For my project and my write-up, I’m becoming increasingly interested in addressing the question of where music (and more broadly, culture: music, dance, drama, and art) fits into the modern-day milieu of institutional education. I think this question is very pronounced here in Kathmandu where government curriculum is minimal and the many private schools have a lot of freedom to decide what subjects to teach, why, and how. Obviously music is an important thing. It’s an enormous part of culture, identity, history, human expression, emotion; it helps people relax, think clearly, inspires creativity, etc. All of these things are well documented by ethnomusicologists and music education advocates, and most everybody will recognize at some gut level the importance of music. Music also can be a lucrative profession for those who manage to be recognized and gain
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