With MFM, music education gets reloaded

An appeal has been made to musicians, music stakeholders and related practitioners to chart a new path in order to revive, rebrand and preserve the ancient art of music education in Nigeria. General Overseer of Mountain of Fire & Miracles Ministries, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, made the call at the opening ceremony of Mountain Top Conservatory of Music [MTCM] and the launching of Mountain Top Conservatory Choir and Philharmonic Orchestra (MCCPO) at MFM headquarters, Onike, Lagos.

He noted that investment in music education would help to redefine and refine music and provide opportunities to boost the economy.

According to Olukoya, “Music and sports are veritable tools for youths to channel their energies in order to contribute their quota to nation-building all over the world,” further stating that over 5,000 young people, who are music-inclined from different backgrounds and ages have been empowered by the church’s music programmes.

Director of the church’s newly launched orchestra, Pastor (Mrs.) Oyinkansola Akinselure, told The Guardian that the event was epoch-making because Mountain Top Conservatory Orchestra is the first in West Africa. She added that it is part of the burning vision of the church’s founder and his wife to give youth quality music education and excellent skills in various musical instruments and idioms. The music director said the church is doing its best to encourage young ones in the church and in the environment in the direction of training and discipline.

According to her, ”We are offering scholarship to young ones, who desire to study music at higher levels even up to PhD at both local and foreign universities and schools of music. We sponsor youths to study music in places like Durham, America, South Africa, and France. Recently, four of our young musicians were sent to pursue baccalaureate and Masters degree in music in Canada, England and Massachusetts, U.S.”

Akinselure also pointed out that Mountain Top Conservatory Choir and Orchestra has over 5,000 members, with over 150 singers in the Senior Choir, Teenage Choir – 150 singers, Youth Choir – over 150 singers, Gospel Choir – over 150 singers, Female Choir – over 200 singers, Male Choir – over 120 singers, French Choir – over 50 singers, Italian Choir – over 100 singers, among others.

She added that MFM has also made donations of music instruments to various Nigerian universities such as University of Lagos, Lagos State University and others. She pointed out that the church holds MFM International Accapella and Choir Competitions worldwide, where young ones showcase their talents in Godly music through idioms of well-arranged classical, Negro spirituals, native airs and contemporary items.

Akinselure reiterated Olukoya’s nine genuine points, which she said have affected the state of music in Nigeria. They are that music education in Nigeria has not been pulling its weight, music has been bastardised, the ancient art of music is in a state of coma; there is no proper structure in place to allow young people to develop their music talents and gifts. Others are continuously ignoring the fact that government is not paying music much attention, musical genres that impart proper training are being allowed to go into extinction, allowing music art to go into decay while magnifying and strengthening fallacies and allowing less edifying music to take control of the airwaves.

In concluding, Akinselure said the ninth point is that the popular genres, which have been magnified, are now replete with nudity and varied vices, which the ancient art of music would not allow or admit because of the disciplined nature in both its impartation and practice methods.