From performing in the slums of Paraguay to sold out crowds across the world, The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura is showing one person’s trash is another’s treasure.
The orchestra's instruments are made out of discarded waste found in landfills. One of the violins a young musician uses is comprised of an old pizza tin and a fork, while another's harp at one time was a petroleum can.
But it's hard to tell any of these instruments at one time were just cast away items, as the music they make has been heard the world over.
Favio Chavez, The Recycled Orchestra of Cateura's director, says the idea to make instruments out of trash began 11 years ago, now the orchestra has performed in 44 countries.
The band is touring Regina and the surrounding area this week and has performed for crowds in the Piapot First Nation, Martin Collegiate and at the Academic Congress taking place at the University of Regina.
"We thought that this was a really good opportunity to share this with students on how the power of the arts can change the world," said Kira Fladager, Literacy and Arts Education Coordinator with the Regina Public School Division. "We can do things to make communities stronger, better places."
While the orchestra played a variety of toe-tapping songs like the "Pink Panther" theme song to "New York, New York!", the real hope from these performances is for people to start looking at waste differently, and see that beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and sounds.
