Themes

Music education in Africa

By Music In Africa Foundation

01 Feb 2019 - 16:41

Education in music is vital for a sustainable career, whether one wants to enter the industry as a musician, composer, artist manager, marketing specialist or sound engineer. Unfortunately, the music education sector on the African continent, particularly in poorer countries, has fallen by the wayside, with music syllabuses not making an appearance at primary and secondary schools, or even universities.

Workshop participants during the 2018 Music In Africa Conference for Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases (ACCES) in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo: Music In Africa

This poses a number of major problems for the African music industry as a whole. On the one hand, our music professionals have a tough time competing with their international counterparts, and on the other, Africa’s countless musical cultures do not get transmitted in a formal setting from one generation to the next.

The importance of music education does not only extend to children and young adults. Even seasoned pros need to keep on learning if they want to be competitive in an ever-changing industry where technological advancements alter the rules of the game at an overwhelming pace.

And even though this can be done informally with the help of the Internet, a culture of education must be introduced from a young age so that the process of learning can be easier during adulthood. Education is not only about access to data, but understanding how to learn and how to process new information with the real world as an end goal.

Music In Africa strives to provide our readership with authoritative educational content about all aspects of music, such as instrument lessons, lessons on how to build your own instrument, information about what avenues you can take to educate yourself in various African countries and expert tips on the best practices required to be a successful music professional, among others.

Check out some of our educational material and make sure you return to this page daily for the latest updates.

Overview texts