Music can unite people in the whole world, produce unity and harmony in the community and can guarantee social and financial assurance for a better future most especially if taken to a professional level. For this reason, Joseph Wasswa, a musician and currently a PhD Student at the University of Regensburg initiated right from the year 2011 the ambitious Project IMLS „International School of Music, Languages and Studio Production“
as an academic institution and center of culture in the city of Masaka in Uganda/East Africa. This institution and cultural center combines all spheres of Music, Languages like German, English, Swahili and French, Computer courses with an integrated Music-Studio. It will be constructed in Masaka/ Uganda. The school tentatively opened its gates officially in September 2016 at Kitovu Music Center, to give the needy, the talented and poor children the chance to experience moral stability, structure and community life through music. More to that, the IMLS is
intended to be a meeting place for international musicians and cultural scientists, ethnomusicologists and people who are interested in promoting East-African and European music cultures. Bring your experience whenever you are to the Pearl of Africa – Uganda in order to nurture the young generations. Through different workshops, courses and lectures from native and international musicians and music experts, children as well as adults will be offered an opportunity to improve their technical Know-How. Besides the maintenance of the African cultural heritage in the teaching course “Ethnomusicology” other courses to be taught will include;, playing the music instruments such as piano, saxophone, flute, guitar, drumset, string and brass instruments together with African dance and courses such as Voice training, among others, to enhance Choral music in the country. Subjects such as Composition and Conducting will be part of the curriculum. Workshops are
intended to provide interested individuals as well as big groups (e.g. Choirs, School classes, Orchestra etc.), different Choirs and Dance groups and also language and computer courses. Another important department is the IMLS-Children's Troupe which also has its own page. These are talented children from different backgrounds. IMLS promotes their talents to forget world problems and improve thier academich capacity. Cultural heritage however is another important factor to maintaion the culture that shouldn't detoriorate due to globalisation. Furthermore, the audio- studio will give the musicians and composers the necessary environment to record, publish, and therefore, make them known to the world. Everyone is therefore welcome to experience the power of music to unite people and also to get to know people of different colors and cultures. This will in a way reduce conflict in Uganda brought about by the historical identification of Ugandans because of their different ethnic backgrounds. The history of Africa has not come to a standstill, and to a larger extent it is not only portrayed in the media as a poor continent with old cliché but also as one of the first developing part of the world. For instance, Uganda has recorded a drastic reduction of poverty rate to 30% in the previous years. Since the general interest for music has increased and because for many people music is part of their life, they are therefore ready to give out money for concerts or buy music CDs of their favorite musicians. This can clearly explain why Ugandan musicians and artists, who today produce Pop-, Gospel-, or African-music, belong to the well-to-do people of the country. This has increased the demand for audio and video recording studios in the country. On top of that, neuro-scientists proved how music influences the intellectual capacity of a person in the process of growth. Fireworks are created and the brain is engaged in different activities in which information is accessed in an interrelated way. The visual, motoric and auditory spheres are practically engaged and improved. Music increases the volume of thinking and solving problems. On top of that, the activities in the brain’s Corpus callosum are strengthened. This is the bridge between the two hemispheres (left and right brain) that allow messages to cross faster through diverse rates most especially if one plays an instrument. Mathematical and linguistic skills are
therefore improved. This concept has been implemented in all the federal states of Germany and for sure in many developed countries. The level of integrity and intellectuality that young musicians prove, has been documented in the academic statistics of these countries. This golden chance should be given to all children in Africa. Since there are very many music talented children in Uganda, but who lack the financial support, encouragement and promotion to develop their talents to the professional level, the last years have seen a growing need to have a Music school and Cultural Center which can promote and press ahead with these potentials. Currently, there is only one Music school in the whole of Uganda and a language institute which is located in the capital city of the country, Kampala and
which admits only very few privileged children from rich families. Accordingly, the IMLS-Project in Uganda is seen with interest by musicians and some of the lecturers at Makerere who, apart from the employment chance they see in this project, they are also convinced that music can develop the creative capacity of the people and thus also increase the students’ performance in general. Wasswa’s former teacher Prof. Joseph Namukangula and other music and language teachers at Makerere University recommend this Multi-Project. They are giving their best to see that the school achieves greater heights. The Project intended to be maintained and secure its existence through selling CDs produced in the studio, concerts, financial support from organisations and individuals. A new executive director of the IMLS (International School of Music, Languages and Studio Production) Mr. Lawrence Ssemanda, a former student in the UK was recently chosen and heads the Institution as a principal. Volunteers are welcome anytime! A further plan is that, in future, this project will be further financed through participant fee of the people in the area and through scholarships for talented children. However, Music schools and universities in Germany intend to cooperate with us especially through exchange programs. The planning of the IMLS has been running since 2011. In 2012, a Euro-African “Himbisa
Mukama” charity concert was organized in Regensburg to raise funds for the construction. Further charity concerts and donation projects are still needed to raise more funds especially for the new building as seen above. The building will be constructed in different phases beginning from 2018 and will be made of three floors, that is, with concert-, conference-, offices-, recording-, practice-, and bedrooms. The bedrooms are planned for guest teachers, well-wishers, students, teachers and elders from Uganda and the entire world who are ready to share their knowledge and expertise through their participation in the project and who during their stay at the IMLS should be given accommodation. The first Architecture plans are already produced and can be seen on as photos. Together we can accomplish a lot and each one who is impressed by this project can contribute, either through further ideas of fund raising, individual projects or just through donation (donation account, please see end of the page). Every assistance and help is welcome in order to open the chances for many people, deeply experience music and widen their career and meet new people and cultures.
