Nyundo School of music has admitted 47 students to undertake music studies. The students were picked during the final auditions held last week, at Integrated Polytechnic and Regional Centre (IPRC), in Kigali.

The successful candidates include 17 females and 30 males, who joined the school on Monday, January 23. The 47 winners were selected out of 600 candidates, who qualified during two-week music talent detection, organised by Workforce Development Authority (WDA), in partnership with the school.

According to Jacques Murigande, the Director of Nyundo School of music, the auditions attracted many youngsters with basic skills about playing different music instruments.

After the first year, students decide whether to go with a one year certificate, or stay at school for another two years. The training is hands-on and competence- based, requiring a student to do constant practice.

The school teaches vocal music, use of instruments (drums, piano, guitar, wind instruments, percussion and local instruments), music theory, production, entrepreneurship, languages, and music history, among others.

The overall objective of the school is to create professionals, who will transform the country’s music industry. The institution is supported by the government.

Meanwhile, students will start paying school fees for the incubation this year, after WDA withdrew support following three years of offering scholarships for the selected talents to prove that the school has potential to improve local music industry.

"WDA has done a great job that each and everyone should appreciate and the initiative is obviously paying off. Students were studying on a free scholarship basis but now they need to start paying school fees," said Murigande.

Nyundo School of music based in Rubavu, was established in 2014 to promote and professionalize the art industry in Rwanda.editorial@newtimes.co.rw