term – especially with so many children and now so many different levels. Now it is really great to see that the project is being run completely independently by Root Foundation and Brass for Africa.

Let’s move on to one of my favourite memories. Back then in 2016, I was volunteering at Root Foundation, and you visited us and brought a trumpet to the center for the first time. Various children – most of whom had probably never seen a trumpet before – then tried to produce a sound. At first, nothing happened, but when they succeeded and the centre was filling with sound, cheers and joy erupted.

I can still remember it well, especially because I was so excited that I could hardly get a sound out of the trumpet myself. And the children went in without any inhibitions, just gave it a try. That’s the beauty of the trumpet: at the beginning, it’s quite a hurdle to learn and even get a sound out of it. The funny sounds that came out were an amusing and delightful side effect, which also showed that these moments are just as much a part of it as the finished piece. I think that music in general – and perhaps brass music in particular – contributes significantly to the fascination and enthusiasm for it through its ability to create beautiful and touching moments.

Besides the joy, what else is there? Why is playing ­music together and learning music so valuable for ­personal ­development, and what skills does it promote?

There are many good qualities that instruments and brass music train us in. Calm breathing, the ability to concentrate, teamwork, giving and receiving criticism, and working on a project over the long term. Brass instruments in particular require a lot of daily practice. You learn to deal with emotions and, especially in situations where it is difficult to remain calm, to take a deep breath and then play your instrument. I believe that a healthy mix of all these skills, combined with the ability to share wonderful experiences together, is what makes a band and playing music together so special.

This skills training in a group setting is all the more special in a context where there are not many opportunities for open youth work and non-formal education. Brass for Africa also aims to train future music teachers who can then teach groups themselves. Why is this such an interesting and important aspect?

It is a great idea for a variety of reasons, I think. First of all, it is obviously an important learning aspect for those who want to become teachers. You learn a lot when you stand in front of a group, have to articulate yourself, and perhaps explain something complex in a very simple way. If you want to inspire people over a longer period of time and maintain the concentration of the entire group, you need various skills that will help you grow enormously as a person. At the same time, it is also very beneficial and motivating for the band when teachers emerge from within its own ranks – because you already know each other to a certain extent and benefit from this familiar interaction.

It is also an opportunity to set yourself a goal and achieve it step by step. In the process, you develop the ability to stick with something over the long term – and learn that perseverance pays off. Finally, there is also the aspect of sustainability. It is very important that these bands have the opportunity to do their own thing. And that also means allowing them to become independent, giving them the opportunity to teach and encourage each other.

In Rwanda, the Root Brass Band has already made some notable appearances – for example, in front of the ­Ministry of Youth and Culture, at AIDS awareness days, ­TEDxKids and live on Rwanda’s most important ­television ­channel. Why are such experiences particularly special for young musicians?

On the one hand, it is the setting. These are simply doors opening that would have otherwise remained shut, and it is a very special form of recognition for the achievements made. On the other hand, there are goals. A band like this thrives on enjoying spending time together. And it often helps when you realise that you are working towards something, that you can achieve these wonderful experiences together with a lot of hard work and dedication. The emotional level is a very important aspect: sharing wonderful experiences, feeling free in a really stressful situation and realising that even stressful situations, where you are standing in front of lots of people, appearing on television, can generate an incredible sense of purpose and self-efficacy. That is a valuable aspect of being able to perform in front of an audience.

The Root Brass Band started in 2019 and has since celebrated a number of successes, including a growing number of participants and high-profile performances... But it wasn’t so obvious at the beginning, because after your first visit and all the initial enthusiasm, there was a lot to organise: where did the instruments come from, for example?

The instruments come mainly from Germany, and ­Sandro Hirsch deserves a lot of credit for that. Sandro is a good friend of mine and a professional trumpet player. When I suggested supporting this project, he was very enthusiastic and not only played in benefit concerts himself, but also took on a lot of the organisational work. Among other things, he made sure that used instruments were collected via online appeals and friends. These instruments were then taken to Kigali via the Rhineland-­Palatinate/Rwanda partnership association. That is how the first instruments arrived at Root Foundation.

Were there moments during the entire organisation and planning process when you thought: This isn’t going to work. Were there moments of doubt?

There were moments when I wasn’t sure whether the way I had organised things was the best approach. But there was not a single moment when I doubted the project in itself. And that was mainly thanks to other people involved in putting this concert together, i. e. you, Sandro, Elias Laub, and other friends, who were incredibly enthusiastic. And this concert project in particular was not only a fundraising project, but also a wonderful moment of togetherness in Germany. And this opportunity to organise a benefit concert with friends meant that I never doubted that it would happen.

Will there be another charity concert like this?

That’s still up in the air. I’m not quite as active at the moment, or rather, I haven’t been active at all in recent years. That was a conscious decision, because I wanted and still want the band not to be dependent on what we do or what we want, but rather the opposite: that we are dependent on what the band wants and what the band does. And I can well imagine that if the band wants to take on certain organisational tasks or get involved in some way, I would do so. But at the same time, it’s important to me that the band is independent in what it wants and what it does.

Despite the undeniably positive influence of Brass for Africa – on the musicians who have been playing since 2019, as well as on their environment and the up to 500 children and young people who come to the centre every day and benefit indirectly – it is worth taking a more critical look. Isn't it problematic that the Root Brass Band initially mainly studied Western music? That we in the West or ›Global North‹ have shipped instruments to Rwanda and, by doing so, more or less exported this idea?

I find that incredibly problematic, and I had some remorse with this from the beginning. I said I never doubted organising a benefit concert like this – you never know if enough money will be raised. But what I did have a lot of doubts about was whether it made sense and was a good idea to introduce this particular form of music. Rwanda in particular has a wonderful music and dance culture. Root Foundation has always offered the opportunity to learn traditional dance and music. And my fear or concern was rather that a brass band might overshadow this musical commitment to a certain extent, precisely because a brass band is such a special feature in Rwanda.There are very few opportunities to learn such instruments. And this form of cultural imperialism, whereby mainly British pieces are played, given that brass bands also have a certain Western military British history, is something I still find very, very questionable. But I believe, and this goes back to what I said at the very beginning, that despite all this, children and young people should simply enjoy making music. And the opportunity to play a brass instrument or any instrument does not mean that you have to do it the way someone in Germany or England would do it. My hope and my greatest wish is that new ways of making music with these instruments will be found, that people will use these instruments as a mouthpiece to express their own culture. And I believe that this clearly outweighs the critical aspects by creating an opportunity and opening up the possibility of making it your own.

The Root Brass Band – which I saw live in Rwanda in ­December 2023 – has its own unique way of interpreting various pieces, even if these are traditional Western and British imperialist pieces. This is true both when playing from sheet music and when playing freely. As a musician, you know that every band and every group develops its own sound and its own unique dynamic. I agree that it reflects a global power relationship. This critical view and abstract analysis does not, however, change the fact that it is an absolute gain for everyone who participates in it and is also simply loved by all involved.

To share another personal experience: Once, I received a video via WhatsApp in which the band played a piece I didn’t know and also drummed along to it. I was pretty sure it came from Rwandan culture. That moment made me very happy because I realised that it works: the band does its own thing and develops in a way that expresses itself and not what others have thought up.

And then it almost becomes a mutual learning experience again, because culture is always an exchange and a blending of ideas and identities. And now we also have the great opportunity to hear interpretations that we don’t get to hear here in Germany, but which can also be very special and exciting in their own way. And that makes it totally interesting.

Do you have a vision of how the Root Brass Band can contribute to raising awareness and mutual learning in Germany through our partnership?

I believe it is already making a contribution through its highly publicised performances. When I am able to notice something like that, others notice it almost certainly. And in that respect, I do believe that the mere existence of the band facilitates a certain exchange. Of course, it would be nice if this exchange could be intensified on a very personal level. There are school and student exchanges in both directions. And it would be nice if music could also play an increasingly important role in these exchanges so that we can learn from Rwandan music culture.

Thank you very much for your commitment. Without this commitment, and this can be said clearly and appreciatively, there would be no Root Brass Band today.

There is one thing I would very much like to mention: I am the one giving this interview now, but I was neither the main character nor a supporting character. The protagonists were above all others who were enthusiastic and who drove this project forward. And I think it’s important to point out that the project only came about because so many people believed in it, found it interesting, and put their motivation, time, organisational skills and money into it. And I think that’s also part of what makes Root Foundation so special, that there is so much commitment to these projects on both the German and Rwandan sides.

What message would you like to send to the Root Brass Band, what do you wish for them?

I wish the Root Brass Band all the best. I hope they have lots and lots of fun and that they can convey this joy to themselves and others. I’ve already emphasised this several times, but I think it’s really important that the band does its own thing, that it expresses itself, its culture, its desires, its joy, its very personal emotions and personalities through its instruments.

Listen in: This QR code takes you to a video of Root Foundation playing »Silent Night« during their first exchange meeting with the Rwanda Rocks Music School.

Pictures: Emmanuel ­Hakizimana