AMA - Associação Missionária Amanhecer

Fr. João Carlos Ribeiro, sdb (Brazil)

 

 

 

Evangelisation of the young has given rise to many different initiatives in the Salesian world. Those coordinating this event thought it might be interesting for me to share my experience with music with you.

 

Music has always been fertile ground for Salesian educational and pastoral activity. Don Bosco himself composed music for his young people, fostered bands, or choirs, especially with liturgical music. Early Salesian leadership captured well the importance of music in the formation of the young. It agreed with Don Bosco, that “a Salesian House without music is a body without a soul”.

 

 

The importance Salesians give to music in the educational setting was something I saw close up when I entered the aspirantate. I was in the aspirantate for around twelve years. My adolescent years were spent in a Salesian setting full of piety, sport, serious study, life in the playground, outings, feasts, music. Music was an important, valued and nurtured ingredient.

 

I learned to compose while I was still an aspirant. I perfected the art during the stages of formation. Then as a priest, fully occupied, composing and singing with communities, the Society of St Paul Sisters convinced me to get material ready for an LP. Once approved and cut, the first album came out and was distributed by the various Pauline Bookshops around the country. I wasn't giving shows or putting on singing performances. But people asked me to put on a show. Two years later I produced the second LP, then converted that to CD. By then, a little less afraid, I set up a band from young people in the communities I was at and set out to launch the CD with a show.

 

By 2009 we had put on some 1,500 shows. Over the last six years as Provincial, I had to reduce the number of presentations, but I kepT the work up, thanks to the understanding of my superiors and the confreres.

 

We were often on festival stages during this stage (wherever we went other non-religious groups might be performing), and we found ourselves facing the problem of not being able to control the organisational space, or sound quality, or we found ourselves working in situations that were poorly adapted to being close to the people (height of stage and so on, etc.). So the idea came of having a stage on wheels, a “mobile stage”: a structure that would give us more flexibility and quality in our presentations. The setting up of this project – a stage on wheels, a truck that could be turned into a stage – was done by a vehicle manufacturing firm based in São Paulo.

 

This truck-stage meant more flexibility in moving around to places and better quality in our presentations. On the stage, already almost completely fitted out there was: sound (the PA), lighting, screens, book store and study. We had a minibus to transport musicians and technicians.

 

At the beginning the band was made up of young people from communities I was working in at Caetés (Abreu and Lima). Bit by bit, the group became more proficient, the invitations came from further away and required greater professionalism of us.

 

Knowledge of my work spread geographically to the extent that I was able to be more involved with communications media, espeically through daily radio and TV programs on the national network.

 

 

I believe, that in the first place, it is an attempt to be closer to the poor and the young through a language was is accessible and involves them. The show is a language, a way of communicating which uses music and theatre as vehicles for the message. We are talking of a genre which is understood and appreciated by people, since it involves music, words, light, scenery, images and arouses feelings, involving the public in a complete way (body and mind). This genre, the “show” can be seen as the educator's warm and friendly approach to the people, the 'first step' that the Salesian has to take in a sympathetic and welcoming way when he meets the young and the poor.

 

 

Secondly, Salesianity is felt in this experience, through the message being proclaimed. In the songs and the short talk I introduce them with I try to speak of God's love and our Christian response in faith. Naturally, I try to create an educational process, beginning with songs that are more open, leading the public bit by bit to more clearly religious topics. I try, in the end, to arouse greater adherence to faith, greater love for the Church, a heart which is more generous and more friendly to others. I work on the stage in such a way that the message can reach hearts, without being imposed, without ambiguity and without setting myself up as a star. There are varied results, but as a minimum it is a beautiful experience of Christian faith and it leads to a more sympathetic view of Church. But at times there is more: prayer, a desire to change one's life, intense happiness at encountering God.

 

 

Thirdly, my view is that this experience develops something by way of the Salesian aspect of pedagogy. Going on stage, our first concern is closeness to the people (singer and musicians), be physically close to the public on stage, and try to integrate those in attendance. So I sing something that helps settle them in, I greet them and make them feel welcome, suggest that they sing along with me, I present the musicians... elements which can create an assembly, an experience of Christian community. this moment is not always easy, but without it the show becomes just a “show” (just a spectacle), when it could be an encounter of people in faith. In the following steps, the music speaks of encounter with God, of welcoming the Word, of conversion, of the love for one's neighbour... music, gestures, comments follow . In order not to lose the rhythm of involvement, I sing songs written by others also which could help greater participation and involvement to the extent that these are well-known songs. If I see signs of fatigue, or loss of attention by the public, I tell a joke or get them more involved with singing. In general, after two hours, people feel together and can then join in prayer or a moment of praise Because we want the message to be heard or seen later, we give them a web address and arrange for sale of CDs, DVDs and books I have written, available at popular prices and offered for sale in more than one place, including the book store in the truck.