Gobierno de Dominica estimula la educación musical
Music workshops, trainings and programs help to develop good values, Senior Cultural Officer, Gregory Rabess has told a group of thirty-two students who completed a two week Summer Music Workshop.
The Comfort Zone Music Tutorial, coordinated by Ian Jackson was hosted at the Calypso House in Bath Estate and ended on Friday 29 July.
Rabess, who commended Jackson and his group for organizing the program for the third consecutive year, said learning to play music and playing music develops a range of positive attitudes, values and skills.
“Not just the technical knowledge of the instrument, but participating in a music program and learning to play and instrument, getting involved in music, helps to develop a range of skills,” Rabess said.
He added that it assists in building one’s confidence “because you are learning a new instrument and as you grow in terms of your skill you become more confident and that confidence radiates into other areas of life”.
“As a matter of fact, it’s well known that students who participate in music programs go on to do very well in their other subject areas …so learning music helps you to grow as a young person, it keeps you motivated,” Rabess explained.
Additionally according to Rabess, when you play as a group, it develops your listening skills because you have to listen to the other group members so that you can play together.
“It develops what you call the team spirit and it develops cooperation and these are values that we really need to embrace in our society. We need to do things together in all areas of society, we need to learn to do things together and not just remain as an individual, very selfish, you don’t care about the other person, you pass them on the road, you don’t even tell them hello good morning, so music programs develop good values,” Rabess noted.
At the closing ceremony, Jackson informed that these music sessions will continue when the academic year commences in September as “this is just a budding situation for the young people, you cannot learn music in two and a half weeks”.
Jackson said the program gave many participants, who knew “absolutely nothing about music”, a firsthand look and knowledge of the instrument, “and that’s what we’re about, trying and introduce students to music”.
“We are sure and confident, even though I pass on…I’m sure some of those young people here are going to be great at some time or the other in terms of their music and I’ll be happy to know that it started here, where we now call Comfort Zone Music Tutorial,” Jackson stated.
From September, this program will be held full time with classes held twice per week; one during the week and one on Saturdays “so they could come in and practice their instruments, even if they don’t have one”.