Instruments Bring Joy to Salvadoran Youth

By: Betsy Johnson

Instruments of Joy is a nonprofit organization that provides quality musical instruments to people in need. Their generous donation of dozens of instruments has allowed us to share the gift of music with those who would otherwise not have the opportunity to learn how to play an instrument.

In March 2021, Instruments of Joy donated 5 instruments to the Latin America Team: a mandolin, guitar, bass guitar, acoustic electric, and a synth keyboard. Betsy Johnson sat down with two members of the Latin America team, Mathew Parker (lead manager) and Rafael Reyes (member and professional musician), to discuss how the team distributed the donated instruments, the opportunities they will create, and why we have chosen to prioritize music education in El Salvador.

Betsy: What purpose does music serve in the lives of the youth that we serve?

Kenia, an intern with G.O.D. Int’l Latin America, is in her mid 20s and very gifted in the realm of food production. She currently develops solutions for our farm as well as for local farmers that strengthen the soil and prevent pest invasion without the use of costly chemical fertilizers and pesticides. She also loves music and wants to learn how to play and sing and express herself in ways that are new for her but healthy for the growth and development of her faith.

Matthew: The arts are a part of God’s creative work in the world. For our youth in El Salvador, instruments are used on a basic level for self-expression and musical capacity development. Disciplines like learning a musical instrument is a good skill for anyone to learn. But for us this also includes the spiritual discipline of worship. We have a spiritual emphasis for learning to play a guitar for example, to most often use these for times of worship and prayer. They can do this individually but also together as a group on campus for corporate times of worship. Enhancing their spirituality and connecting them with God is the purpose music serves in their lives.

Rafael: Music is an outlet for our students. It gives them a way to express themselves. Sometimes there is no need for words and sometimes you can’t find the right words to say. In those moments, grabbing an instrument and communicating something you feel inside of you becomes possible.

I’ve witnessed how instruments help students process through rough circumstances. They often do not have something to help them cope with their moment, at least not something that is helpful. There are always outlets that aren’t healthy but giving them a musical outlet can prevent them from turning to damaging ones that will cause them harm. Music is such a better alternative.

Betsy: How accessible are instruments to youth in rural El Salvador?

Rafael: Guitars are not accessible. Even though they are the most common instrument to be found. For them, it’s not. If they do have a guitar, they are very beaten up. The strings are rusty. They don’t have cases to protect them. Guitars aren’t even accessible in the schools. It is not something that’s a priority. Teaching the arts is not a priority. It’s not a part of the curriculum in public schools. It’s not that the instruments aren’t available, but there are not instructors or programs available. Some schools have band instruments for their festivals, but even then they don’t have teachers to teach students to play.

If people could know how impactful it can be, they would give it more attention. This is why we prioritize the opportunity on our campus. I’ve seen and witnessed how music helps students so much. It affects the way they see themselves and others, and the way they experience life just by learning an instrument.

In contrast to the inaccessibility of instruments and music education in rural El Salvador, Matthew explains the availability of musical instruments to our students and local youth on our campus.

Matthew: 24/7 on our campus! We have set times to have worship practice and worship services. We work with all of our interns that live on campus and give them an opportunity to learn the skill. But we also open up the opportunity to other youth in the area that are interested.

Gaby is a recent high school graduate and an intern in our youth program in El Salvador. She is joining the student band as a singer but also as a player now that she has more opportunity to practice music. In our intern program we provide weekly time slots for the practice of music, writing, acting, and other creative outlets.

Betsy: What are some positive impacts that have resulted from the worship band?

Matthew: It’s a revelation for a person when they learn that they can connect with God through something like music, and they don't need another person as an intermediary. The youth we work with aren’t often invited into many moments like this. The evangelical message preached to them is about saving their souls. It's not a message encouraging them to connect and have an expression with God. This opportunity gives them an alternative voice.

Rafael: (Laughing) Recently I have been very impressed with their ability to clap on beat!

I’ve seen how the students are able to connect with the Lord and even with one another having times of sincere worship. I’ve been a witness of how free they experience these moments. Compared to our first youth conference when they tried to lead worship and were completely lost and didn’t know what they were doing, until now, is a miracle. But it’s never been about the music or the technique. It’s been about acknowledging how they could connect with the Lord together, through worship.

The LA Team’s music program provides rural youth with access to instruments both for the purpose of personal development and to collaborate in youth led bands for bible study/worship events that we host monthly. These worship times are deepening as they connect with God through song and playing instruments.

It’s been a development in process where they’ve learned how to engage the Lord and one another. They used to be shy and hesitant but not anymore! It may not be the best rehearsed song or the most in tune, but it’s sincere. Musicians like myself can often become too picky with the technical side of music. But not these students. It’s not an obstacle for them. They enjoy it so much and it’s authentic.

Betsy: Do you have a personal success story or testimony from our students?

Matthew: One of our current interns loves to play the guitar and lead worship. A few years ago, he experienced a life-threatening medical emergency. His recovery was challenging. He struggled mentally. His love for music empowered and enabled him to endure that situation. It really boosted his confidence and gave him life during a dark season.

Rafael: Every time we send teams to El Salvador, we make time for music. We invest into the youth and teach them new skills and spend time answering their questions. We’ve done structured classes but we also work with them on a very personal level. They understand that the skills they develop (with music) they are responsible to share with others. Music can often become knowledge to people and they don’t realize they can invest in someone else. But because they have experienced people investing into them, it's become an example that they are starting to follow.

We are grateful for Instruments of Joy for providing the instruments that have allowed our team to open up all the opportunities for personal, interpersonal, and skill development amongst our youth. As Rafael and Mathew explained, the Latin America Team has done more than just give away instruments, they have used them as a means to educate and encourage. That’s a value we have as an organization: We don’t just give, we empower. It’s the difference between just giving someone an instrument and giving someone the gift of using it to make music.