For several years now students in Nangi, Nepal have been enjoying English lessons via Skype thanks to the tireless efforts of Toya. Toya gets students to the lessons, works his magic on the school’s aging laptop and climbs mountain peaks to upgrade the internet connection. But it was only in the last month that we learned of his additional talent: flute playing! We asked him to tell us how he learned to play and then kindly let us record him. We only regret that as the delightful melody sailed through the stars, up around the moon and back to our recording device it lost a little quality. But Toya’s talent still shines through!
Click the arrow below to hear Toya play.
Photo courtesy Himanchal Education Foundation
WHEN I was young, I was very interested to learn to play the flute. I asked my father to bring a flute from the market for me. I always asked him for a flute, but he never brought it. Then I asked my mother and she ordered someone in the village to make a flute for me. My new flute was made using ismal bamboo. But it was not very good. It did not have a melodious tone. Still, I used it to play constantly. I learned by myself. No one taught me how to play. I played all the time. I played on the way to school, I played at school, I played after school. I would listen to songs and then play them, but I myself do not know how I did it. Now people can use media like YouTube, to learn how to play instruments. But at that time, I didn’t have any teacher to help me. I now teach my little boys to play. I bought them drums, flute, and guitar. I play the flute, my older son plays the drums and my younger son sings a song. —Toya
[Below is the song Toya played with an English translation of the words to this most favorite Nepali folk song.]