The New Nation - Internet Edition

Art & Culture Report

Dhaka Music Conservatory (DMC) is a musical wing of the Centre for Asian Arts and Cultures (CAAC), established in the year 2001. In the beginning it offered lessons for piano, violin and cello. For many of us it may seem a bit ambitious to have a music conservatory in Bangladesh. There are a few realistic reasons for that. To run a conservatory we need teachers who have a. proper academic background with a specialised focus in their respective areas. We are glad to announce that all of our teachers meet this need. Swani Zubayeer, musician and Director of DMC, said, "Aim is to let our students feel that we are now living in a global village. Music is music, no matter where it comes from. We have to keep our minds open in order to accept music from any part of the world and make it our own. How is the moment a music conservatory is needed so desperately in our country? It will let our younger generation experience the enlightenment that music gives, and realise for themselves the divine impact it has on their lives. Music from east and west should come under the same roof and shake hands; leaving any prejudice behind. Bangladesh has been home to musicians who have become some of the greatest legends of all time. Most of our younger generations do not realize this. We wonder how many of our young people know that Ustad Alauddin Khan and Ustad Ayaat Ali Khan came from our soil."

Primarily we will have 11 faculty members, of which five will teach western classical and five will teach Indian classical music and one faculty member will teach our traditional folk music, said Swani.