A group of former students from Canada’s Selkirk College is in Rwanda for a six-month internship programme.

They are doing their post-university internship at Nyundo School of Music in Muhanga District.

According to Jacques Muligande, the director of Nyundo, the country’s first public school of music, the initiative is part of the school’s partnership with Selkirk College.

"We are pleased about this programme, and we believe the interns will bring valuable skills to our school. They are innovative and professional…that’s what I would like our students to learn from them, among other musical skills,” said Muligande.

The trio of Tomas Caldwell, Cole Senger and Anika Wallace arrived in the country on Monday. During their visit, they will share both theoretical and practical skills with Nyundo students. The interns will also share skills in music production and teach different musical instruments, mainly piano, guitar and bass guitar.

The programme, which started five years ago, is aimed at helping the youth to acquire professional music skills and get them to consider music as a career.

Nyundo School of music was established in 2014 in Rubavu District before moving to Muhanga this year.  It has at least 100 students pursuing a three-year music programme.

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

The school says its main goal is to create a critical mass of professionals who will go on to transform the country’s music industry.

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