Friends of Kampala Music School: 'Music is an important dimension in tough and bleak lives.'

Violin Students

AfriClassical and Friends of Kampala Music School recently began following each other on Twitter.  After a decade of success, the school now seeks to raise funds for expansion to a better facility.    

About the Kampala Music School

Kampala Music School was founded to bring Ugandan musicians together, making music accessible to those who can't afford what is often seen as a luxury. By sourcing instruments and through good teaching it gives people a unique opportunity to learn, to practise and perform in a safe place. For those with a bleak existence, to experience the artistic endeavours of music often gives a sense of meaning, of something beautiful. That is the heart of KMS.

A message from a Founder, Fiona Carr, MBE

Kampala Music School (KMS) in Uganda buzzes with musical sounds from early morning until late evening with all the rooms and instruments in use. Since opening its doors in 2001, nearly 2,000 students have benefitted from its lessons and almost 1,000 have passed an ABRSM exam, including 40 ABRSM diplomas in both teaching and performing. Some 25 teachers now earn a living from their music.

KMS was a natural progression from the scheme 'Pianos for Uganda' a charitable appeal launched in 1998, which aimed to bring donated pianos from the UK to a country where good quality instruments for educational purposes were a rare luxury.

Classical music had suffered terribly after 15 years of war in the 1970s and 1980s and music had been left at a low ebb, unable to progress without pianos. However, the musical heritage, planted by missionaries over a century before in the churches of Uganda, had been kept alive and so they remained centres of musical excellence. In Namirembe Cathedral, organists had been faithfully teaching piano, organ and recorder to junior choir members and it was these boys that gave me an exciting source of piano pupils when I returned to live in Uganda in 1995.

Under the Scheme, Namirembe Cathedral received the first donated piano in 1999. Keen choristers who had started having piano lessons crept through a broken window during most nights to practise on it. This incredible motivation was significant to the need for a Music School and as donated pianos came in (now totalling over 80) the need for KMS was critical.

Due to an existing rich heritage and access to fine teaching, the decision was made not to teach traditional Ugandan music. KMS instead focused on expanding classical music in suitable premises developed under the YMCA building, secured with a 10 year lease. This safe place for music making, with its donated resources of instruments, music, CDs and cassettes, has since changed the lives of many young Ugandans. KMS has become essential, not a luxury. Music is an important dimension in tough and bleak lives.

Now that we need to accommodate more and more students, we are looking to expand and develop in an excellent building which is available in the Centre of Kampala. This will enable the original dream to be realised and to give the hard working, dedicated music students what they have proved they deserve.