为贫困孩子献上快乐音乐课

随着音乐成为人们生活不可缺少的一部分，音乐教学也渐渐引起了人们的重视。快乐音乐课是德国奔驰汽车制造商在中国进行的一项慈善事业，为贫困孩子也送上了快乐的音乐课。

Happy Music Classrooms is a charity fund established by German automaker Mercedes-Benz here in China.
Once it is completely implemented, more than 400 thousand children in impoverished areas will have specialized music classrooms fully equipped with musical instruments.

Chen Zhe tells us more.

This is a special music class, as the teacher is Chen Yufan and Hu Haiquan, two famous Chinese singers from the band Yu Quan.

Several students from Quancheng Hope Primary School are learning basic music knowledge and a song called "Singing Happily".

Li Qi is one of the students. Looking at Hu Haiquan's skillful piano playing, Li Qi says being a pianist is her dream.

"If we can have a piano in our school, then I will go to the music room to practice every day. My dream is to become a singer when I grow up."

Li Qi's dream is very likely to be realized after this class, which kicks off the launching ceremony of the Mercedes-Benz Star Fund, a charity program aiming to promote music education among 120 Hope Primary Schools across China.　

These primary schools were initially built with financial support from the Hope Project, which aims to give students from rural areas a chance for an equal education.

According to a survey conducted by the China Youth Development Foundation, 77 percent of the Hope Schools across China don't have specialized music classrooms and music teachers. While more than 93 percent of the students express that they love music classes, only half of them can read vocal scales.

Now the establishment of the Mercedes-Benz Star Fund has started its first project to build Happy Music Classrooms inside these school campuses, and further equip them with various musical instruments.

Tu Meng, Secretary-in-chief of the China Youth Development Foundation, says the fund can bring more joy of music, smiles and motivation to the underprivileged children in Hope Schools.

"The Happy Music Classroom scheme this time is especially aiming to solve the problem of music education in rural areas. It is exactly what these kids are longing for. We believe such a charity model can be also be adopted by other enterprises later since it provides effective and specific help."

With the help from the China Youth Development Foundation, Mercedes-Benz has donated a 4.3 million yuan , about over 630 hundred US dollars fund to providing music facilities and instruments such as electric keyboards, pianos, and stereos. It is also donating some musical instruments and performance costumes with local ethnic features in the hope that children will take pride in their own cultures.

In addition, the fund also provides professional musical training for local music teachers so that their students can receive a more systematic music education.

Klaus Maier is the President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz in China. He says he has seen the outcome of the company's charity projects around the world for years and its quick donation for relief efforts after the devastating Wenchuan earthquake in 2008.

Maier believes corporations, especially those with a long brand history, have a social responsibility to the people and places where they do business.

"We've experienced fantastic sales over the past few years in China. We feel obliged, and it is a must for us to give something back. Our intention is to establish a platform where we can involve more people—the public, our customers, the dealers…to get all of them involved."

Maier's point is also echoed by Chen Yufan from the pop duo Yu Quan, which is also the ambassador of the program.

"When we were young, we were described by the elder generation as the flowers of our country. And now we still feel the same way that these children are also the creator of a better future. We believe that when they grow up, after they make contributions to this society, they will be reminded of their own childhood. So it's our obligation to give them a colorful childhood."

The Mercedes-Benz Star Fund is one of the public charity funds created by automakers in China with a starting capital of more than 4 million US dollars. Besides supporting music education in rural areas, the fund will also be used for environmental protection, sports, arts and culture protection, and social care.

For CRI, I'm Chen Zhe.