Project - Music Institute

Justification

1. The Catholic Church has been at the forefront of education in Uganda. The importance of music in the Church as not merely a component of Liturgy but ‘Liturgy’ itself, which is an action of the worshipping community, cannot be overstressed. Moreover, music is inseparable from culture, and the part music plays in intercultural dialogue and understanding among people must be underlined.

2. It is now the time that the Catholic Church undertakes the challenge of setting up a music Institute. The increasing demand for musical training to provide competent Church musicians, performers, teachers, directors, composers of all genres of music necessitates such an Endeavor. The vision of training artists and awakening talents in other areas of life lies in the establishment of a higher-level institute.

Objectives

1. The school will have a strong focus on music and the performing arts, coupled with the development of other creative skills.

2. The entire setting will be designed to serve as a cultural centre and will boost the life and image of the Archdiocese. It is expected that such an institute will eventually be an attraction in the whole East African region, because there is no Church Institute of its kind.

3. The institute will also provide additional vocational courses so that there is a wider outreach to those who may wish to develop skills in other areas.

4. The institute will be affiliated to a Catholic University and to specialized Institutes of Church Music for international outreach, and thus be able to award certificates, diplomas and degrees. Its curriculum will also be connected to internationally renowned music exam organizations like ABRSM London to ensure that standards have an international flavor and appeal.

DEPARTMENTS

• Church Music: Theory, composition, Directing, Performance, Liturgy

• Music Pedagogy: Theory, Vocal and Instrumental

• Music and Therapy

• Music Technology

• Musicology: General Musicology, Ethnomusicology

STRUCTURES NEEDED

Common Structures

• Administration offices

• Teachers’ Quarters

• Chaplaincy

• Chapel and Prayer rooms

• Cafeteria section, dining and Canteen

• Computer Lab

• General Library

• Sports facilities: Football fields (One with light athletics facilities), lawn tennis courts, basketball courts, netball courts, Indoor sports facilities (Table tennis, gymnastics), eventually a swimming pool

Music College

• Student hostels

• Liturgy Institute

• Teaching studios for piano lessons, voice Lessons, Other instruments

• Piano Practicing rooms, Organ Practicing Rooms, Other instruments

• Lecture halls, recital halls, Concert Hall and Auditorium, Practice Hall, Choir- Rehearsal Hall

• Percussion instruments hall, String instruments hall, Brass instruments hall, woodwind instruments hall

• Music Technology Lab and Studio, Video and Audio Section

• Music Library, Archive, Research and Documentation Centre.

• Publishing Section

• African Music Section and hall,

• Technical Workshop: For musical instruments, building and repair of Western and African traditional instruments.

Supplementary sections

• Wood and metal Work, Workshop and Industrial section

• Handwork, Embroidery, Workshop and Industrial section

• Visual arts, Painting, Sculpture

• Agricultural demonstration farm

IMMEDIATE PLAN

• Identification of a sizeable piece of land (at least 3 acres) from available Church land. Population estimate: 300 People.

• Working on the master site plan and Architectural Plan: An Architect has been contacted

• Estimated budget for the complex: 130.000 Euros (500m UGX)

• 90% of all needed accessories (Instruments, Texts, teaching resources etc) are already available.

• Sourcing of Funds and administration of Project: Association of Church Music in Germany (made of Priests and laity of Kampala Archdiocese living in Germany), in cooperation with the Archdiocese of Kampala and the Department of Music.

 

Prepared by: Fr. Mayanja Gonzaga Lutwama, on behalf of the Church Music Foundation in Germany.