INDEX TO ARTICLES

MUSIC AND SPIRITUALITY MUSIC AND CREATIVITY ARTICLE LINK

THE FIFTH RAY OF SOUTH AFRICAN JAZZ : PROGRESS REPORT

TRIBUTE TO PROPHET ISAIAH SHEMBE ARTICLE LINK

MASKANDA MUSIC OF KZN ARTICLE LINK

PRINCESS MAGOGA ARTICLE LINK

DURBAN ROOTS AFRICAN JAZZ STRONG AS LION ARTICLE LINK

WONDERGIGS MOTHER CITY JAZZ MUSIC : TABLE MOUNTAIN HUR!KUARRA GATE 12 SPINNER WHEEL : ARTICLE LINK

TRADITIONAL INSTRUMENTS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA : EDUCATIONAL SERIES BOOK & DVD IN THE MAKING : READ MORE

HUGH TRACEY INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY OF AFRICAN MUSIC GOES DIGITAL READ MORE

LIFE BEYOND LIFE AND LOVE REALISED READ THE CHAPTER HERE

MUSIC IS THE LANGUAGE OF ONENESS : JOIN THE ONE EARTH CHOIR ARTICLE LINK

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE MUSIC EDUCATION EXPERIENCE OF THE AUTHOR :

“No man can reveal to you ought but that which already lies half asleep in the dawning of our knowledge…. The musician may sing to you of the rhythm which is in all space, but he cannot give you the ear which arrests the rhythm nor the voice that echoes it. And he who is versed in the science of numbers can tell of the regions of weight and measure, but he cannot conduct you thither. For the vision of one man lends not its wings to another man. And even as each one of you stands alone in God's knowledge, so must each one of you be alone in his knowledge of God and in his understanding of the earth.” From Kahil Gibran The Prophet :

Music education is a joy and a blessing. It is the seed of transformation, the fruit of self-healing and the spirit of community. Music education is a luxury we cannot afford to go without. Holistic human development (knowing thyself) leads to community development (uBuntu). Music development of the human being (on his or her own) leads to spiritual development. Music development in the community leads to positive social change, upliftment, peace and unification.

What you pay attention to is what you become aware of. My purpose here is to invite each and every human being who reads these words to consider the power of music as deeply as you can.

WHAT IS THE CONCEPT OF HUMAN SOVEREIGNTY ?

Music provides the means and the medium to being one's authentic and sovereign self.

Sovereignty means ‘knowing yourself and being yourself.' It is an international ideology that is the foundation of entire generations of thought. In Southern African the ancient Bushmen philosophy of XARO and the indigenous African philosophy of UBUNTU encourage individuals to have the space of ‘becoming.' You will see this trend in French existentialism, the urban movement of jazz, the hippies, new age, self help, ancient Eastern religions, modern day mysticism and motivation.

Music is a medium of expression, and a medium of mindful expression at that. Music breaks into silence with sound. Music is not art. It is a channel. Making music is an ‘art' and a powerful technique in the ‘journey to becoming oneself.'

Symbolically, music has broken free from the industry that tried to enslave it, music has broken free from the academia that tried to define it and music has broken free from those who tried to imitate it.

Like in ‘knowing myself,' in music there is only truth. It cannot be faked.

CHANGE

As we let go of being right we allow ourselves to be wrong and it is there we experience education. Achieving our fullest human potential has a holistic effect of activating a harmonic universal vibration that is in sacred proportion to all of creation we see around us.

Music is a channel of change: thus through music we are not only able to change ourselves, we are able to change our relations with others and send ripples of change through the vast interconnected fabric of our existence.

Change is the only constant in life, and one way to be that change is by activating your potential through music. The powers of music can be experienced at every level.

OVERCOMING EGOTISM

Listen to the sound of the wind chime, singing its improvised song to the tune of nature, hear the silences between the sounds and perhaps even a bird call in the tree. The true powers of music can only be experienced at the level of one-ness, whereby the part becomes an aspect of the whole . As an example to sing like a bird in the tree I cannot overpower the sound of the wind rushing through the leaves of the branches.

I have experienced the light of love bursting through the cloud cover of the ‘ego' and or ‘the pain body' and the noise of the mind, self-defeating thoughts, regrets, and negativity… and through music I have finally become present, on the path straight to awareness!'

HOW HUMBLE WE IN FACT ARE

“The day star sonorous of old goes his predestined way along and round his path is thunder rolled, while sister-spheres join rival song. Here we recognise the harmony of the cosmos and we find that everything lies in music.” Steiner

Our bodies are in song, our cosmos is in song, so our life is in song. To join in this all embracing song is the privilege of a lifetime. And thus music education does not only equip one for a career in music (should that be what they choose), it equips one for life.

PLAYING MUSIC BRINGS YOU INTO THE MOMENT

Over and above the positive effects of the dedication required for music is the meditation of playing. Music is a heart centred expression. It happens in the NOW.

Music is for everybody ; it is a channel into the source of love. Music is for lightest heart to simply laugh with, play with and share. Music is the essence of creativity. And it is a challenge!

PRACTICE IS THE KEY

As we begin our journey into music we develop the habit of practicing. Every day without fail. There is no other substitute. You reach this chapter you pick up your instrument and practice. On your mouthpiece at the car robots or in-between chopping and cooking your dinner, blow the horn.

THE GLOBAL CASE FOR MUSIC EDUCATION MADE BY JOSE ABREU OF EL SISTEMA IN VENEZUELA

“It is at (the age of) 7 that a feeling for art awakens, particularly for the art of music, so closely associated with the vibrations of the etheric body.” Rudolf Steiner

“Music has to be recognized as an…agent of social development in the highest sense, because it transmits the highest values – solidarity, harmony and mutual compassion. And it has the ability to unite an entire community and to express sublime feelings.” José Abreu

Dr Abreu of Venezuela created El Sistema in in a garage in Caracas. Thirty years later, El Sistema is now a nationwide organization of 102 youth orchestras, 55 children's orchestras, and 270 music centers with over 250 000 musicians.

“There are also workshops in which children learn to build and repair instruments, special music-therapy programs for children with disabilities or learning difficulties, and specialist centres or institutes for phonology, audiovisuals, and higher musical education.” www.philanthromedia.org

El Sistema means ‘The system.' It is an excellent model that is being instituted in many other parts of the world. Yet, it is one of many models for instituting change through music education.

THE CASE MADE BY SAKHULUNTU CULTURAL GROUP IN GRAHAMSTOWN

At Sakhuluntu Cultural Group in Section 9 Joza township Grahamstown there is a music project fuelled by passion alone .

Mr Vuyo Booi inherited a single roomed dwelling in this location. He immediately turned it into a cultural centre, saying, “God gave me this home to look after His children.” They have thirty kids, two big drums and hand- made instruments.

On World Peace Day, I witnessed a full choral rehearsal, of a variety of songs including own compositions sung in a terrific harmony of three voices. The drumming was of a high standard and very natural, whilst the dancing was raw and expressive in the style of the traditional African Ngoma. The gumboot dancing was excellent.

“The aim of giving them the opportunity to choreograph their own dance routines, add their own songs and develop their own theatre skills, is to enable them to witness their own inner potential and to experience what can be achieved if one learns to co-operate in a group. These experiences will nurture a sense of hope and ambition within the children. We are out to enable very underprivileged children to dream and to problem solve creatively and with self-confidence. ” Sakhuluntu annual report.

Sakhuluntu has created a centre piece at the annual Grahamstown arts festival through sharing their learning with the street kids. Their collaborative performance is entitled ‘Amazing!'

Music education develops co-ordination skills, motor skills, reading skills and team work. Music opportunity is privilege enough to reverse the economic effects of being underprivileged.

THE STORY OF BUSKAID IN DIEPKLOOF

Thirteen years ago, Rosemary Nalden heard a BBC radio broadcast of a violin collective in Diepkloof Soweto South Africa. She heard something very unique and visited this project. There she witnessed the musicians practicing out of toilets.

She raised money by requesting her distinguished musician friends of London to busk at the stations. She negotiated for land in Diepkloof and purpose built a music school. She founded Buskaid .

The community of Diepkloof has subsequently been transformed and Rosemary Nalden was awarded the Shoprite Checkers SABC Women of the year award in 2002.

All the children (from beginner to advanced) of the Buskaid School perform in ensembles and together as an orchestra. They have travelled the world and their performances are received by one and all with awe!

This Buskaid teaching method is unique and embraces natural body movement and the natural ability to express and create. Every child has been taught in this same way.

KEYNOTE Interview Susan bass, Johannesburg 2010 :

“I am a cellist I play professionally with the JPO and have been teaching / involved in the project with Buskaid for 11 years. I am the primary Cello and Bass teacher in Soweto. My mother was a musician she made damn sure that I practiced and that I went to my lessons. She did because she paid for them.

“Music takes many years to become proficient on their instrument so to build up a group of players that are sufficiently proficient takes long and sometimes you use them along the way and they go in different directions and you have to start again. There is a constant cycle happening of new ones coming up and old ones moving on.

“What we have got at Buskaid which is quite exciting. This has been the first year that we have started formally employing some of our older students who have progressed from student to teacher. They are teaching and an integral part of the group. When Kabelo and Tietshietso (currently studying at the Royal academy in London) come back on their holidays they get involved in that teaching. There is lots of talent in Soweto. Just about every child that walks through the door is talented.

“There is an energy about the African spirit that comes through in their playing. When Rosemary first heard them playing on a BBC article and she heard this rather scratchy noise coming over the radio she said there was definitely something there that made her listen. They have a natural instinct about classical music they really know how to play things. As long as you are channelling the energy in the correct way you get amazing results. There is huge talent.

“Buskaid employs a unique teaching method. It embraces natural body movement. The (children) have a natural ability to use their bodies very expressively and creatively. This is the natural rhythm they have in themselves and this method works very well with that aspect of who they are.

“What is interesting is that you have got a collective of musicians that have all been taught in the same way and stylistically playing in the same way. This is something very rare. Most orchestras are made up of different schools and elements. Buskaid is very unique as every single player has been taught with the same methodology and technical aspects. It has this incredibly cohesive aspect that makes the music making more exciting. Very flowing lots of movement we do pieces where they dance while they play. You don't see many classically trained musicians doing this. They have this spontaneous thing. It is the use of natural body movement and how the body works. It is based on natural movements. When you play string instruments you can do one of two things, you can either use your whole arm in a circular movement, where there is always a curve or a stop start movement where you are cutting off part of your body and just using one aspect of your arm to play. We find in Soweto that that doesn't work too well because they want to involve their body to play the instrument. Everything in the world that is natural is made up of circles. Everything has curves and shapes. Everything that is man made is right angular and at 90 degrees. If you look at the science of how a violin is made it is very meticulously designed around certain natural mathematical phenomena in order to create this acoustic miracle that when you stretch four pieces of wire across something, it has a natural amplifier and produces this magnificent sound.

“It is all based on nature. The shape of the string instrument is a natural forming shape it makes sense that when you play it you want to use your body in a natural way. That is what this method is based on, that natural aspect of circular movement. We have a ball and socket joint and it needs to work in a natural circular movement. When I started with Buskaid, I kind of learnt these things along the way, nothing was formalised. I had been given this information as I had terrible tension and back problems when I was younger. I was in constant pain, at one point, my physiotherapist said I either have to stop playing or live with the pain. I started exploring and went to other teachers who gave me these things based on circular movement. When I got down to Buskaid I started learning this method and put it into a formal way of teaching. There are four books that develop this approach into a formal aspect of teaching. I embraced it and I changed things in my playing to learn, so that I could then teach that to my students, and I got rid of all my tension and my back ache, so for me it worked. There are lots of different schools of thought. It works and it works in Soweto. It depends on the people who you are teaching and who you are.

“When I started in 1999, Buskaid had been going officially for two years. When Rosemary started she had 15 students in 1997 on her own. She single handedly raised the money for a purpose built music school. She found the land, negotiated everything, raised the money and built the music school which started in 1999. I started working with them in October. There were about twenty to thirty students. From there we realised we had to start new students to continually keep the cycle going. Our big problem is that we did not have teachers. You got to have dedicated responsible good teachers. Teaching is definitely a vocation as far as I can work out. We created some sort of stability, I was teaching cello and double bass as they are similar, they operate in the same ways like the violin and the viola, just different fingering.

“We realised that if we wanted more students we needed more teachers. We realised that what we had to start doing was training our own teachers. So we started the process with our older students who had a good understanding and had been through the process of book one to book four and were at the level. Senior students started coming and helping Rosemary when we took in a new intake of six or seven kids and started learning how to teach and help. This process is still ongoing. I have my intermediate students helping my junior students and my junior students helping my beginner students. It is a process that is continuing all the time and now we have got to a point where the oldest students are now fully employed at Buskaid and that has taken us ten years. We've got two full time Cecelia and Kebetsa and Lesego who doesn't teach every day : I have a cello and bass student who help me regularly. Simiso also does a bit of teaching.

“What we have also got is what we call learnerships. A lot of them are on a learnership. Which means that they come to the music school at 9:30, they practice for four hours and then they teach in the afternoon? There is a combination affect, they are helping us with the teaching but they are still learning. We have a waiting list from here to Cairo.

“We are up to 85: We need to expand the school. The more teachers you have got the more space you have got the more you can expand. It is based in Diepkloof we like to offer it to the community in that area for a number of reasons. We have kids that come to us from other areas but they always encounter problems with transport. It was started as a project for people of disadvantaged areas but Soweto has changed hugely in the last ten years. It is not the Soweto of Eleven years ago. People are living in slightly better conditions.

“El Sistema is the most amazing concept and what we do in Soweto is similar. Our biggest stumbling block is finances. With El Sistema the government got involved. The government poured huge amounts of money into that system. They identified that music education was something they could use to eliminate poverty and that is what they did. You have to have the resources and it costs huge amounts of money.

“To reach 200 000 kids you need 50 000 teachers who have been trained properly, you need instruments, you need buildings. We decided to concentrate on quality rather than quantity, partly because we did not have the resources to open our doors to 150 kids at a time. We have grown from 15 to 85. We went through a stage of four or five years where we fluctuated between 40 and 50 students.

“Our music school is built on the grounds of a church in Diepkloof, so we went to the church and told them we would like to involve the kids that come to their church. So we opened our doors and we had thirty kids arrive. That is the first time we ever took in so many. After about six months the ones who don't want to do it leave and you get left with 14 or 15 which you can manage. As the year progresses you might get one or two who drop away and one who walks in but shows a lot of promise. So you push that child to get them to the level. There is this constant juggling that is going on.

To get government in this country is unbelievably difficult. Even with the lottery funding the amount of effort and paperwork and drama you have to go to get the money, monitor it, report on it takes huge amounts of time. On a monthly basis we have to account for every single cent we spend on what we said we were going to spend it on. It is a lot of PT.

Culture is something that over the years people have realised that it is not something that fits into a capitalist economy. As the world has changed there have been other priorities for government to attend to such as education and health and welfare. Because music is seen as a luxury item less and less money has been poured into it. What El Sistema has shown it creates more and it is more useful to put your money there then use it for health, welfare and education? You put your money there and use it as part of your health, welfare and education programme. If you have got young people who are creative by nature, skilled and have the opportunity to earn a living they become productive members of society. They pay taxes and the government has more money in the coffers to help poorer people. There are less poor people. There is less strain on the country. It makes sense.

“There have been so many studies done over the years of the benefit to a child learning a musical instrument. They don't have to become professional musicians (to access these benefits). Music develops their co-ordination skills, their motor skills, their reading skills and team work: It is proven that a child who studies a musical instrument at school does better in science and maths than a child who does not. The right and left parts of the brain develop (together). That is studied and proven. Venezuela latched onto that they realised that that was something that could help this country.

“I believe passionately in music education after working eleven years in Soweto. I have realised that the black people are an incredibly creative nation. They have a creative spirit and are naturally creative people.

“If there was a way in which we can design an education system where children could be identified as to where their strong areas are and channelled into an arts school or an academic school and really challenged in their area of what they are good, everybody's talent will show. If they are encouraged in the area that they are good at and come out of school with something positive then they become productive members of our society.

“At Buskaid we encourage the children to create their own arrangements of traditional African music and we have released a couple of cd's with those arrangements. It is taught in the traditional folk music way. Whether you are talking about the rural villages of KZN or Romania, folk music is folk music. It is always been passed down by ear and some people have taken the trouble to notate it. Bartok for example went into his native country in Romania and notated folk tunes which he used in his big orchestral pieces. Dvorak did the same when he went to America he took the music of his home country Czechoslovakia. Folk music gypsy music has always been passed down by ear.

"At Buskaid, if they like a particular song they arrange it using the instruments of the orchestra and then they teach it by ear to the other members of the group. It is a very noisy affair. Everybody is playing and people are learning by watching and listening what the notes are.

"One of the reasons Buskaid has been so successful is because Rosemary has been very hands on and very determined that everything happens as it is supposed to. This takes a huge amount of energy and time. Teaching music is such a discipline. If you don't do it properly you might not do it at all because what are you going to produce? People who cannot play? If you have good teachers you will have good results . People look at Buskaid as a model of excellence part of the reason for that is that we took a decision not to go big for quality and control and to make sure that what we produce is something good. I have learnt so much about how to teach from Rosemary. She is an amazing woman. She is very driven and dedicated and she is an absolutely phenomenal teacher and she has produced many fine fiddle players over the years. Sadly, not all of them have continued.

“It is fascinating when you listen to the Buskaid group as a whole it is amazing how these kids play. When they go overseas, some of the professional orchestras have sat down and asked, ‘what can we learn from these kids, what can we incorporate from their performance to make our performance even better.' They actually collaborated with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment which was an amazing experience for everybody.

“Buskaid has its own orchestra. As soon as they are good enough, they progress to a senior ensemble. They play with ensembles right from the start. When they start it is in a group environment and they learn to read and play and count as a group. The Buskaid kids can make a progression into a professional orchestra no problem as they have had an incredible journey from little.

“It is so important to practice regularly and have regular lessons. When you play a string instrument there a certain things you do that are uncomfortable for a while. It takes three days to develop a habit and twenty one days to undo it. The problem with bad habits is that when they start playing music that is technically more challenging they suddenly can't do it. That is where Rosemary has been so successful and able to create an environment where they understand the aspects of self discipline and problem solving and all these things.”

"With support anything can be accomplished. Music is blessed mostly by the support it receives to get instruments to those that require, rehearsal spaces, performances spaces and collaborative learning experiences all the way round."

We require musical instruments for Grahamstown festival 2012. Should you have any unplayed instrument in your collection that you are willing to share with human beings through these operations in Grahamstown and Durban that would be so deeply appreciated : STRUHURU@GMAIL.COM.

Praise goes to those with the vision to spend their time helping others. If you give of your time to prepare food for others or if you give of your time to prepare muisc festivals for others. You will spend of your time enjoying food and music festivals with others. It is the satisfaction of the other that can move mountains ....

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