World-class violinist David France plays in the subway in downtown Boston to raise money for his after-school program, Revolution of Hope, in Roxbury.
The student who are a part of Revolution of Hope do not have it easy—they practice for three hours every day after school. Their instructor, David France, is a world-class violinist who pushes them every day to be their best. And they love it.
“When I’m playing music, I feel like I’m myself, and I’m in a better place than I was before,” one student said.
The program was inspired by El Sistema, a Venezuelan organization that teaches over 400,000 kids in poverty-stricken areas to transform their lives. And that is exactly what it is doing here.
“My dreams for my students is no less than the dreams they have for themselves,” France says. “My dream is to open the door for other dreamers. […] I provide the platform, and then they take themselves wherever they want to go.”
The students learn more than just how to play an instrument—they learn self-confidence.
“Music is calming,” says one of the program’s sponsors, Betty Neal Crutcher. “Music brings peace—music brings hope.
To help fund the program, France plays his violin a the Downtown Crossing Station on Boston’s subway. For France, who taught in Venezuela on a fellowship from the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music, it is about bringing that peace and that hope to his students. He wants to show them the potential they have and that people believe in them.
“Their appreciation comes from someone showing up and investing in their life,” he says. “Whether I was paid a million dollars or I did it for free, it doesn’t matter. ‘Do you care about me?’ That’s what they care about.”
Video: NBC
