Music education in third-world countries

1 January 2024 – 1:29 pm Posted in Articles' List, General Information

This entry was written by Ali Farahani

Music education in third-world countries is facing many problems that limit access to it and it’s full of challenges. These rising and falling obstacles are made of the socioeconomic, cultural educational systems, etc.
Here we will inspect some of the most important challenges which make difficult the progress of music education in this area.

1- Limited references
Usually, in many third-world countries, education institutions, particularly, those that focus on the dissemination of art disciplines, don’t have enough resources. The lack of financial resources for the provision of music education tools as well as musical instruments, and the lack of experienced teachers and suitable facilities, reduce the quality of music education provided especially to children.

2- socioeconomic factors.
High levels of poverty in third-world countries may prevent children from following music education.
Families may put their priorities on basic needs over cultural activities such as learning music. This limits the number of students participating in the music program.

3- cultural standpoints deterrent
Cultural attitudes toward music education are different and sometimes it may reduce value or misunderstand its validity and importance. Generally, in the development and growth of music especially among children, the culture’s domination of society and lack of artistic recognition create a kind of predestined view that affects the fate of this art. In a society where cultural beliefs marginalise music and trap it in a corner, so, art can not be active and remains passive and has no fans or it goes astray and finds quiddity like the heart in an underground movement. Certainly, this cultural disconnect led to a lack of support for music education initiatives.

4- Gender discrimination
Gender discrimination can cause problems in music education, in some societies old beliefs and traditions may prevent girls from participating in art activities, particularly, music. Patriarchal societies can keep half of the society limited and lead to limited representation of certain groups in the field of musical talent development. Although third world societies are so Sick that boys and girls are confined in this area.

5- Lack of experienced teachers
The lack of skilled music teachers is an important issue that it caught the collar of promotion and dissemination of this art for a long time. Without experienced teachers, the quality of music education, what is transmitted is incomplete and infirm, even if it may even cause ، escape the art students to cut off their connection with art education and destroy their talent.

6- Disconnected from the world and isolation
Though limited to a certain number of music genres may lead to a reduction in the variety of music fields and disconnection of world music. The limited program prevents the development of music education as universal. Cooperation with international organizations can provide more opportunities for music education in the third world.

7- Infrastructure challenges
Inadequate infrastructure, including, a lack of education spaces, schools, conservatories, music venues, lack of suitable facilities for holding concerts, all of them are high obstacles in front of music. A prominent example of this is that there is only two music conservatory in the capital of a big country like Iran.

8- religious beliefs
Religion can have various effects on music education.
For instance, in some cultures, music may be compatible with values and religious principles and it enhances the power of music as a booster element, like, the influence of different religions in Indian music.
On the contrary, in some societies, music may conflict with religious principles and some religious opinions may be made circumscription for music activities.

In Iran, the influence of Islam on music has created different historical periods. In the primitive Islamic periods, music faced limitations and sometimes masters of music were killed, sometimes rejected and exiled and sometimes isolated and in some periods completely reciprocal movement was going on.

This entry was written by HarmonyTalk
Tagged: Music education.

Transition to Enlightenment: Six Lectures on Mozart’s String Quartets (5)

The late 18th century was marked by profound societal changes across Europe, characterized by the rise of the bourgeoisie and the reshaping of musical patronage. Composers like Mozart responded to these shifts by adapting their compositional styles to align with the tastes and sensibilities of the emerging middle class. This article seeks to explore this phenomenon through an analysis of Mozart’s K. 499 quartet, also known as the “Hoffmeister” quartet, and his Prussian quartets, alongside the works of his contemporaries. By examining the evolution of the string quartet genre within the context of changing social structures and aesthetic preferences, this study aims to shed light on the dynamic relationship between music and society.

Nasser Masoudi: The Voice of Gilan and a Legacy of Iranian Music

In Iranian music, certain singers have become emblematic of their homelands through their distinctive voices. Historical figures such as Eghbal Sultan, who epitomized the grandeur of Azerbaijani music, and Taj Isfahani, who conveyed the authentic essence of Isfahan, serve as notable examples from the Qajar era. Nasser Masoudi occupies a similar position; his voice emerged as a symbol of Gilan while also achieving national acclaim. Before him, Master Ahmad Ashurpur represented Gilan’s musical landscape, but his extended residence outside Iran limited his continuous engagement in the music scene. In contrast, Masoudi’s consistent presence allowed him to introduce the voice of Gilan to audiences across Iran.

Latest posts

From Past Days…

A Promising Concert by National Instruments Orchestra

The National Instruments Orchestra of Iran performed its first concert amid much hope and anxiety on July 18, 2015. The Orchestra is founded by Roudaki Cultural and Arts Foundation which is a semi-private foundation in Iran. The Arts Director for the National Instruments Orchestra of Iran is cand the Orchestra Executive Director is Sadjad Pourghand.

Transition to Enlightenment: Six Lectures on Mozart’s String Quartets (3)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a musical prodigy of the Classical era, was deeply influenced by the intellectual currents of the Enlightenment. His exposure to Enlightenment ideas was multifaceted, shaped not only by the cultural milieu of his time but also by the relationships within his family and his own interactions with prominent figures of the Enlightenment. This exploration will delve into Mozart’s acquaintance with Enlightenment ideas through his father’s relationships and his own encounters with influential personalities of the era, including Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, Baron Melchior Grimm, Madame d’Epinay, and Joseph von Sonnenfels. Additionally, the essay will examine the impact of Joseph II’s reforms on Mozart’s life and artistic endeavors.

Farhad Poupel: The Voice of the Shahnameh in the Orchestras Around the World

In an era when almost no trace of contemporary Iranian music can be heard in international concert halls, except (so-called!) avant-garde works that owe their existence solely to the fashionable slogans of the “pseudo-intellectual” crowd who have seized the already meager resources for performing classical music from the true artists of the field, the numerous performances of Farhad Poupel’s works shine as a ray of hope for lovers of sincere musical art. Without resorting to trendy slogans, he has kept the flame of Iranian classical music alive purely through the power of his artistry.

Developments in Iranian Music Since Qajar Era (I)

At the end of the Qajar era and as Iran entered the power transition period, known as the constitutional era, the Iranian music went through a lot of changes. These changes gained momentum as the students and followers of Ali Naqi Vaziri’s entered the musical scene. These changes greatly influenced designs of instruments, playing methods, singing, composing, etc.

Ennio Morricone’s music for Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight

After watching Quentin Tarantino’s latest movie, The Hateful Eight, everyone was excited by its novel music besides the beautiful scenes of blood and guts.
The Hateful Eight is the first collaboration between the world-famous film music composer, Ennio Morricone, and Quentin Tarantino as a famous director.

The Mystery of Messiah

Antonio Stradivari (1644 – 18 December 1737) was an Italian luthier and is considered the most significant and greatest artisan in this field.

Hossein Dehlavi: the Composer

With Dehlavi it is not all about fame but recognition. Hossein Dehlavi is not a popular musician (like pop singers) whom everybody might know when he is walking on streets of Tehran; however, he is recognized by both amateur and distinguished musicians of the country.

Gholam Reza Khan Minbashian: a pioneer in Iranian music (II)

Gholamreza Khan Minbashian taught courses such as organology, orchestration of military music and harmony based on the books which were translated from French into Persian with the help of Aliakbar Mozayyan-o-Dolleh (1846-1932).

Iranian Fallacies – School of Vaziri

The term “School of Vaziri” is often used in writings on Iranian music, but the exact meaning of the term is not clear; some of the authors have used the term to only refer to the group of Vaziri’s students, including a large group of his conservatory students and his Tar students such as Abolhassan Saba, Rouhollah Khaleghi, Ahmad Foroutan Rad, Hossein Sanjari, Heshmat Sanjari and others. But can we consider all Vaziri’s students as followers of his school of thought? This is definitely a mistake, because we know that some of Vaziri’s students have chosen a completely different path than that of Vaziri.

Developments in Iranian Music Since Qajar Era (III)

Developments in Composing

Along with developments in the Iranian instruments, composition of the Iranian pieces developed as well. As a matter of fact, the developments of the two, mutually affected each other. In other words, instrumental developments led to developments in composition and vice versa.