Adisak Chamnarnkhong hardly knew anything about music when he began teaching the subject at a rural school several years ago.

It is, after all, no easy task to read music, let alone distinguish a trombone from a trumpet.

"But I have done my best. I have since studied music through satellite-based programmes, and I have browsed the Internet to get photos to show my students what each instrument looks like," he says.

Working at Wat Khok Mafuang Primary School in Narathiwat's Tak Bai district, he understands its financial constraints and does not complain when it cannot

provide instruments for children.

Making the most of things

"Given the meagre budget, money must go to the most necessary things first," says Adisak, who has also taught physical education at the school.

However, Adisak was recently given six days' free music training through a project funded by the Thai Health Promotion Found-ation, the Office of the Basic Education Commission, Advanced Info Service and Settrade.com.

"We are handing out 100 scholarships this year. Priority was given to music teachers who are not directly trained in teaching music," says Nattawoot Suksaengjan, one of the project organisers.

The training covered reading, writing and singing musical notes, how to teach music to children, the chorus, recorder and keyboard.

Adisak received a free recorder, keyboard, books and music sheets to take back to his school.

"I plan to teach my students how to play the recorder because it's easily available and cheap," he says.

Another course participant, Sakchai Weyeu, plans to set up a chorus at Thessaban 1 School in Phayao. He majored in music at college, and his school has plenty of instruments.

Nattawoot believes the project has been very successful. "We have held it for three consecutive years. Over the past two years we have seen a positive response. More choruses have joined the contest held by the Office of the Basic Education Commission," he says.