Mr. Varin Artvilai also known as Kru Tonkluay (Teacher Tonkluay) was born and raised in Khlong Toei (the largest and most notorious slum area in Bangkok). When he was eight, he learned violin with a Norwegian teacher from the Norwegian Missionary Society. As a teenager, he passed the entrance examination for the College of Music, Mahidol University, and became a violinist in the national symphony orchestra. After graduating from MU, Kru Tonkluay returned to his hometown to continue the project of his violin teacher "Solveig Johannessen" to teach classical music to children in Khlong Toei community for free. When more children attend his class, he chose to resign from the national symphony orchestra and devote himself to full-time classical music teaching by laying the foundation of classical music for everyone. Starting from music note reading to attending practice sessions until his students have good musical skills. Kru Tonkluay wants to prove to everyone that if we give the chance to children in his community, they will show that they have potential in classical music same as the children outside. Kru Tonkluay and his colleagues found the Music for Life Foundation and Immanuel Orchestra to improve the quality of life of children in his community even more.

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