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20 november 2010 / classicalmusicmagazine.org 51

Kabul National Institute of Music

Music project housed in Australias MonashUniversity, Cheater over two years crafted theidea of a conservatory, academically basedround the UK national curriculum, musicallyleading students through the equivalent ofan associates diploma of Londons National

College of Music. A $2m (1.23m) contribu-tion from the WorldBanks AfghanistanSkills DevelopmentProject gave the ideagravitas, and from

April 2008 Sarmastcould begin the proc-ess of raising furtherfunds and convertinga derelict building.

Today there are 130 students; eventually, saysDr Sarmast, they will be able to host 300.

Twenty-ve of these students had untillately been selling plastic bags or chewing-gum

on the street. Many are sent here by Aschiana(Persian for the nest), an organisation which

works with 2,000 of Kabuls between 30,000and 60,000 street children after four decades of

war. Aschiana was founded by a radio journal-ist, Mohammad Yousef, who paused in 1995to speak with a boy shining shoes on the street.Each pupil formerly on the streets receives abursary of 1,290 Afghanis (roughly 18.80) amonth, compensating for their lost income.

Cello teacher Robin Ryzcek, who arrived on17 October, teaches two girls from Aschiana.

She nds them quick learners, and says theirpersonalities are very strong imagine workingon the street selling gum or tissues as a youngchild. William Harvey, a recent Juilliard gradu-ate and the violin teacher, nds the chance ofa better future a powerful motivator for his

students who had been on the streets. Onewas concerned apiece was too dif-cult, and she was verydejected, he recalls. Itried to explain, usingmy limited Dari, thatif she practised hardit may be possiblefor her to become aprofessional musi-

cian; and her face brightened, and she saidkarne karim lets work. Piano teacher

Adriana Mascoli agrees: What I can tell you isreally exciting is the willingness of the students.

They really want to learn; theres something sopowerful for them.

Part of the conservatorys work also lies inresurrection of Afghan musical traditions, sym-bolised by Kabuls ruined Kucheh Kharbtor musicians quarter, where previously theyhad been taught orally. Professor John Bailyof Goldsmiths College traces the quarter todescendants of musicians and dancers broughtto the Kabul court by Amir Sher Ali Khan inthe 1860s; it was levelled between 1992 and1996 during the sieges of Kabul. Robin Ryczek

Karne karim letswork

ruins

says the neighbourhood is basically what youmight expect from a destroyed section in Kabul

but with a little imagination you can see whatit once was and what it could become again inthe future. But prominent Kharbt familiesare beginning to return, both from London

as Ustad Mohammad Asif Mahmoud did in2004, and from Peshawar where a number hadbased themselves around an apartment block inthe University Road called Khalil House. Theconservatorys faculty includes rubab instruc-tor Ustad Gholam Hossein and tabla teacherMohammed Jawid Mahmood, both fromdistinguished musical lineages in the Kharbt.

The schools orchestra is now working on anAfghan adaptation of Vivaldis Four Seasons,composed by Harvey, each movement featuringquotations from both the original piece and

Afghan melodies, and allowing for soloistson rubab, tabla, sarod, sitar, cello and ghicak.(Ryzcek compares it to the 1997Mozart in Egypt

recording on the Virgin Classics label.)They have already played for President Ha-

mid Karzai once, with the institutes orchestraperforming the national anthem and an ar-rangement ofSar Zamin-e-Man(my home-land) on 28 September, International LiteracyDay. (Karzais verdict was bisyar khub verygood.) And Aschianas Yousef writes to notehe thanks the institute so much for doingthese efforts for Aschiana children.

Dr Sarmast judges he will need a predomi-nantly international faculty for at least ten yearsto produce Afghan musicians capable ofproviding classical music instruction, and be abackbone for musical ensembles throughout

Afghanistan. The support for the rst twoyears he has got; the eight that follow, he willnow be working very hard to raise. He hopeseventually to be able to open conservatories inMazar-e-Sharif, Herat and Jalalabad.

In the meantime, a conservatory whichhas just opened its doors has become a place

where westerners and Afghans learn each oth-ers musical languages. Robin Ryczek laughs,recalling, The other day I asked a group of sixor seven if they knew the Beatles. Only onedid. I declared Beatles Week for next week.

And Mr Harvey, who is American, as a fresherat Juilliard rang his nations State Departmenton 11 September 2001, and asked to do a

violin concert tour to support peace. (Theysaid we dont send students; by the way, theresa war going on; so goodbye.) Eight years later,he has arrived in Afghanistan. There is an

Afghan proverb that patience is bitter, but itsfruit is sweet. CM

Pdraig Belton has reported from thePakistan-Afghanistan border for the BBC

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