Ron Alvarez, a CNN Hero finalist, musician and educator is transforming lives through teaching kids to play music in The Dream Orchestra. Ron shares he went from a childhood in Caracas, Venezuela to changing the lives of refugee children in Sweden. Ron’s story begins when he joined El Sistema, a musical and social program in Venezuela, set the course of his life.

Ron realized he wanted to pay it forward by becoming a music teacher. Eventually, Ron grabbed an opportunity to teach music to kids in an orphanage in Greenland (yes, we talk about what it’s like to actually live in Greenland). After the incredible experience in Greenland, Ron moved to Sweden for a teaching job. Witnessing the influx of unaccompanied minors from Syria and Afghanistan, Ron felt compelled to make a difference with the most powerful tool he had to change lives, the power of music. The lack of funding and language barriers did not keep Ron from starting Dream Orchestra, a sanctuary for young refugees and asylum seekers, offering them a sense of community and belonging through music. Over 400 children have had their lives transformed but also enriched through the magic and language of music.