How YouTube is helping Filipino schoolchildren discover a love for music

Editor’s note: Kasper Hansen is the founder of Let’s Play, a program that uses YouTube to teach schoolchildren in the Philippines how to play the guitar.The Philippines is a place where I always feel surrounded by music. Someone is always singing, humming or playing an instrument, no matter where you are. What I noticed pretty early on, though, was that younger generations seem more inclined to pick up a video game console than an instrument.Having seen the positive influence of musical exposure in my own kids, I wondered what I could do to impart that same love of music to more children — especially those who couldn’t afford to take classes or buy instruments. So in 2017, I spoke to the principal of a local high school just north of Manila. I visited the school with ten guitars purchased out of pocket, my old laptop and an ambition to bring music into these childrens’ lives.From there, the Let’s Play program was born. We gave 20 students these guitars, a refurbished laptop with an internet connection so they could access video tutorials, and time to explore on their own. YouTube tutorials provided a virtual music teacher for the makeshift class. Whether it was learning how to form simple chords or understanding strumming patterns, the treasure trove of easy-to-follow content on YouTube made it possible for the students to learn at their own pace.And two months later, the students were able to play songs completely on their own — and so many kids were interested in learning that we didn’t have enough guitars for them all. They would come to school early to practice before class or leave school late so they could hang out and play with their friends.

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