Music Education Project in Uganda

Funded by Making a Difference Awards

Title: Music Education in Uganda: Empirical Study on Current Practices and a Way
Forward

Recipient: Tiija Rinta

Date: September 2018 – Summer 2022

Since receiving funding from Sempre, our music education project in Uganda has developed significantly. Thanks to the initial sponsorship from Sempre, the project team were able to build a network of eight schools in the Bududa region of rural Uganda, and the selected schools took part in a new music education programme. As part of the programme, the schools delivered a new music education curriculum once a week that focused on the delivery of singing lessons with traditional East African musical instruments.

The music lessons focussed on covering singing and musical instrument techniques, combined with music theory and general musicianship. Talks on potential careers within music education and the music industry in Uganda were integrated into the curriculum. Workshops to raise awareness of potential jobs and career opportunities, as well as the benefits of including music education in the curriculum were delivered over the period of September 2018 to Summer 2022.

One of the successes of the music programme was that the participating schools had a chance to take part in the annual music competition arranged by the local council. The performances were focussed on singing and the playing of traditional musical instruments. One of the schools, Good Samaritan Primary School, won the local competition and, therefore, was granted a place in the national leg of the competition. They came fifth from hundreds of schools taking part from different regions of Uganda. The pictures underneath are from the competition.