RED ROCKS MUSIC STUDIO

Education is a very vital tool that is used in the contemporary world to succeed. It is important because it is used to mitigate most of the challenges faced in life. The knowledge that is attained through education helps open doors to a lot of opportunities for better prospects in career growth. Education is what each generation gives to its younger ones which makes them develop attitudes, abilities, skills and other behaviors which are positive values to the society in which they live. Music education, therefore, is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all learning domains, including the development of skills, the acquisition of knowledge and, in particular and significant ways, the learner's willingness to receive, internalize, and share what is learned, including music appreciation and sensitivity. Music training is common in our premises because involvement with music is considered a fundamental component of human culture and behavior. Cultures from around the world have different approaches to music education, largely due to the varying histories and politics. Studies show that teaching music from other cultures can help students perceive unfamiliar sounds more comfortably and they also show that musical preference is related to the language spoken by the listener and the other sounds they are exposed to within their own culture. Previous studies have convergent views that music education is capable of inculcating the skills of innovation and creativity for self and national development in the learner, it is a tool for youth empowerment in terms of job creation, wealth creation and poverty alleviation. Music enable the youths to achieve self-realization and life adjustment in society. When students are introduced to music at their early age, they will become musically groomed and practically sagacious. This will increase their opportunity of becoming practicing musicians in the future even when the society is clamoring for the job. Adequate knowledge of music education will afford the youths the following self-employment opportunities. Music education offers series of job opportunities such as Band leader, Choir Master, Conductor and Organist, etc. Music education is a unique way of exposing the youths to beauty and interest that nurture excellence and creativity. Musical activities for youths during the non-school hours are means of preventing violence and drug abuse. This implies that music is an instrument of peace, it provides an emotional release in a time of social conflict and stress. It can as well be used to enable restive Rwanda youths to develop tolerance, collaboration, talents, essential life skills, academic success and support services and community building. We assert that through the knowledge of music education one can become a music technologist, thus, engaging in the designing, fabrication, repairs, and maintenance of musical instruments and music librarians. Music education has been an integral part of national economic empowerment and development strategies in industrialized and developed nations globally, due to its impact on productivity, sustainability and economic development. However, the harness of youth ‘s potentials through music education has not accelerated economic development in Rwanda. We therefore, seeks to investigate the impact of music education on youth empowerment and establish that music education is a driving force of youth empowerment. We also confirms that music education has been crippled by inadequate funding of education, poor state of infrastructural facilities, lack of students’ access to quality music instruction due to lack of qualified instructors, inadequate numbers of tertiary institutions offering music education in Rwanda.