EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF BRASS PRACTICE IN AFRICA
Toine Thys has been regularly traveling to Africa for fifteen years to lead workshops focused on wind instruments and musical ensemble playing. The experience he has acquired makes him a highly sought-after artist for transmitting knowledge, inspiring, and motivating many young musicians, particularly in Burkina Faso, Benin, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Angola, and Kenya.
In 2014, Toine co-founded the École des Ventistes du Faso in Burkina Faso with trumpeter Laurent Blondiau, a project supported by Wallonie-Bruxelles International (WBI) whose mission is to promote the practice of wind instruments (sax, trumpet, trombone, tuba). Over four years, they developed an adapted teaching method, organized 14 intensive courses, and trained a luthier-repairer, thereby creating a unique instrument repair workshop in the region. The school brings together over 50 well-equipped musicians, focusing on instrumental excellence (tone, technique, improvisation) and leading an increasingly recognized festive brass band. WBI scholarships have also enabled future teachers to be trained in Belgium.
Furthermore, Toine is heavily involved with 'Ghetto Classics' in Nairobi, a classical music school in the Korogocho slum that supports 1500 children and which he considers the most successful music education project in Africa. Since 2017, Toine Thys and drummer Karl Jannuska have been running a jazz class there, training senior students in improvisation. They created the "G.C. All Stars," a 20-piece group that performs frequently. Thanks to support from Ferragus, Music Fund, and WBI, they have carried out tours in Kenya and working residencies, demonstrating the participants' constant progress. Despite its major social impact, the school operates exclusively through private donations and patronage.
Ghetto Classics https://www.artofmusic.co.ke/
instrumental (sonorité, technique, improvisation) et l'animation d'une fanfare festive de plus en plus reconnue. Des bourses de WBI ont également permis à de futurs professeurs d'être formés en Belgique.
De plus, Toine est très impliqué dans 'Ghetto Classics' à Nairobi, une école de musique classique dans le bidonville de Korogocho qui soutient 1500 enfants et qu'il considère comme le projet éducatif musical le plus réussi d'Afrique. Depuis 2017, Toine Thys et le batteur Karl Jannuska y animent une classe de jazz, formant les élèves seniors à l'improvisation. Ils ont créé les "G.C. All Stars", un groupe de 20 musiciens qui se produit fréquemment. Grâce au soutien de Ferragus, Music Fund et WBI, ils ont réalisé des tournées au Kenya et des résidences de travail, démontrant les progrès constants des participants. Malgré son impact social majeur, l'école fonctionne exclusivement grâce aux donations privées et au mécénat.
Ghetto Classics https://www.artofmusic.co.ke/
