The classical music expert

Eddie Baraka fell in love with classical music when he joined Starehe Boys Centre for his secondary school education. PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • I went to Rongo Success Academy, which took an active part in the Kenya Music Festival. I was in the school choir, and we performed plenty of classical songs.
  • When I completed primary school and joined Starehe Boys Centre, I found a fully-fledged music department with which I instantly fell in love with.

Eddie Baraka fell in love with classical music when he joined Starehe Boys Centre for his secondary school education. He recently held concerts at Muthaiga Country Club, Karen Country Club, and Serena Hotel, Nairobi. Welcome to his world.

1. What does classical music entail?

Simply put, classical music is a genre of music rooted in the traditions of the Western world. To become a classical musician, you need to get training and consequently practice to perfect this art. It entails being able to read and write music notation, which is the basic language in which classical music is written, being able to play at least one musical instrument, being able to listen to, analyse and constructively critique works of music. Most of all, it entails endless diligent practice.

 

2. Is this what butters your bread on a daily basis?

Yes it is.

 

3. How did you get into classical music?

I went to Rongo Success Academy, which took an active part in the Kenya Music Festival. I was in the school choir, and we performed plenty of classical songs. When I completed primary school and joined Starehe Boys Centre, I found a fully-fledged music department with which I instantly fell in love with.

I auditioned and qualified to join the music class. This is where I got a formal introduction to classical music. Under the tutelage of highly rated music teachers, Mrs Margaret Shivembe and Mr Franklyn Etyang, I learned to read and write music notation.

I also met Christopher Walters, a music volunteer who inspired me a lot and taught me how to play the Clarinet.

My interest in classical music was heightened when the Martyn Donaldson Music Trust (MDMT) invited a few music students from Starehe to the UK for a concert. I was one of them. MDMT is a UK-based organisation that sponsors music and music volunteers at Starehe Boys’ Centre. It is after this trip to the UK that I decided that I wanted to pursue classical music as a career. I later joined Kenyatta University where I studied music for two years before getting the opportunity to transfer to Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University, US, where I now study music composition and performance.

 

4. What does it take to become a classical musician?

Interest comes first above all else. It is this interest that will inspire commitment to consistent practice, which is necessary towards achieving success as a classical musician. Identifying a field of specialisation like performance, teaching or composition is crucial to one’s career. Finding a good teacher who will not only instruct, but also inspire is also important. Having frequent access to the facilities, such as practice rooms and music instruments helps one polish his skills and expertise. Many people admire and even envy successful classical musicians but are unaware of the amount of endless practice they had to put in to perfect the art. Talent has a very small role to play in this profession. Talent without tact is useless in classical music.

 

5. Do you have any other job or is this what you do for a living?

While here at home, this is the only thing I do. I am usually very occupied between training the Starehe Boys’ Center Choir, singing with the Kenyatta University Students’ Choir, holding concerts around Nairobi and teaching voice students in various schools.

 

6. What advise would you give a young person who is interested in taking up classical music?

Be ready to spend endless hours alone in a room working to perfect your area of specialisation. It is important to note that there are very many areas of specialisation in classical music. They include conducting, composition, teaching, performance, directing, production, music technology and several others. First you select an area of interest and then find a good teacher. In Kenya there are great teachers of classical music at Kenyatta University, The Nairobi Music Conservatoire and several other institutions offering music as a course. With good training and work ethic, a classical musician is globally employable. If one puts in hard work and builds a good reputation, classical music is a very financially rewarding career. There are many who think that music is all about singing, and are quite quick to discourage those who wish to pursue it as a career. If you want to pursue a career in classical music, ignore such people and follow your inclination - but you should only pursue classical music if you intend to go the full distance and immerse yourself in it without reservation. 

 

7. When you said this is what you wanted to do, did you have resistance from your family?

Oh, yes, there was slight resistance from the family. The main question was, “What happened to our son who wished to become a lawyer?” and “What are you going to do with music?” But with time and after realising how serious I was, they had to reconcile with the fact that this is what I had chosen for a living. They had to live with it. I am glad that I have the full support of my family and friends to pursue music to the ends of the earth. I look forward to the time when Kenyans will cease favouring Science over Art. If your son, daughter or sibling has a talent, allow them to pursue it. Parents should allow their children to dream and dare to pursue their passion. They should not force them into the traditional careers just because they want to play safe.

 

8. Where do you play mostly?

My line of specialisation, music performance, requires me to sing in theatres and large performance halls. I hold concerts in halls with decent acoustics upon invitation. Organisations, individuals or choirs in need of a good soloist invite me to sing for them. I work hard to build a good reputation as a singer to attract well-paying gigs. I recently held concerts in Muthaiga Country Club, Karen Country Club, Purdy Arms, Karen, and Serena Hotel in Nairobi.  In schools, I train choirs and help young singers to gain good singing technique. Over the past few months I have been helping the Starehe Boys’ Choir to be in good shape for the Kenya Music Festivals.

 

9. Are you based in Kenya? Do you think we have enough classical music lovers to sustain a career?

I am currently not really based in Kenya since I am still studying in the US, but I intend to return to Kenya after my studies to contribute to the growth of classical music here. This genre of music is quickly gaining popularity here. There has been an increase in classical choirs and orchestras, especially in Nairobi. Unfortunately, most of the other parts of Kenya are yet to embrace it, therefore to sustain a career in classical music, one must be based in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru or Kisumu. Despite these few opportunities, those pursuing classical music as a career in Kenya live very luxurious lives.

 

10. Any other issues that you would like to discuss about what you do?

If I had any say that would influence government decisions, I would request that every high school in Kenya that offers music as a KCSE subject should have at least one upright piano.

This would ensure that the students are adequately inspired to practice and refine their performance and aural skills before they are released to institutions of higher learning. The government should actually ensure that these schools are well furnished with other music instruments such as clarinets, acoustic guitars, drums and other instruments.

It is this kind of support from the government that will quickly spread the love for classical music throughout the country, and which will create many jobs in the process.

 

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Not your usual kind of music

Classical music is a genre associated with European history and culture, especially the period between 1750 to 1820. This is a time when Europe was undergoing changes in all sectors, especially the arts. What distinguishes Classical from other forms of music is its use of staff notations to denote the pitch, tempo, meter and rhyme for a composition.

This art-music, as it’s referred to by experts, is also distinguished by its sophisticated instrumental music compositions like concerto, symphony, sonata and opera, which attain high levels of complexity when written. The term classical music was coined in the 1830s to glorify the era when the genre’s greats, Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven lived.

The music is performed by a group called philharmonic orchestra, where each member plays a particular instrument in which they are an expert. Major classical music orchestras across the world were exclusively composed of male players until the late 1990s and early 2000s when they started accepting women. Instruments used in an orchestra include hurdy-gurdy, bass viol, clarinet, lute, violin and baroque guitar.

In Kenya, Classical music is mostly taught and practiced in high-end private schools and a few universities, such as Kenyatta University. This makes it largely an engagement of a small segment in our society.

As Eddie notes though, those who can do it professionally earn handsomely because competition is not as stiff as you would find in other genres of music.

 

Not your usual kind of music

Classical music is a genre associated with European history and culture, especially the period between 1750 to 1820. This is a time when Europe was undergoing changes in all sectors, especially the arts. What distinguishes Classical from other forms of music is its use of staff notations to denote the pitch, tempo, meter and rhyme for a composition.

This art-music, as it’s referred to by experts, is also distinguished by its sophisticated instrumental music compositions like concerto, symphony, sonata and opera, which attain high levels of complexity when written.

The term classical music was coined in the 1830s to glorify the era when the genre’s greats, Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven lived.

The music is performed by a group called philharmonic orchestra, where each member plays a particular instrument in which they are an expert. Major classical music orchestras across the world were exclusively composed of male players until the late 1990s and early 2000s when they started accepting women. Instruments used in an orchestra include hurdy-gurdy, bass viol, clarinet, lute, violin and baroque guitar.

In Kenya, Classical music is mostly taught and practiced in high-end private schools and a few universities, such as Kenyatta University. This makes it largely an engagement of a small segment in our society.

As Eddie notes though, those who can do it professionally earn handsomely because competition is not as stiff as you would find in other genres of music.