Our Story

Since opening its doors in spring of 2010, the Afghanistan National Institute of Music (ANIM) has been working to rebuild the social and cultural life of Afghanistan by providing a safe, tuition-free, and musically rich learning environment for the children of Kabul and its surrounding villages.

I traveled to Kabul last winter as a guest artist of ANIMs Winter Academy. I led a small delegation of musicians from Bostons New England Conservatory, where I am Assistant Chair of the Department of Contemporary Improvisation. Eden MacAdam-Somer, Larry Unger and I were struck by the vitality, enthusiasm, accomplishment and musical appetite of ANIMs students. We were struck, too, by the dedication of ANIMs Afghan and international faculty who work tirelessly towards their students future.

I will be returning to Kabul from August 1 - 15 to offer private lessons, and to help prepare advanced students to step into teaching roles.

The Impact

Music has been subject to extreme censorship in Afghanistan. Under the Taliban rule, singing and dancing were prohibited, musical instruments were confiscated and destroyed, and professional musicians were forced into silence or exile. The consequences of musical censorship for the Afghan people, culture and heritage have been profound and far-reaching. Much progress has been made since the Taliban were deposed in 2001, but Afghanistan faces many challenges as it rebuilds a shattered political, economic and social infrastructure.

Under the direction of founder Dr. Ahmad Sarmast, the Afghanistan National Institute off Music provides a safe, tuition-free learning environment for students regardless of gender, ethnicity or social class. Half of the schools students are drawn from Afghanistans population of orphans and child laborers: these students receive both academic and musical training. The families of child labourers receive a monthly stipend roughly equal to the childs monthly earnings. Just $30 keeps a child in school instead of working the streets.

Guest artists can play a vital role in ANIM's mission. Here are a few ways my residency will make a valuable contribution:

• As in any school, guest artists generate excitement.  Students get inspired and pay attention. I will work alongside ANIM's faculty to give private lessons and coach small groups but I will also contribute my own expertise in jazz and rock styles, improvisation and cross-cultural collaboration.
• ANIMs faculty is dedicated, working long hours in artistic as well as administrative roles. My residency will provide a break in a teacher's busy schedule, adding new pedagogical and artistic perspectives and allowing ANIM's faculty to attend to other areas of professional and institutional development.
  
• Travel to Afghanistan can pose a logistical and financial challenge to potential guest artists; one of the goals of my visits to ANIM is to create a culture of international engagement at NEC and carve a pathway for my extended community of students and colleagues to engage in this type of work, at ANIM and beyond.

What We Need & What You Get

The New England Conservatory is sponsoring the cost of my travel to Kabul, and I am donating my time and services to ANIM. Now, I am raising funds cover my costs for 15 days on the ground. The cost of a secure guest house, meals and local transportation comes to about $100/day, so my first funding target is $1500. Ill be traveling to Kabul whether or not I make this goal.

I would also like to raise funds to sponsor the education for at least of ANIMs students. An annual stipend of $360 keeps a child in school and off the streets. So, my goal in all is $1860. Any surplus funds will go to endow additional scholarships.

Every little bit helps, so I do hope you'll contribute. Ive concocted some little rewards to thank you for your generosity. Please look them over and give as generously as you can. Thank you.

Other Ways You Can Help

• If youre in the Boston area, come to Music From the Front Pages, a benefit concert at the Lily Pad in Cambridge on Monday, July 18, 2011. For more information visit the NEC in Afghanistan blog.
  
• Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter. Post this event to your Facebook wall. Send an email out to your friends.
  
• Get a group going in your office, music studio or classroom: set the goal of raising the cost to sponsor a child for an entire year.