Gothenburg, Sweden
CNN
—
Every Saturday, hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds gather in a church in Gothenburg, Sweden. They speak more than 20 languages and come not to worship, but to make music.
As they chat and tune their instruments, a smiling man enters and the energy rises. He greets everyone, steps up to the podium and raises his baton. At his command, music fills the room.
It’s an ensemble called the Dream Orchestra – the vision of Ron Davis Alvarez, an accomplished violinist, conductor and teacher. Since 2016, his free program has given hundreds of refugees, immigrants, at-risk young people and native Swedes the opportunity to learn an instrument, connect with others and enrich their lives.
For 38-year-old Alvarez, work is about much more than just music.
“An orchestra is like a Community – different people, different voices, different melodies. Everyone has their own role and they are all connected,” he said. “Imagine if the world functioned more like an orchestra. We would certainly have a better world.”
Alvarez grew up in the favelas of Caracas, Venezuela – dangerous slums plagued by drugs and violence. To help his family make ends meet, he started selling ice cream with his grandmother in elementary school at her home. Across the street was a branch of El Sistema, a globally recognized program that provides free classical music lessons to children from underserved communities. He was fascinated when he saw the students with their instruments – and then he heard the music.
“You could always hear one of the students playing the violin from the balcony,” he said. “I said, ‘I want to play that. … This instrument has a voice.'”
At the age of 10 he joined the group and this experience changed his life.
“I fell in love with music from the very first lesson,” he says. “For me, playing the violin is like electricity.”
He also appreciated the school’s inclusive philosophy.
“It didn’t matter if I was the guy selling ice cream in front of the school or the mayor’s son or daughter,” he said. “In the classroom, everyone was important.”
At 14 he was teaching, and at 16 he was conducting. His love of music helped him keep his goals in sight and stay out of trouble.
Eventually, Alvarez studied conducting at university and later worked for El Sistema, spreading the group’s innovative teaching methods around the world – even near the Arctic Circle, where he founded Greenland’s first youth orchestra. This work took him to Sweden for the first time in 2015.
Alvarez was in Stockholm when an unprecedented number of refugees arrived in the country, mostly from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. He was stunned by the crowds he saw at the city’s central train station.
“It was a shocking moment for me. They were completely lost,” he said. “I just thought, ‘What are they going to do?’ Everything was really dark. And I see in their eyes that they were looking for light.”
He knew he could help. The following year, he was hired by El Sistema Sweden and moved to Gothenburg, where he formed a music group for refugees in his spare time. He started with 13 students. Most had no musical training and spoke neither English nor Alvarez’s native Spanish – but he lent them instruments and began teaching them. He knew that making music together would help them make friends, express themselves and rebuild their self-esteem. He called the group the “Dream Orchestra” to highlight their potential.
“That’s the point of a music education for me,” he said. “It’s about giving you new opportunities to learn about life, about challenges, about dreams, about… connecting you with your soul.”
Eight years later, the program has more than 300 members ranging in age from 3 to 56 from more than 25 nationalities, Alvarez said. While many are immigrants and refugees, the group also includes many second-generation immigrants as well as native Swedes, including some who are nonbinary or trans. Connecting people from different backgrounds is central to Alvarez’s mission.
“You can’t have an orchestra just for refugees, because that’s segregation. You definitely have to include people from Sweden… We all have to learn from each other,” he said. “We are an orchestra for everyone.”
The group now offers weekly large ensemble rehearsals as well as beginners’ courses at three different locations in Gothenburg. Alvarez teaches in English, but since not everyone speaks it, he also communicates using numbers, colors, games and movement.
“I know that some of the children don’t understand what I’m saying. But they understand what I’m showing,” he said. “It’s an orchestra whose main language is music.”
Alvarez also understands that trying something new can be scary, especially for those adjusting to life in a new country. His optimistic attitude encourages everyone to take risks.
“I believe that in music you have to learn to believe in yourself,” he said. “To believe in yourself and to evolve through music, you have to make mistakes. Mistakes… make you strong.”
Most rehearsals involve people with varying levels of experience, so Alvarez encourages everyone to help each other.
“Tolerance, respect, compassion. We learn all of that when we play an instrument,” he said. “For us, it’s a goal… to take care of others.”
Community is a key part of what Alvarez is trying to create, especially for those who have recently arrived in Sweden and don’t have a social network. While playing games together helps students bond, the Swedish tradition of “fika” – basically a coffee break – also plays a crucial role.
“It’s a moment where we bond, and it helps us bond with everyone in the orchestra,” he said. “It’s a very important part of what we do. … We’re a family.”
Alvarez aims to foster an appreciation for other cultures by teaching students a wide range of works from around the world, including many of their home countries. He also teaches Swedish compositions so students can learn about their new home.
“The best way to get to know people’s culture is through music,” he said. “Everyone brings so much experience from their own country… things they can share but also learn.”
When students are struggling to make ends meet or are facing immigration issues, they often turn to Alvarez and other orchestra members for help. Alvarez and some members of his group help with housing, meals, and connecting them to outside resources and support. This is not a formal part of the Dream Orchestra’s work, but simply a result of the friendships that have been formed.
“If someone comes and says, ‘I have this problem,’ then we all have this problem,” Alvarez said.
For many members, the Dream Orchestra is truly a family and a home where they can learn, grow, connect, and find comfort.
One of those members is Olga Hushchyna. After fleeing Ukraine, she was happy to see her 8-year-old son Andrii join the Dream Orchestra and was thrilled to learn that she could join and learn the violin as well. She says the group helped them rebuild their lives through friendship and music.
“After such great stress, it brings us back to life. We really heal and receive medicine,” she said. “Life doesn’t stop. Life goes on.”
Mushtaq Hansson-Khorsand came from Afghanistan without family when he was just 16. As a hip-hop fan, he had no interest in joining Alvarez’s group, but when he saw how happy the musicians were, he changed his mind. Today, he is 25 and still comes every week to play the flute. He says he feels most comfortable in the Dream Orchestra.
“You are welcome, whoever you are, no matter where you come from,” he said. “That’s why you feel safe. You can be yourself.”
Hansson-Khorsand says he would not have been able to adjust to life in Sweden without the group’s financial and emotional support. Today he is married with a young son and is working as a refugee to find work. Alvarez is helping him prepare for his music studies.
“My only goal right now is to teach other people music – to teach them what I’ve learned,” he said. “We’re going to change the world with music. … That’s what I learned from Ron.”
Alvarez wants others to emulate his work. He has supported programs in refugee camps in the West Bank and Greece, and is working to do the same in Ukraine. Ultimately, he hopes groups like Dream Orchestra will help people overcome difficulties and find joy in life and connection with others.
“This orchestra offers more than just notes. This orchestra offers something for the soul,” he said. “Music connects us. Dream Orchestra is a dream, but a dream come true.”
Would you like to join? Check out the Dream Orchestra website and see how you can help.
To donate to Dream Orchestra via GoFundMe, Click here
