A total of 23 students at Maechan's Suksa Songkroh School have been selected for this special programme. Podevyn is spending two months to teach these students a new violin method of her own.

 In order to help young Thais to play violin, Podevyn has decided to develop a new approach, called Violin Wonderland.

It is based on the perfect fifth, the interval of the strings of the violin, and refers to the old Flemish music from the medieval period. It is also based on the interval of the Thai violin, the sau duang (two-string violin).

The sound that the young beginner makes on the violin is very close to the original Thai music and the Flemish medieval music from de Machaut and Orlando di Lasso.

Violin Wonderland is like the Suzuki method, which comes without written music but is based on feelings, the right movement, emotion and good food.

As Thailand is full of emotion, friendship, family life, patience, beautiful Thai songs and excellent food, Podevyn felt that the children needed another approach different from the Japanese northern style: more emotion from Southeast Asia.

Violin Wonderland combines the excellent views of the 19th-century Belgian violin master Charles de Beriot on playing the instrument, together with Podevyn's experiences in South East Asia, South America, Africa and Belgium.

Charles de Beriot was the teacher of Vieuxtemps and Eugene Ysaye, founder of the Queen Elizabeth competition. Ysaye's Belgian style is highly respected in New York at Julliard School, especially by famous violinists such as Itzhak Perlman, Shlomo Mintz and recently Hilary Hahn. Vieuxtemps was also a teacher of Wieniawski, founder of the Russian violin school. So this all happened in the little country of Belgium.

 The Maechan children are the first to fully experience Violin Wonderland, as they have never heard classical violin music but already know a lot of Thai music.

The method's first songs are quite close to their own school's songs, such as "Khang Khao Kin Kluey", "Kit Tung" or "ABC".

They first learn to play pizzicato, which is plucking the strings.

They start with the bow later.

The violin strings are like a family: "G" for grandfather, "D" for Daddy, "A" for Mama and "E" for baby

After a visit at the music class of the school, it was decided that Podevyn would give her lessons at Insii Thai House, the residence of Count Gerald and Khun Weerapong Boonklieng, close to Maechan.

The place is well known among the local residents for hosting art exhibitions and other exclusive charity events.

The traditional Thai-style environment of the property is ideal for concentration and playing violin.

Podevyn is now teaching at Insii Thai House three days a week, each time lasting three hours. The students are eager to learn and their progress is very fast.

After only two weeks, they can already play with three fingers on all strings and more than 16 different songs, even in canon.

The children are dynamic - they play violin, eat good food and also laugh a lot.

Podevyn can speak Thai dek dek style and can make a lot of talok (jokes) with them.

Now Podevyn will start to make good Belgian cookies called Vlamingske (like me) to encourage the kids to make a nice and sweet Belgian sound.

Excellent Belgian chocolate will also be introduced, but only when the sound of those 23 violins is really excellent.

Of course, this kind of project could not be done without a lot of support. Without Count Gerald, the school director, Ajarn Paramet, Ajarn Anurak and the Rotary Club, it would have been far more difficult for Podevyn to offer her time and devotion to the students. They received their own violin each, and the best ones will be able to continue to learn in Chiang Rai.

These children have countless capabilities but so few opportunities.

Their progress is excellent and soon they will make their first presentation of Violin Wonderland to the Rotary Club of Maechan and later at their school, in the presence of more than 200 other students.

But the big concert is set for August 20. A total of 23 Maechan students will play with 40 Chiang Rai students in a concert full of surprises.

Pictures of the hill tribes' violin project can be viewed on the website of Insii Thai House at:- www.insiithaihouse.com.

After Podevyn's teaching experience in Bangkok, between 1999 and 2002, the amount of violinists coming to the Bangkok Symphony School tripled in only a few months. This was also due to the efforts of Khun Atchara Tejapaibul, Khun Witaya Tumornsoontorn, Khun Suthin Srinarong, Veerapan Woklang and Khun Narong Khanthong, as well as my other Thai violin colleagues.

Podevyn worked at that time for HRH Princess Galayani Foundation and had the great honour to perform with the children for her every year and as concert master for Somtow Sucharitkul's Bangkok Opera.

At that time, together with the Belgian ambassador MR Pierre Vaessen, Belgian Crown Prince Philip and Princess Mathilde were introduced to the Thai opera "Madana".

Thanong Khanthong

The Nation