It was against his will that Davi Sassaki joined the Ramacrisna Youth Orchestra when he was 10 years old, in 2011. His grandmother, Maria José, Zezé, worked at the Institute and enrolled the boy to accompany cousins Iara and Alice in classes. song. But when he heard the sound of the oboe, everything changed, and the desire to be part of the Orchestra arose.
In celebration of 16 years of the Ramacrisna Youth Orchestra, you check out this love story for music and how it changed David’s life.
Career decision
If, at the time of enrollment, Davi was against his grandmother’s initiative, today, he thanks her for intervening: After seven years as a student at the Ramacrisna Youth Orchestra, Davi decided to become a professional musician and enrolled in the entrance exam for Bachelor of Music at UFMG..
Until 2018, when Davi reached the end of high school, his goal was to move from school to graduation. The course, he hadn’t decided yet, but the favorite was medicine. But Professor Alexandre Barros, who accompanies the musicians on the wind instruments, was responsible for the change of plans.
“Since I was a child, he saw a talent in me and molded me. And the way he played the oboe was always what I wanted to achieve,” recalls Davi.
But the decision came even after Davi finished high school, when the master showed that the chances of a professional musician’s remuneration can surpass those of a doctor. It was the step that was needed for him to decide for music. With the grade of the Enem (National High School Exam) in hand, it was time to study for the theoretical and practical exams of the UFMG exam.
Preparation for the exam at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG)
The time between the result of the first selection stage (Enem’s grade) and the specific tests was small and the study content was too great. But the knowledge that Davi acquired in the Ramacrisna Youth Orchestra made this equation work positively. And, in 2019, at age 17, Davi Sassaki was ranked first in the UFMG exam.
Davi points out that he only managed to become a student at UFMG because of the Ramacrisna Youth Orchestra. “We know the difference between a place that really teaches and a place that doesn’t. Many of my colleagues learned to play in churches, I didn’t. I learned in a real orchestra. I learned the techniques and classical music and, from an early age, I had contact with the responsibilities that a musician should have”, he highlights.
Before the Orchestra
Davi says that he didn’t know anything about music when he joined the Ramacrisna Youth Orchestra. To get an idea, he didn’t even know the oboe, which today is his specialty. And the way he learned it was so natural that he doesn’t even have a clear memory of the early lessons.
And the musician Davi, who was just his grandmother’s dream, soon became a source of pride. And not just for Ms. Zezé: “The recognition and energy of the public is very gratifying. And this happened to me in Ramacrisna and I understood that I would live on palms. The Institute has always had this welcoming spirit: from the presidents to the ladies cooks, everyone encouraged me. I felt that everyone wanted me to progress. I’m proud to say that I went through Ramacrisna.”, he declares.
Plans for the future
And the boy, who has always been the mascot of his generation in the Ramacrisna Youth Orchestra, has the dream of joining a professional orchestra and wants to be the first oboe player of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Minas Gerais.
“We create a very big illusion with the more traditional colleges, but music can bring more and requires a lot more study and dedication. You have to study a lot more, have a lot more dedication and a lot more discipline. My childhood was like that and it helped me to create responsibility from an early age. Ramacrisna gave me several opportunities”, he concludes, recalling that his first steps in music will inspire him throughout his career.
About the Ramacrisna Youth Orchestra
Created in 2005, the Ramacrisna Youth Orchestra aims to bring to children and young people between 9 and 25 years old the beauty of the universe of classical music. With the project, 73 musicians participate in theoretical and practical classes on string and wind instruments. The young musicians are conducted by Maestro Eliseu Barros and also take part in classes given by teachers from the Barros family: Alexandre in wind, Elias in violin and William in music theory, double bass for orchestra and cello. Since 2013, the Ramacrisna Youth Orchestra has held the Spring Music Festival annually, with workshops and presentations for the Betim community.
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