In the Aisne, the children’s orchestra of the Demos project will play at the Philarmonie de Paris

On June 18, the little musicians of the Demos project orchestra will be, like grown-ups, on the stage of the Philarmonie de Paris. In the Aisne, children from the communes of Saint-Quentin and Gauchy are part of this great musical adventure. In the meantime, it’s time for the last rehearsals. “I can’t wait to be at the Philharmonic because we’re going to be on TV and then I find it cool to be in front of an audience”, rejoices Roxane, flautist, even if she admits to being “stressed”.

A pressure that is justified because three years ago, these young people did not, for the most part, know anything about music. They joined the Musical and Orchestral Educational Device with a Social Purpose (Demos) in 2019.

Demos was created in 2010 to democratize instrumental practice in orchestras. It is aimed primarily at children in the suburbs and rural areas. A public often removed from musical practice for social, economic or geographical reasons. This national program is coordinated by the Cité de la Musique – Philarmonie de Paris. It now has more than 50 active orchestras throughout France.

The instruments are lent to the children for three years, which corresponds to the duration of the apprenticeship. The young musicians take free four hours of lessons per week in groups of fifteen, courses during the school holidays. Every six weeks, they rehearse in a symphony orchestra which brings together a hundred children. An organization which, unfortunately, has been disrupted for the past two years by the health crisis. And after these three years of musical immersion, some join a music school. But not all as Habby regrets. “I don’t really want to leave Demos because we’re not all going to end up at the conservatory”, explains the young clarinetist. According to statistics from the Demos program, half of the children would continue their activity.