The Kigali School of Music!

Life is moving at US speed here all of a sudden... So forgive my tardiness

in getting news to you.  A couple of weeks ago the 

AIC (Africa International Club) took a trip to visit the 

Kigali School of Music.  What a treat we discovered.  

This is the only official music school in Rwanda!!!  

 

The school was started by a Baptist Missionary, Marlene

Lee in 2000.  It has been growing ever since.  

(Well, I learned today, on my second visit, that in 2000 Marlene 

opened the school in this location but she had been teaching throughout Kigali

and surrounding areas for 18 years before this.  Due to health

problems she has had to return to Texas... but what a legacy she

has left here.)

This is the one classroom for teaching theory.  

This sign greeted us at the door.  I'll have to ask Innocent tomorrow what it says.
But I think it is giving praise and honor to God .   
No, I was wrong.. it is simply a sign with all the Names of God. 

Some of our group learning more about the place...
 as a student on the keyboard just kept practicing. 

One of the guys in the practice room! He loved having his picture taken.

 Teacher and student together.  It seems music and resources
might be slim.   Just how many suitcases am I allowed to bring back? 

 This student was working on Minuet in G.
The touch sensitive keyboards they have... 
four, I think, are quite nice. 
Aimable told me today that Marlene met him in 2000
and it was at that time he started to learn piano.  She
was dutiful to teach him how to teach and now he in 
turn, is also teaching other teachers how to teach. 
But they need a lot more staff and musicians that 
have studied music to help teach, too. 

 The school consists of 2 houses.. The one we were just in and then another
up on the hill behind the first house.  Both are in good condition
but having a real school would be awesome for them some day!

Each student was so willing to show us which instrument
they played and then to play for us.  

This is the dance studio room.  

Just the view out the side of the upper house.  

 These are 2 of the best INANGA players around.  They
played for us and it was beautiful. The instrument is made from a special
tree with very unique strings.  (Innocent just told me
that the girl on the left... just lives a short ways from here in Kagugu village).

This is the cabinet to hold the Inanga Instruments.

The base or bottom of the instrument is hollowed out. 

They come in different sizes and length of strings
obviously for a different range of sounds.

We got a closer look and touch at this unique instrument.  It sounds harp-like!

 Downstairs, drum lessons were going on.  First, the class
was learning to play the trap set.  This is what we heard as we
were heading upstairs.

And when we got upstairs... we discovered this huge guitar class!
I don't know if each person brought their own guitar or if
some belonged to the school. The teacher is the one with the big
smile on his face!

Outside behind the school some children were up to other things.

These boys were practicing their own skills.

Susanne, Nalini and Maria thinking and talking about all the needs here. 
They aren't usually this serious.... 

We start down the steps and hear the rhythm of beautiful drums. 

In the same room where the trap class had been ---
now African drum beats were rising. The drum instructor was
teaching them rhythm patterns and counting and technique. 

My favorite part of the morning wa

Traditional Rwandan Dance!

 It was almost like aerobic class and our teacher... in the dress
was loving watching us try to learn.  It was Fun!

s trying to learn the

             

The Director, Aimable... was telling us all about the students and
the classes offered at the Kigali School of Music.

 Today when I met with him he was telling me his life story....
A couple years before the Genocide Aimable met the Lord and
surrendered his life to Him.
But he was here for the Genocide. After hearing all of his
neighbors being killed, the murderer came into his house...
knife still dripping with his friends' blood and told him he was
the next to die.   He doesn't remember exactly what happened next, 
but someone walked by the house or something caught the killer's
attention and he left and never returned.
It was at that time he told the Lord whatever He wanted him to 
do with his life he would do.  
When he met Marlene and she shared her need, he felt the
Lord's call on his life to help develop the music school. 

Some of the students have means to pay for lessons, but a lot do not
so that leaves the school in a tough situation.  Currently there are lessons
in piano, guitar, inanga, dancing and drumming.

 These two girls had just started voice lessons a few months ago.

They had very pretty voices as they led us in all the verses of

"Amazing Grace!"

In most of our cultures we can't imagine not having access to music lessons of all

kinds, but here there is little opportunity for formal instruction. That is why

this school and the vision that Mrs. Lee had, must continue to grow and thrive. 

I'm excited to say that the AIC just bought a trap set (that will not have to go

back and forth from church each week) for the school.  

We are also having a Benefit Concert for the school on Oct. 26.  The famous

baritone/bass, Jacques-Greg Belobo will be putting on the concert along with 

some of his master class students.  Wish you could all be here for the concert.

We left that morning with a new understanding of the struggles and trials

of this music school but also very encouraged by the professionalism 

and the level of learning going on in the Kigali School of Music. 

I have just finished a brochure for them that will be distributed at the 

concert.  Hopefully, this will give them some greater visibility and will 

increase the number of students that can have lessons.  

Then all they will need is a lot more teachers!  

There is much more to tell about this great place... but 

perhaps another time... 

love,

margie

Pray for all their needs to be met and if you are reading this and would
like to come here to teach or teach teachers to teach...then just get your
airplane ticket!  You are needed here.