EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF BRASS PRACTICE IN AFRICA 

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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/ 

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