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.

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.

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.

Latest posts

From Past Days…

Ashoura Opera

Ashura Opera was composed by Behzad Abdi, the Iranian composer, in 2008 based on librettos compiled by Behrouz Gharib. The main source for the libretto is poems by Mohtasham Kashani, a sixteenth century Iranian poet.

Principles of Playing Violin (VI)

B. applying force: the force needed for putting finger on finger board is applied through finger tips and using the rest of hand set especially wrist is not allowed. To practice this, it is possible to hold violin without the bow and throw the fingers on the finger board from 1-2cm distance; apply force only through finger tips.

Polyphony in Iranian Music (IV)

Two choirs alternatively perform Veŝ Tavaré Na avaz (Transcription 5). The second group starts the avaz before the first group finishes it; consequently, two different voices coincide (Transcription 5, staves 2 and 5).

Payam Taghadossi: Talented Iranian-Austrian Cellist

Payam Taghadossi (born in 1989) started his musical education at the age of 4 years with Monika Scherbaum in Bregenz (Austria). At the Conservatory Feldkirch he joined the class of Imke Frank and Martin Merker. Later he studied in Zurich (Switzerland) with Thomas Grossenbacher and Christian Proske, where he 2011 graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance. Two years later as the student of Rafael Rosenfeld he received his Master of Arts in Music Performance diploma and later graduated as a Master of Arts in spezialized Music Performance in 2016 from the Hochschule für Musik Basel FHNW.

Principles of Violin Playing (X)

Creating sound continuity between two notes in the source and destination positions when left hand position changes and “two different finger numbers” are involved is called portamento. Portamento can be performed on single string or two neighboring strings and with hand moving on fingerboard either upward or downward.

Qanun, a feminized instrument?

In the world music culture, there are instruments which were traditionally associated with a certain gender. It remains disputable to what extent these gender-based perceptions have been logical and scientific. For example, as playing wind instruments need more breath strength and the public opinion believe that men have stronger breath compared to women, these instruments are predominantly a male domain. Harp is also considered a female instrument as the public opinion believe that women have finer fingers and can therefore better perform nuances and delicate techniques on the instrument.

A brief examination of Ardavan Kamkar’s Santour playing style

I still think of those fish in a crystal bowl for the Haft sin table and those disappointed old men who went out to sell blackfish.

Ahmad Pejman Passed Away!

Composer and music teacher Ahmad Pejman (1935–2025) passed away on August 29 in Los Angeles, USA, after several weeks of illness. His most recent symphonic work performed in Iran was Land of the Brave (“Sarzameen-e Delavaran”), which was staged in 2017 with the Tehran Symphony Orchestra. According to the family’s decision, his body will be laid to rest in the United States.

The Structure of Kurdistan Daf (III)

“Our ancestors believe powerful blows upon the Daf scatters evil spirits of disease and distress to create a clean and holy space filled with health and prosperity. Adding tools to Daf increases this instrument’s purification, spreading, and summoning powers of evil forces and goddesses. Daf was mostly depicted by red, color of blood, in ancient times or sometimes it was depicted with green, the color of plants and nature. There were probably some mysterious designs painted upon the wooden body and frames of these instruments just like today” (Pahlavan, 2013: 44).

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

Gholam Reza Khan Minbashian, a.k.a Salar-Mo’azez, was a pioneer in several domains in the history of the Iranian music. He is recognized as the first Iranian musician who was educated in classical music. He is also the first Iranian the score of whose works were published in Europe. He is the first Iranian to have launched courses on Western classical music and was also the first Iranian teacher of classical music. Moreover, he is the first founder of a string orchestra in Iran, the first author of the Iranian Radif which was available in oral form. Minbashian is also the first Iranian who studied music in Europe.