Long at last someone has started talking
exactly what I have been saying since closer to a decade ago when I started
writing about music. Former Minister of Health Peter Kumpalume told President
Peter Mutharika at a rally in Blantyre West that community colleges should
start offering musical courses.
As far back as 2009 I argued my case that
there has never been one single trade that has generated youthful
interest in Malawi at any given time than what music has done.
It all began with the advent of multiparty system of government and that was in 1993. If my mathematics is perfect that has to be 17 years ago.
It is a shame that government has not realised how to work
something out, institutions have come and gone all in the name of representing
the interest of the youth in the country including the establishment of the so
called National Youth Council whose objective of promoting promiscuity had been
achieved before its dissolution.
When the first head of state was structuring our education
system, he created technical colleges which are supposed to offer vocational
courses.
In the wisdom of the time, learners had to be carved to
become or based on trades like Carpentry and Joinery, Plumbing, Brick Laying,
Painting and Decoration, Plumbing, Motor Vehicle Mechanic, Auto-electrician,
Electricians, General fitters etc.
If we look at these trades critically, we would realise that
it was meant to build the country.
Take for example, construction of a government office structure or workshop. First to be on the ground would be brick layers before technicians that had mastered carpentry and joinery put their hands to work, then plumbers and electricians would appear on the scene before those in painting and decoration.
The same would happen to our houses; and for the workshops we
had the motor vehicle mechanics, auto-electricians, and general fitters etc.
What was also happening was that once the learners had
completed a course, they would be given a tool box with which they will use to
start small scale workshops or joined established institutions with similar
pursuant.
Just like a house, a song is also built with the involvement
of different skills.
The technical colleges with music trade has to start with the elementary lessons in music in the first year, while in the second year, learners can choose who they want to become.
The technical colleges with music trade has to start with the elementary lessons in music in the first year, while in the second year, learners can choose who they want to become.
Guitarists, drummers, saxophonists, trombonists,
percussionists, keyboardists or pianists should be one group while the other
group should concentrate on music production, the third on music engineering in
terms of studio recording while the other group should dwell on marketing.
Imagine if graduating learners were to undergo this kind of
process and given the start-up equipment after their courses, believe you me,
we would not have been talking of mediocre music that dominates our market.
There is one major challenge that technical college students
face which is the competition from ‘bush’ artisans.
There are bush mechanics, bush carpenters etc. These are
people who are accomplished at doing their work in particular trades, when they
have never been inside a classroom. The same challenge would still be faced
even when music was to be introduced in the technical colleges.
Nonetheless, this is the best way to assist the youth;
considering that even initiatives like Youth Enterprise Development Fund is
something borne out of political whims and therefore has no plan on how best it
has to be executed.
Seriously, government has to make use of Bachelor of Arts
graduates from the Chancellor Constituent College of the University of Malawi
who major in music but do not know what to do next with it.
If government would invest in music, they would be surprised
that many things would solve themselves because the youth would have the chance
to study something in which they have a passion for and like Jamaica Malawi can
start exporting music. Programmes that are initiated to change harmful
behaviours of the youth would also reduce. Conduct
a feasibility study to prove me wrong please!
Nothing was said by anyone until Peter
Kumpalume. Now I wait for the Government to move.
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