Daraja Music Initiative at CAC: ft Gary Sperl

We were pleased to host Daraja Music Initiative (DMI) all the way from Moshi this week for our regular show in the CAC performance hall. DMI began as Clarinets for Conservation, teaching clarinet to young people in Moshi as well as planting Mpingo trees, from which you get the hard black wood to carve clarinets. It is a very slow-growing tree, and as the demand is high, it is becoming scarce. In 2015 they expanded to include violin lessons as well, and they all came to the CAC to perform on the main stage, side by side with the professional performers of the CAC. 

The CAC's connection with the DMI is through Gary Sperl, a professional clarinetist from the USA who has been coming to the music department at Tumaini University Makumira to volunteer for 10 years. He is currently here  in Tanzania teaching woodwind, music business and outreach at Uraki Secondary School.

DMI have also generously donated 50 mpingo trees to be planted on the CAC grounds. Some are now one year old and as tall as Gary!

For more information about DMI you can find them here: http://www.darajamusicinitiative.org/

gary sperl with a one year old mpingo tree