The Musical Future of Meru, Kenya

My name is Stanford Thompson and I am a recent graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, PA. I was asked to come to Meru, Kenya to help the community develop music programs - preserving their traditional music and developing a western-styled concert band. Over the past two years, Larry Dittmar has collected instruments, supplies and funds through the Kenyan Urithi Education Fund and has equipped the community with over 80 instruments. A music program was started at the local Bishop Lawi Imathiu Secondary School (BLISS) and 140 students came to our first informational meeting and demonstration. We introduced every student to western band instruments and I performed for the students. 114 of those students decided to join our pilot program and the school has given us an hour each day to work with the students.

After meeting with several community leaders, we decided that this program needed a feeder program to sustain the high school. We approached the headmasters at three primary schools: Fred's Academy, Kithoka Primary School and Bishop Imathiu Inegrated Boarding School. These schools have allowed us to establish music programs and our work has begun. I am working closely with two talented musicians, Andrew and Boniface, to help train them to run the program. Andrew will work in the primary schools to teach recorder and other musical concepts to prepare the student's interest to continue at the high school level.

The government use to support music programs in the schools, but in 2000, the Ministry of Education made music to be neither a required nor examinable subject in primary schools. As I found, many people in the community are interested in learning music and being involved in this program. Music as a performing cultural art springs from people’s experiences and reflects their aspirations. It is from this understanding that music education curriculum have been developed in many countries across the world. As we develop this curriculum, we will focus on the following objectives which will achieve the well-rounded development of the learner in terms of the social, economic, physical and psychological spheres.

1. Acquisition of basic skills and knowledge, such as reading and writing music.
2. Emphasizing practical skills that are achieved through performing of songs, dances and instruments.
3. Using one's ability and skills in a productive way. After acquiring the basic and practical skills, the learners use them to express their own ideas, feelings and experiences through the art of performing music and dance.
4. Target and build positive social skills through the principles of unity, co-operation, self-identity and patriotism both locally and internationally.

This curriculum does not stop at only learning how to recognize notes and to sing or play an instrument. Group dancing, singing and performing instruments can enhance the spirit of unity, co-operation and tolerance among others. These virtues can be achieved especially when students from different social backgrounds come together to rehearse and perform music from the local, national or international traditions. It is more important to impart on the students Kenyan traditional musics in addition to learning western instruments and performance. Music performance as a verbal and visual art embodies people’s cultures. Therefore, reinforcement of music education can be one way of enhancing cultural identity and integration while at the same time guarding against cultural disintegration.

View a video I produced about the Meru, Kenya area and schools: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLzFXVGAzhk

Feel free to contact me for more information on how you can help!

Kara Bwega,
Stanford