Music is part of Afghanistan’s rich cultural heritage. Yet, during the time of Taliban rule, people were banned from listening to or practising music, including in schools. Young people still face barriers to musical education, including persisting beliefs that music is immoral or unvirtuous. At the same time, there is a need for disadvantaged children, girls in particular, to receive a quality education that will broaden their life opportunities.
The Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) is the first of its kind in Afghanistan. The school offers co-educational teaching of a full academic curriculum, including both classical Western and traditional Afghan music.
ANIM transforms the lives of children by facilitating opportunities for those of different ethnic groups, backgrounds and genders. Over half the students are orphans or members of the street community and almost a third are girls. The school demonstrates the power of music in bringing about social change through promoting gender equity, democracy and open-mindedness.
The school is multilingual, teaching in the two main Afghan languages, Pashto and Dari, as well as teaching English. Half of each day is committed to general education, including maths and science, and the other half to a blend of practical and theoretical music study.
To teach Afghan music, the school uses traditional pedagogical methods and local instruments. Music is learned aurally and augmented with modern recording methods. Classes are taught by specialists from different regions throughout Afghanistan, sometimes returning from exile to teach at the school. Group and individual classes are held every day.
Western music is taught by visiting educators from around the world. All orchestral instruments are taught, as well as experience of conducting. ANIM has educated Afghanistan's first female conductors. Students are trained rigorously in technique and repertoire, and practice chamber music and orchestra. Musical styles and instruments are frequently blended, such as playing a waltz on a Afghani rubab, to break down social and musical barriers.
