Challenges and Innovations in Africanising Music in the Classroom

A Kenyan Experience

Abstract

This paper interrogates possibilities of Africanizing music in the classroom against the backdrop of modernity, innovations and challenges that come with globalization and modern technology. The major questions that the paper attempts to answer are: why is it necessary to Africanise the music classroom in Kenya today? What are the major challenges in Africanising music in the classroom? What are the innovative possibilities that are likely to emerge in the process of Africanising music in the classroom in view of the effect of modernity on African cultural arts such as music?  Basically, the scope of the paper is limited to classroom instruction with regard to creativity in the process of music making by employing elements of music in the context of African music philosophy, theory and practice. However, where applicable, examples from the Western music making perspectives are referred to. Theoretically, the paper is underpinned by the three domains of learning in Bloom's Taxonomy; namely:  Cognitive, Psychomotor and Affective as expounded by Benjamin Bloom (1948). The study adopts a qualitative approach with a survey design. Data was collected from purposively sampled informants –mainly music lecturers from selected Kenyan universities. The collected data was analysed and interpreted with a focus on answering the earlier raised study questions. Finally, conclusions and ways forward  outlined.