THE TONGABEZI MUSIC PROJECT
Tujatane or the Tongabezi Trust School, is a school in Zambia and is built on the same compound as the beautiful Tongabezi lodge, designed and built by William Ruck Keene and Ben Parker. It is in the bush, on the banks of Zambezi river. The school was built by Vanessa Parker and provides education and hope to 140 underprivileged children from the surrounding bush. William Ruck Keene, who tragically died in a car accident when he was in his 30s, was Adelaide's uncle.
The Music Room, built (and photographed) by Rob Carlow, Mr Phiri and Stanford, and their building and thatching teams
"Mr William's Room" was built in October-November 2007. Rob and Adelaide went out to Tujatane school to help develop the music programme there. Adelaide first went out in July 2006, and set up the framework for a music programme to exist, but its development and sustainability depended on a building specifically to store instruments in.
What began as an impossible dream has finally ended up as a reality - and more than a storage cupboard this room is big enough for the whole school to go inside, and watch performances on the built-in stage, and for classes to have their interactive music lessons in. The room houses up to about 50 instruments, of varying sizes and traditions, including yamaha keyboards, home-made marimbas, acoustic guitars, Zambian drums and Zimbabwean thumb pianos.
There is a music department in the school now, including a head music teacher, music co-ordinator, keyboard tutor, and music room supervisor. Everyone is so proud to be involved in something so bright and beautiful. The only challenge now is making sure that the children are getting all the access to the instruments that they can. Adelaide spent many hours devising a music timetable for each class and for each music student, but of course these things have to be constantly modified by Mike Zulu and others to suit inevitable changes to the school timetable. Nevertheless the foundations are more than built, and the stage is now set for the Tujatane children to break through what has so far been a barrier to musical education. Hooray!
Adelaide January 2008
With thanks to music project supporters
This project was devised, developed and sponsored by Katherine & John Sutcliffe and by many different Robarts's. Very generous donations from David & Simon Ruck Keene, Jules Hodgkinson, Rose Cavenagh-Mainwairing, Mark Loveday, Felicity Nicol, the Frasers, the J. Paul Getty Jr Charitable Trust and countless others have made the project both viable and sustainable. Thankyou to everybody who has supported Tujatane and its music.
If you would like to support the Music Project
The school director is the energetic and dynamic Vanessa Parker who set up Tujatane in the early 1990s. Having a school band was always her vision and now it's a reality. There are ongoing running costs including teacher's salaries, a scholarship holiday programme for musical kids, and upkeep of the room and all the instruments. If you would like to support the music project, you can go to the school's website where there is information about becoming a donor. If you decide to donate - thankyou! You can state on the donor form that it is intended for the music project to ensure that your money will be earmarked especially for that. And also if you decide to donate, then please let us know so we can thank you personally.
On the website you can find out more about the school and it's latest news, and also you can find out about sponsoring a child at Tujatane School. Click on the photo above to go straight to the school's website.
LATEST TUJATANE MUSIC NEWS
Report on the Scholarship Programme, December 2009
Hey Adelaide,
Greetings to you and your husband, am fine, my family is fine and the Tujatane Music family is fantastic. I never had a chance to say compliments of the season, so i take this chance to do so.
REPORT
I write to give you a report on what transpired during the just ended holiday with regards to Music.
As it has become a tradition every holiday, the music scholars were invited once again for an intensive one week music training at our base (Tujatane Trust School). Starting from the 5th to 11th December . Letters were sent to parents and everyone acknowledged reciept of the letters.
Lunch and break food was provided for the Scholars since the programe was running from 08:00hrs to 15:00hrs everyday.
Scholars were divided into two groups. We had the senior scholars and junior scholars. The senior scholars are Kabeza, Matthew, Pride and Brian. While as the Junior scholars are Malambo, Everisto, Bright, Maliki and Sonia. These are the ones who just went to grade 8. Another category created is called potencial mucic scholars involving Sylvia, Esther, Yvonne and Innocent who still with us at Tujatane.
COURSE CONTENT
The programe mainly was dealing with already covered material as to give them depth and clear understanding of certain topics we covered previously. This included a constant evaluation of previous topics. Below is the outline of items covered.
*Chromatic Scales
*Major Scales
*Major Chord Formation
*Minor Chord Formation
*Root, Sub-Dominant, Dominant and Relative minors
*Inverssions
*Notation
*Song Writting
PERFORMANCE OF THE SCHOLARS
All the scholars made very good progress as planned.
Kabeza- Even after being away from the instruments for he has maneged to keep his shape. He was panctual and willing to learn. He confessed having made a great deal of progress during that one week.
Matthew- He has had difficulties in the previous programes but this time he was outstanding on the keyboard. He attended all the lessons on time.
Malambo- He has matured greatly and i can safely say he is going very far in the music industry. In the past he had difficulties with music theory, but this time he was awesome.
Everisto- He was the best student when it came to theory. Since he will be doing music in the new school where he is, he appreciated the subject on notation which he said will give him advantage as goes to do music in south Africa.
Brian- He did not attend the course even when the leeter was comfirmed to have reached the parents.
Bright- He is new in the programe but he has made excellent progress on both the guitar and keyboard.
Pride- She is a shy talented girl. She had a few struggles because she missed two holiday programes. After two days also she was able to do a number of things on the keyboard.
Innocent- He has mentained his shape on the guitar. He was introduced to c major scale and second position chords.
Yvonne- For the first time she showed more determination and interest to learn. She was able to play a number of tunes on the keyboard and Marimba.
Other pupils who made themselves available are Steve Hanene, Stafford, Spencer, Esther, Amulate, Nelford, Stafford and Diana. Whenever i was free with the scholars i could attend to them in the afternoons.
Generally i can say the programe was a success, the scholars were given an opportunity to evaluate the programe and their submissions were made available to the management.
Their desire is to see the music programe continue in that it gives them that chance to acquire knowlegde in this discipline.
Thanx once again for your continued support and vision of this Project.
Djembes purchased for the school
"The djembe’s are fantastic by the way and in our performance last term the kids wowed our crowd with some really impressive group drumming AND the Major was there! It was very exciting! The school choir CD is almost ready! Vanessa and I have been having sneak previews in the office and it’s fabulous... makes the hairs on my neck stand on end."
Report from Mike Zulu April 2009
It will please you to hear that the music program went on smoothly without any struggles in every aspect of its operations. The involvement of the kids was excellent, the support from management and the staff was extra-ordinary. This helped me achieve alot for the kids. Let me give you some of the exciting things that happened this term.
~ A number of girls have improved greatly, come next year when the grade sevens are gone, the girls will be the ones on most of the instruments. To me this is great news because for along time the male child has dominated in that regard. Two girls in particular are outstanding, the names are Sylvia and Yvonne. They can play so well some songs I a have taught them, they know all the major and minor chords on the keyboard.
~ Malambo, Everisto and Innocent have matured and improved in their ability to arrange and discover the right combination of chords in a song. This is indeed a remarkable achievement for the boys.
~ This term i have gone into the talent identification process seeing that soon the current crop of students will be gone. A few of them have been identified and i will give you the names as soon as i start with them possibly next term.
~ This term we had a drum session with Rob, all the kids were accorded a chance to play the drums. Everyone was excited about it. The kind of drum is called Djembe, it is a west African drum.
Brief Update: January 2009
A friend recently volunteered at Tujatane school for a few months, and her stay was fantastically successful, and great fun. Jenny Whitham went out there to focus in particular on the performing arts and music areas of Tujatane, and she successfully wrote and put on a play with some of the children, and helped the kids to put on several music performances as well. Before leaving Jenny decided which kids had worked the hardest on music, and presented them with end of year prizes to encourage them and to demonstrate reward for talent AND hard work to the rest of the school.
Detailed Update: July 2008
Mike Zulu has now been music teacher at Tujatane for 9 months, and much has happened since then - he has faced challenges and opportunities with equal enthusiasm, and the children have been noticeably benefitting from his fantastic wealth of songs and ideas, and his steady teaching of instrumental skills on guitar and keyboard. Mike has been running the scholarship programme that we set up so that every holiday a group of the most musical children, including those who have moved on to secondary school in the last year, join Mike for 5 days of intensive music education and fun at Tujatane, culminating in a performance, for local parents, staff and Tongabezi staff and guests. Mike and Vanessa email me regularly to update me on events and sometimes, it seems, to communicate with each other! Often this has proved complicated but it has been great to be involved and where it has been difficult it has only urged me on to get to the bottom of the problem. Ultimately the relationship between Vanessa, Mike and Tujatane is a very fruitful and positive one, and I am in no doubt that the project that all of us set up continues to be beneficial for many many people, young and old in this small and vibrant corner of Zambia.
One of the main difficulties has been simple organisation: both of Mike's role and timings, and of the school's very changeable timetable. Different afternoon activities that are spontaneously organised rather than routinely time-tabled are constantly competing for the many of the same children who are on the time-tabled music programme. Other factors that were difficult to control meant that for a while all the children had to go home for their midday meal. As Mike teaches after lunch, this meant that children were simply not in school when he should have been teaching them music. Sometimes the absence of reliable transport causes Mike's hours to be shorter than they should be. Based on a couple of emails about this from both Mike and Vanessa, I felt that Mike needed to go into school with a sense of timing and self-motivation which would rise above the children's tendency to turn up or not depending on how they feel. At least he would then be leading by example. Vanessa and the music department are trying very hard to respond to these tricky problems. Food is being provided for music students, and Mike's transport salary has increased in order for him to be able to come into school by taxi, rather than paying for unreliable lifts. [Transport is a perennial problem, and fuel prices have shot up leading to ever more expensive rates (practically UK prices). Thank-goodness for standing orders and all your help because it would be so tragic if the music project were to go belly up because Mike just couldn't get to school every day.] A few more emails backwards and forwards and a couple of strategic meetings between Mike and Vanessa led to a very successful and exciting holiday workshop and a feeling of optimism for the new term that has just begun. A recent email from Vanessa on this subject reads:
"Mike...has had a meeting with all the parents of children involved in individual music lessons (something I have been pushing for for weeks!) and this meeting went very well. He is now keeping a register on the wall of all the children so we can see easily who is absent. And the kids seem to be almost always present now. Sophie and Sydney have been organising peanut butter sandwiches for lunch to keep the music students around – another success."
Sophie is the Music Room Manager - and was promoted to this task while I was in Zambia. Coincidentally it was her son, Duncan who drew the marimba so artistically on the art mural pictured below. Sophie has contributed 100% to the maintenance of the room, helping the whole school to feel pride in their music room and all the creativity and potential that it represents. The following words are Vanessa's, from an email to me, dated 4 June:
"Sophie is really putting in an amazing effort to keep everything perfect. She was awarded the most improved employee at the labour day and was thrilled!"
MIke Zulu himself has done an incredible job teaching children under what have obviously been sometimes trying circumstances. In response to one of my emails to Mike urging him to be motivated and thereby motivate his students his reply, dated 28 May, was so impressive that I have quoted practically all of it:
"Firstly when i came to Tujatane i did not find any guitar player even when guitars were available. This time we have six kids who can play the guitars, two boys and four girls namely Sibo, Esther, Hellen Makwaza, Pride, Bright a new boy who just joined last term and Innocent Moono. all these can play all the open major and minor chords. Secondly, i have more Keyboard players i can not mention them one by one the list is endless. however i can talk about Everisto and Malambo. when i come Everisto was not playing the Keyboard, Malambo could only play four chords. Now these boys have improved greatly such that during the holiday programme Kabeza and Matthew were learning from them. Actually they acknowledged that the boys have gone past them on terms of Chord formation and many other things. Thirdly, i have raised a number of good vocalists like Everisto, Malambo, Bright, Esther, Sylvia, Miyanda & Yvonne. you would be suprised to hear that Monica is not the best of them now. Malambo sings far more better than Kabeza you can ask Sydney on that one. Everisto is marvelous to see singing. The other thing that i have done is that i have increased the number of songs for the band. i have taught the band twenty new songs which they can sing and play.i feel i have done alot, i have motivated a number of kids who did not even know that they could sing, i have identified new talent i did not only inherit i searched for talent nutured it and am now building it.I may not have done well in some areas of work, but i want to do more for the school and help the kids. My desire is to see the project excel."
Mike then sent me a report of his 5-day holiday workshop - which is the scholarship programme for 4 excellent music scholars who have moved on from Tujatane and lots of the current music students still at Tujatane - this is generously sponsored so that it can happen 3 times a year by Mark Loveday.
Extracts of Mike's report are below:
The holiday music program started on the 7th of April 2008 through to the 11th of the same month.
The program went on so well with a 100% attendance. All the kids who were called upon reported through out the week.
TOPICS COVERED
*Review of the Previous lessons * Major scales * Chords ( 7th, 6th, M7, Sus 4, Sus 2 & Minor Chords * Vocals.
PROGRESS ON STUDENTS
Generally all the pupils demonstrated some improvement compared to the previous holiday program. However, the grade 8 pupils struggled to find feet due to lack of practice when they are away in schools were music is not provided.
ATTENDANCE
It is interesting to note that the program attracted 25 pupils compared to the 12 last time. All of them performed so well including new ones.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- There is need to plan for the grade 8s so as to keep them in shape musically seeing that they are losing touch after schools.
- We need more Musical Instruments. it is a challenge to teach over 20 kids with only 3 Guitars and 2 Keyboards.
- We need a P.A Systems for various activities i will share with you in the near future.
SUMMARY
The program was very fruitful and successful. Although the program was just for five days, the impact was great. As a music teacher i felt fulfilled to see how much the boys and girls grasped in a short period of time.
We had lots of positive and well-written letters from the children after their holiday workshop stating how many chords they had learnt, and that they had learnt the factors that make a band work well, and also how to care for their voices. Unfortunately I do not have these here so I can't quote them! But there were lots of them, all decorated and hand-written, and sent to us by post from Vanessa. Mike is obviously teaching a varied and enjoyable programme and the children are lapping up all his expertise.
As for his recommendations -
The whole point of the scholarship programme was to keep the grade 8's 'in shape musically' because we knew that at secondary school they would receive much less musical education. Rather than ask Mike to do more than he is already doing time-wise, I have suggested that he brings down the number of children who come to his holiday workshop who are currently at the school, since they have access to his classes all year round. There are 4 music scholars, so perhaps 6 more advanced students who are still at Tujatane would make a good, focused group of ten. This would mean that the Grade 8s are given the musical attention that they will rarely get from now on and that they deserve, having been awarded music scholarships. The idea is that every 2 years, more music scholarships are awarded, and eventually there will be enough scholars for Mike to run the holiday workshops solely for the music scholars who have left Tujatane, so the average age (but possibly not standard) of these workshop groups will increase as the holidays go by.
If they halve the number of children who attend the workshop, then they might not need more instruments. There is a home-made instruments project that is in the pipeline, but I am going to see what else we can agree on, that is both affordable and sustainable. Mike is keen on progressive and contemporary music that mixes gospel and Afro-American styles with his own compositions that are catchy and spirited. The school's traditional Zambian musical instruments are plentiful, but are somewhat unused at the moment, and I want to see if there is a way Mike might combine the use of these with the keyboards and guitars before we purchase yet more instruments.
I await with interest to see what activities Mike would like a PA system for!
Now, Vanessa and Mike are preparing for the arrival of a good friend of mine, Jenny Whitham, who has been working as researcher and producer for BBC Radio 3, and BBC TV in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Jenny is a violinist and pianist, who is experienced in working with children in various fun and interesting settings. She is volunteering to go out and support the music project and also to contribute to Tujatane's burgeoning poetry and drama departments - and she is well-qualified to do so with a degree in Theatre Studies and Music from Glasgow University. Jenny's trip is planned for September this year, and she is hoping to spend about 2 months at the school, working closely with Mike, Sydney and Vanessa, and the children. I have met recently with Jen to discuss her plans for this trip, and have tried to fill her her in as much as I can on all that has happened since Rob and I were there ourselves. It is wonderful that a friend should volunteer to go to Tujatane so soon, and although I had high hopes that the music project would be completely self-sufficient, I have realised that it is a complex organisation and it requires as much physical support as possible. Mike and Vanessa are really looking forward to Jenny's visit and are full of plans for her stay. Jenny is planning to fund the whole trip herself, but if she has any great ideas to aid musical education at Tujatane she will have access to our music project funds to carry them out.
This came in more recently in an email from Vanessa, 20 June:
"Just had an amazing performance of music, poetry and dance on the amphitheater - mainly organised by Mike and also Sydney - really great!!!! Well done them"
and finally, an email from Vanessa, dated 18 July:
Hi Ads,
We are getting SO excited about Jenny’s arrival. I have organised for the third teachers house to be ready for her which should help her costs. She could still stay in town for the odd weekend if she feels that she would like to get involved in the night life.
I spoke to Mike yesterday and he is keen for Jenny to train Sophie in music – and get her learning one of the instruments – maybe the keyboard. Mike is very enthusiastic about everything and a very nice guy... He has set up a JB – Junior band – and he is very excited about the potential in the kids – grade 3 and below.
I think it will be great to have Jenny here to motivate Mike and hopefully keep him busy with the kids without going home early. Also for her to train Sophie sounds like a perfect idea as then Sophie will really be able to help Mike and get music happening in between his time at school. Sophie is really a big asset to the school and is a bright person and very keen. I have been very impressed with her. She has got involved with the performing arts group and been incredibly reliable and organised.
Our traditional dancers and poets went to Mazabuka last week to compete in the southern province round – having got through the Livingstone round. Our grade 6 kids competing against grade 9 kids at other schools as we are in the basic schools category. We came first in dancing and second in poetry. We got the best male dancer, the best female poet, the best male poet and the best director of poetry (Sydney). Our poets are amazing. Little Esther (Everisto’s sister) is a total natural – should be talent spotted. I am in awe when she performs and she has everyone in tears including herself! And she is only 9 years old.Sophie is keeping the music room looking good. It would be good to get Jenny to bring a few items out. I am not sure what Mike would like but he did mention some sort of microphone for the kids to use so they don’t strain their voices on stage. What do you think? Also I think some strings for the guitars would be good. I am still keen to try to come up with a band using purely recycled materials – like bottles, cans. This may be an area that Jenny would like to develop?
I will be here in Oct so will be able to spend some time with Mike and Jenny. I am sure it will be fab for our music department. Thanks so much for organising this.
All in all, I think the year has been busy, challenging and exciting, and the future looks set to be the same. The best parts are that Mike's job looks set to carry on - and the music room, by all accounts, looks every bit as beautiful as it did when Rob first built it. Thank you, donors, once again, for helping to make this possible.
Adelaide 18 July 2008