The Beat Brigade

It was after 8 pm when we pulled up to Taru Boys Secondary School. Five of us had come from a larger group that was visiting Taru as part of a  Kenya Keys trip. Stumbling through the dark, we followed the beautiful sounds of singing voices, searching for the correct classroom. As we entered the room, one flickering lightbulb was working hard to light the large space and provided just enough light for us to see a cockroach scurry across the cement floor. The air was hot and sticky as we found a few unused chairs and settled in. In front of us stood about 45 teenage boys, many still in their school uniforms, standing in two rows. They stopped singing to greet us with friendly smiles - "Feel most welcome!" - the friendly invitation you hear so often from the warm, Kenyan people. 

We were invited to hear this rehearsal by 27 year old Nelson Tangai - a sharp and outgoing young man that was sponsored through his education by Kenya Keys and now works for the organization as a mentorship leader. He and 3 other Kenya Keys alumni spend their days teaching high school students important life skills - decision making, problem solving, how to avoid drugs, responsible sexual behavior, and other lessons to support them in being successful in life. He felt highly impacted by the training he received through Kenya Keys, and is passionate about passing it on to current students. In his free time Nelson volunteers conducting this choir late into the evening simply because he loves music and wants to offer that opportunity to these young teens. Like many Africans, Nelson has music in his soul and spends much of his life singing enthusiastically as he goes about his days. I am struck by his courage and ambition to take on the conducting of such a large group, having had only a few years of non-formal music training himself! At the time we visited, the choir was preparing for a regional level music competition, having already passed the sub-county and county levels, and we felt fortunate to have the chance to listen to them practice.

Nelson paced back and forth as they sang, snapping and waving his arms to keep them on beat. He periodically stopped, belted out the correct notes, and the boys would repeat the phrase several times until Nelson was satisfied with their improvement. While Nelson does have the written music to the songs, the boys don’t read music and learn the selections entirely by ear. It is incredible to hear how well they manage the syncopation and varying rhythms, and how they blend their parts beautifully together, without ever having seen the written music. I’m amazed at how Nelson wisely exposes them to a wide assortment of musical styles, from pop songs in Swahili, to traditional African tribal pieces, a sweet Irish song in English, and even one of Nelson’s own compositions.

As I listen to their voices ring out varying melodies that night, I am deeply touched to watch their faces and hear them sing from the heart. These are not rambunctious teenage boys that are teasing each other and goofing off while a teacher unsuccessfully attempts to corral them. These are boys whose lives have been profoundly affected by poverty, many of whom have lost one or both parents at a young age, who endure relentless hunger day after day and don't know if their future will ever look any brighter. I feel grateful to know that Kenya Keys is offering many of them the gift of education - providing them the hope of opportunity, and something to work for. I also consider how little they have in their days to simply bring them enjoyment, contrasted with our first-world society and the emphasis on immediate pleasure and indulgence. Nelson's efforts to sing with these boys goes much deeper than providing musical training. In addition to learning discipline from working on their songs, and gaining a sense of pride as they pass each competitive level, it offers them something to look forward to in the evenings, an opportunity to gather with other peers experiencing the same impoverished life, and connect through the joy and power of music. Often the songs we learn in our childhood stay with us throughout our lives, and as I listen to them sing I find myself hoping that one day each of these remarkable boys will have the chance to go to college, discover that life does in fact have bright experiences to offer, and as Nelson does - go about their days joyfully singing these same tunes they learned together years ago, in a dimly lit classroom of their youth. 

Update: A few weeks after returning home from our trip, Nelson reached out to let us know that they had done well at the regional competition and been invited to sing at a national level music festival in early August! Those of us who were fortunate to hear them were eager to support and follow this once-in-a-lifetime adventure for the boys. Nelson’s words about the experience portray how meaningful it was for each of them:

“Hello team; thank you so much for cheering us as we were on this amazing journey in Music. We are now on our way back home (a 2-day journey) from the Nationals with the boys having been exposed to a more engaging, competitive and a big platform for them to showcase their talents…. For the team the journey has been one-of-a-kind, full of lessons to make us compete even more better next year. Taru boys being an Extra County Level school had the chance, for the first time, to compete with National Schools in choral music, it was a big stage viewed Nation wide. Apart from the competitions the team had a chance to: 1) Visit the Great Rift Valley for lunch, 2) Get matching t-shirts, and 3) A Joint meal to mark the end of this year's Music Festivals Competitions, all this having been facilitated by the support you gave us. We are grateful.”

Way to go Nelson and Taru Boys! We can’t wait to follow your journey next year!