Keys of Change is an organisation committed to making a positive impact in communities worldwide through the transformative power of music. With diverse musical projects around the globe, from the depths of the Amazon rainforest to slum communities in India, tsunami-stricken Fukushima (Japan), and victims of abandonment, neglect, violence and child trafficking at a children’s home in Ghana, Keys of Change uses music to change the lives of young people, making the future hopeful, happier and brighter.
We change the world, with music!
Through music education and mentorship programs provided to those who would not otherwise have such opportunities, Keys of Change is making a difference improving the lives of countless young people living in adverse circumstances, providing them with the tools to develop their creativity, self-expression, self-confidence and self-worth. The organisation’s musical projects not only foster artistic excellence, but also bring communities together, promote cultural exchange, and create opportunities for social change. With the support of dedicated staff, volunteers, community partners, private and public donations, Keys of Change is inspiring young musicians, creating meaningful connections, and building a world where everyone has access to the transformative power of music.
Chennai, India
In January 2020 the Chennai Youth Sinfonietta (CYS) was born out of the partnership between Keys of Change and Musée Musical Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation based in Chennai dedicated to promoting the performing arts and sharing the same Keys of Change mission to inspire, empower, and use music to change lives.
Following an extremely successful launch in October 2022, as well as holding auditions for new members, the musicians of the CYS continued their musical development throughout 2023, coached by Keys of Change musicians online and in person. The CYS put together an extraordinary performance on December 11, 2023, where the stage became a canvas for a mesmerising fusion of talent and dedication. This was truly a night to remember!
The orchestra, comprising 30 exceptionally talented young musicians, mostly from humble backgrounds, radiated passion and dedication as they graced the stage. Their overarching goal of using music to spread positivity throughout the city was palpable in every note. The carefully curated repertoire, featuring masterpieces such as Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, was flawlessly executed, leaving the audience in awe. The CYS got a standing ovation — their first standing ovation, the first time perhaps in their lives that they felt the results of their hard work were seen, recognised, applauded, admired.
One of the highlights of the evening was witnessing the debut performance of 15-year-old pianist Raga Varshini, a testament to the incredible talent Chennai has to offer. The collaborative efforts of Keys of Change teachers, who had been diligently coaching the orchestra for the previous two years (including throughout the pandemic), were evident in the seamless coordination and musical finesse displayed.
This first-of-its-kind youth orchestra in Chennai creates an inclusive and safe environment and unique platform for young music students in Chennai to learn from and share the stage, performing side-by-side with international teachers, mentors and performers, inspiring and empowering them through the transformative power of music.
As we look to the future, the Chennai Youth Sinfonietta, with its roots deeply embedded in the vision to inspire and empower young musicians, is poised to continue changing lives not only in Chennai but throughout Tamil Nadu. Musée Musical Foundation and Keys of Change remain totally dedicated to creating an ecosystem where the highest endeavour of human achievement, the arts, thrives.
Keys of Change:
Wherever Keys of Change goes to perform, it sets up and funds musical education projects, working in conjunction with local music teachers:
Cerritos (Ecuador)
In 2021, responding to a request from local community representatives from the village of Cerritos, located deep in the mountains of the Ecuadorian Andes, Keys of Change launched a new programme in Ecuador involving 20 young people. This group had been dreaming of creating a wind and brass band in order to preserve their unique culture and ancestral traditions.
With the help of Keys of Change, including six teachers from inside and outside Ecuador, and the logistical support of local partners, the Dulcepamba Project and the Condor Trust for Education, this dream is now a reality.
On 20th of October 2023, the culmination of dreams and dedication unfolded in a magical concert. This public performance marked a significant milestone for these talented young musicians. The development of the band in Cerritos has given a sense of unity, pride and hope to all the participants and to the community overall. As well as helping better sustain the sense of identity and preserving vanishing traditions through music, the band has given an opportunity to its members to expand their horizons and look at new possibilities for the future, many having expressed a desire to become music teachers and a wish to share their musical traditions with other parts of Ecuador.
Chennai (India)
At the start of October 2022, after delivering many, many Skype lessons throughout the pandemic, Keys of Change, with the support of Musée Musical Foundation, launched the Chennai Youth Sinfonietta in India. The young musicians from all backgrounds, but particularly those contending with difficulties in life, performed a programme at Vani Mahal (Chennai) before an audience of 500 and, despite it being their first time on a public stage, received a standing ovation!
Oaxaca (Mexico)
With the guidance of a dedicated local music teacher, a music school was established and, since 2017, the aspirations of young people residing on the outskirts of the city, adjacent to the landfill, seeking refuge from the harsh reality of their environmental challenges of drugs, violence, and poverty through music by forming the Banda de la Música, have been nurtured and supported by Keys of Change. Keys of Change has facilitated the presence of two dedicated teachers, ensuring that over 60 hours of classes are conducted monthly and the Banda de la Música has since evolved into the Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil Santa Cecilia. The Keys of Change programme in Oaxaca currently supports the musical education of 60 such young students.
No longer regarded as children of the rubbish dump, the motto of this community is now: - "While Oaxaca gives us their garbage, we give them back music"!
Accra (Ghana)
Working with (local partner) Kinder Paradise (a home for children escaping harsh and deprived backgrounds) since 2019, Keys of Change teachers commune daily with the children, offering personalised music lessons that transcend the boundaries of traditional instruction.
Beyond nurturing musical prowess, these sessions serve as transformative opportunities, fostering confidence, a profound sense of self-worth, leadership skills, and collaboration among the students.
Fukushima (Japan)
This has culminated in the founding of the Fukushima Youth Sinfonietta and up to fifty young Japanese musicians travelling to perform concerts at the:
World Youth Sinfonietta
In January 2021, Keys of Change founded the World Youth Sinfonietta (publishing, via social media, its debut performance - Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ from Symphony No. 9), as a way of (safely online) enabling young music students from five countries of the world, living in difficult circumstances, but inspired, empowered and motivated by music, to unite and share their message of hope and joy and play music together, in spite of and as a lifeline through the pandemic.
We align with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:
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