ISSN 1710-6931 April 15, 2005 Issue 45

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Let Their Voices Be Heard

by Bruno Marsiaj

Born and brought up in Scotland, music writer Cedric Chesterman always thought about doing some volunteer work. However, constantly moving between England, Germany and France left him few options in terms of finding a volunteer post he could commit to. Fortunately, he found the option of online volunteering.

When Cedric learned about the work being done with refugees by RESPECT, he immediately knew he had a chance to directly help people from other parts of the world through his work. Having studied music technology and established an independent record label, he wanted to show people how to produce and record songs or general audio documentaries.

With these new skills in hand the students could improve the chances of having their voices heard through a different medium. After discussing the matter with some RESPECT members, he started drafting a course on music technology, to be taught online through RESPECT University.

The first group of students to receive the course will be based in Northern Uganda. The region is home to a training centre established by RESPECT, which is already offering students training and educational opportunities. All of the computers in the centre are being evaluated to determine what is needed to support the activities planned for the course. Cedric himself is involved in sending some equipment to Northern Uganda - such as headphones, speakers, books, sound recorders, and software - to guarantee this task can be accomplished.

Students in the course will first learn the basics of music technology and sound recording. After that, they can go on to produce audio pieces even with limited access to equipment. They can produce short stories, plays, songs and poetry documenting their experiences, he explains. This could in turn increase their interest in all disciplines taught at school. After all, they would be willing to further explore their learning through the production of audio material about the topics covered in class.

In addition, students could be provided with the skills and technology to play, record, and prepare sample music CDs that could be distributed or sold, with the possibility of income generation for them and their families. Songs or other materials produced would also offer a way to disseminate information and raise awareness of global refugee issues.

Iona Lister, Coordinator of RESPECT University, believes the course on music technology has the potential to be one of the most popular among students. The students are very enthusiastic about receiving it, and everyone involved will benefit considerably from the course, she says. The university, which began teaching in December, offers other year-long courses like English, Statistics, Business Skills, Journalism, Song-Writing, and Non-Profit Management and Organization.

Teachers and students keep contact through regular post. After receiving an assignment, the students work on it and return the results to the teacher for feedback. So far, the most popular course asked for is English for Academic Purposes.

The Music Technology course also features a significant interactive component, which is natural to the model of teaching adopted by RESPECT University. After the first few classes, the students themselves will be able to exchange their points-of-view with the teacher, deciding together the level and direction the course takes.

Cedric believes the course can ultimately be replicated in other parts of Africa or the rest of the world. The course was set up so that it can be reproduced, after being adapted for the specific students, benefiting as many people as possible, no matter where they live. After all, their message needs to be heard to raise awareness and encourage change.

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