Govt urged to boost creative industry with classical music

The federal government has been called upon to to encourage and give more attention to the teaching of music in schools to boost creative arts industry in the country.

Organisers and participant at the annual Classical Music performance night in Abuja, tagged: Symphony and Bcanto, to celebrate this year’s classical music month said Nigerian and Africans music plays a very big part in our culture and customs.

The organiser of the programme, Mrs Nana Gbolahan, said the awareness of classical music can start by taking it to the grassroots and according to her, this can only happen, if it is introduced into school curriculum.

According to her, the government has a role to play in ensuring that classical music is accepted in the country and beyond.

Mrs Gbolahan said, “I just believe that alot of awareness needs to happen because classical music is known in certain circles that are termed elite but what we want to do is to take classical music everywhere even to the grassroot and i think the government can do this by helping to introduce it in schools.

“The government can assist by helping in promoting music in schools, currently, i think the school curriculum does not have music. I think music should have it’s own syllabus separately because music is something we use as Nigerians.

*I feel we can introduce music into our schools and also introduce classical music together with our own indigenous music, with that, we will form something new, just like we have Afrobeat now. You know Nigerians created that, so, in the same way we just can’t live it and say this is an “oyinbo” musice, we make it in such a way that Nigerians, other African culture are intertwined with classical music and maybe we form a new genre of classical music not what is conventionally known.”

Also, Wing Commander Ayodeji Ayanbode, Director of Music in the Nigerian Airforce, who led the Airforce band to the event described the event as entertaining and soul inspiring.

He also called on the government to introduce classical music in school to catch interested student young.

He said, “Well, I will always say this, there’s a need to catch them young and by so doing, the government should encourage the teaching of music or to boost the curriculum of teaching our secondary and primary school level as a way of improving music education in Nigeria.

“If we do this, we will make classical music more prominent in the country and this will further lead to the discovery of talents and boost the creative industry.

“This event is entertaining and soul inspiring. This is the kind of music that we in the music production call therapy that can actually lift the soul and make you feel okay, bring you out of worries and your concern, makes you feel relaxed and well entertained.”

The event witnessed lots of classical music in both local amd international languages