In graduate school I studied a Hungarian methodology for teaching musical literacy by using indigenous folk music. (Kodaly) When I taught a music education course at African Bible College in 2009, I met a student from Lilongwe named Lackson Chazima who is incredibly gifted.
Since then, Lackson has studied briefly in Spain and helped train a small group of Malawians who now teach for an international group called Music Crossroads. My colleague Kelly Dehnert, and one our our seniors, Linda Chiyani and I visited their music training school last week. (on a very warm afternoon!)
I was about in tears with happiness and excitement to see how well the trainers have been educated and how beautifully they were presenting the lesson. It was helpful for me to see in person how effective the Kodaly methodology has become in Malawi even on a small scale.
In the near future, ABC would like to join this effort of training teachers in music education. I'm happy to be teaching the college's first official music education course next semester. There is currently no such degree offered in the country.
Please pray for us as we seek to build partnerships and learn from what is already happening in Lilongwe. Please pray for us as we identify and invest in the talented students that God brings to us at ABC. Please also pray that we would have wisdom in this process of possibly growing a music degree program at the college.
Gladson, me, Julia, Marlyn, Linda, and Lackson
Kodaly teachers of Lilongwe
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