Public perceptions about popular artistes and secondary school teachers of music: understanding a ‘musician’ in Arua district, Uganda

Abstract

In this study, I examined the public understanding of who a musician is in Arua district. The general picture of who a musician is in Arua district has generated a lot of debate among the public. The fact that music has a broad dimension, poses a self-imposed feeling among the public about who a musician should be. In this particular study, I investigate the perceptions about popular artistes and secondary school teachers of music using a qualitative methodology. Three variables were addressed; popular artistes and secondary school teachers of music who formed the independent variable (IV), public perceptions were the dependent variable (DV) and computer-generated music plus producers formed the intervening variable (Iv). The data that informed this study was gathered from a cross section of informants who were sampled through three techniques namely; Purposive sampling, stratified random sampling and Snowball (chain referral). The following tools were used for data collection; Interviews, Focused Group Discussions (FGD), participant observation, Photography and Library research. The research findings revealed that to become a teacher of music, someone must have acquired knowledge and skills that are relevant to train students to be able to perform or to become a musician that is; can read and write music, sing and play musical instruments. Equally, a person who brands himself as a popular artiste must have had a set of skills adequate to prove that he/she can produce music by performing on stage that is; singing and or dancing and playing musical instruments. Basing on the research findings, I recommended that Institutions of higher learning that offer music programs or courses should revamp their mode of instruction so as to enhance acquisition of performing skills by the teacher trainees. This will put the secondary school teacher and a popular artiste at the level of a performer as well as help create market for music as a subject in secondary schools and to enable schools prepare well-baked artistes.