Historical Background of the Department
Music is an important aspect of life and culture. It is a significant means of expressing and interpreting human experience, whose activity involves the whole person; physical, mental, spiritual, economic and social. Music education is one of the countless in which people have created, for building of a society where the harmonious blending of the physical, spiritual and mental makes all people equal member of the collective. Music education is also important for cultural transmission. However it demands conscious learning of a wide range of materials and skills, which cannot be acquired by the individual in the normal process of enculturation. At least human beings used it to express and modulate emotions. It is also used to soothe, psych up, woo, enrage, sadden and cheer each other, or ourselves. Music is an especially important tool for bonding with and caring for infants too.
The department was established as a department starting from September 2014 and now upgraded to school level specifically named by one of our legendary Musician, singers and song writer, Honorary Dr. Ali Birra; thus its name changed to “Ali-Birra School of Music”. The school already started to produce skilled manpower in music field of studies, such as music performers, researchers, analysts, teachers, theoreticians, Music journalists, music producers, organizers, arrangers, music composers, managers and consultants in policy making in the area of musical culture based on the felt needs of stakeholders and the local market, like Schools, Cultural offices, Teachers Training Colleges(TTC), Musical bands, Radio and Television centers, Film production companies, Arrangement and Composition studios, publications …etc.
There are very few institutions of music in the country that offering music education. Yet, these do not satisfy the demand aimed at music professionals. Therefore, launching Music School at Jimma University is sensible and imperative to meet the needs and expectations of the stakeholders. It is believed that the graduates of Music School of JU will supply the trained manpower demands of local up to international institutions on the bases of their fields of specialization.
Contact address: Jimma University
CC – College of Social Sciences and Humanities
Ali-Birra School of Music
Tele: +251-047 211 54 78
Place: Main Campus
P. O. Box 378