Dream Orchestra
Every Saturday in Gothenburg, Sweden, hundreds of people gather at Bethlehem Church to play music under the direction of Ron Davis Alvarez, founder of the Dream Orchestra. There are 20 languages spoken among the musicians who represent some 25 nationalities, and the gathering is about more than just music: It's a safe place where diverse voices and backgrounds come together.
Since 2016, the Dream Orchestra has provided refugees, immigrants, and vulnerable youth the chance to learn instruments and connect with others. Alvarez, 38, grew up in an impoverished neighborhood in Caracas, Venezuela, where he discovered a love for the violin at age 10 that kept him focused and out of trouble. By 14, Alvarez was teaching, and by 16, he was conducting. Eventually, Alvarez studied conducting at the university level and worked for the music-education program El Sistema, helping to spread their innovative teaching methods worldwide.
In 2015, after witnessing the refugee crisis in Sweden, Alvarez founded the Dream Orchestra in Gothenburg to help refugees rebuild their lives through music. He started with 13 students, many with no musical expertise and from different linguistic backgrounds, but he used instruments, games, and movement to teach them.
Today, the program includes over 300 members, from 3 to 56 years old. Alvarez emphasizes the importance of inclusion and teaches values like tolerance, respect, and compassion. The orchestra rehearses weekly, and Alvarez fosters community through shared experiences like the Swedish tradition of "fika" --an intentional coffee/cake break that allows people time to recharge and connect.
For many members, Dream Orchestra has become a family, providing support, friendship, and healing through music. Alvarez and his team often help students with housing, food, and immigration issues. His ultimate hope is for programs like Dream Orchestra to help people worldwide overcome hardships and find joy and connection through music.
Many of his students don't understand his words, Alvarez acknowledges, but they do understand the music: “This orchestra offers more than just notes,” he said. “This orchestra offers something for your soul.”
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and glory are in his sanctuary.
-- Psalm 96:1-6
Where is the music in your life this summer?