The Anglican Music Institute (AMI) is located just outside the capital city of Antananarivo in Madagascar. The people of Madagascar, the Malagasy, are very musical and love to sing. Many churches have very active church choirs – or maybe three or four choirs. But music in Malagasy culture has always been seen as just a hobby. There is very little opportunity to pursue music as a career. Therefore, there is also very little opportunity to receive a well rounded musical education here on the island.
Now imagine that someone stepped into this gap and began to train Christian men and women to be leaders in this area. Among the top level musicians, teachers and choir directors in this country would be Christians prepared to change their country with the gospel. As this group grew in skill and ability they could take the gospel to other parts of the world – through music – to places where French speaking Africans might have easier access than missionaries from other parts of the world.
This is why in 2006 AMI was founded as a partnership between African Inland Mission International and the Anglican Church in Madagascar. In the beginning and even now the director and staff of the school are mostly missionaries from such countries as Korea and the United States. But as the school graduates skilled teachers the number of Malagasy teachers will increase. Eventually the school will be entirely run by Malagasy.
Why does the school need foreign missionaries?
The level of musical education in Madagascar at this point is not high enough to produce enough qualified Malagasy teachers. So, it is necessary to bring teachers from overseas. (Even now AMI has begun sending some of its own graduates overseas – Korea, France - to do higher level training.) The poverty level in Madagascar will not support these foreign teachers except that they come fully supported. But these are missionaries and not just NGO staff because the goal of AMI is to transform people and culture through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not charity work but kingdom building work.
Who attends AMI?
The students at AMI are primarily Malagasy. They range in ages from approximately 18 through 50. Many of our students are choir directors in their local churches. Some of our students have had a dream of a professional musical career, but they could find no outlet to pursue this dream. AMI allows them this opportunity. We currently have approximately 25 students.
What language is used at AMI? Generally speaking AMI is an English speaking institution. For most of our students Malagasy and French are their first two languages and English their third. So, when we have a chapel speaker come who is a Malagasy pastor he will usually speak in Malagasy and some of our Malagasy faculty will also teach in Malagasy. But most of our teachers are unable to teach in Malagasy and will conduct most classes in English.
What is the school schedule like?
From September through December and then from January through June AMI holds classes most Saturdays. Each semester is about 12 weeks long. As most of our students work during the week we must meet on the weekends.
Every student is required to have a major and a sub-major (a minor). Currently we offer voice, piano, conducting and music theory majors and sub-majors. (Other majors and sub-majors – such as other instruments or Malagasy ethnomusicology – could be offered if there is interest or staff to teach them.) During the week each student will have a 40 minute private lesson in their major area and a 20 minute private lesson in their sub-major area. (Right now we have 4 piano majors, 2 theory majors and all the rest are voice majors.)
The regular AMI course is two years. Students who wish to continue further study after that may enroll in our IPC program (Intensive Performance Course). IPC students may have two majors and a sub-major.
What classes are offered on Saturdays?
Every Saturday begins at 8 am with chapel. This includes a time of worship in singing as well as a message from the Bible. The chapel speakers are generally Malagasy pastors from various denominations or missionaries serving in the area. After chapel every student has aural skills class. At present we divide the students into four classes by their level. Following this the first year students have a beginner theory class, the second year students have a music listening class, and the IPC students have either a conducting class or an Independent Study Music History class. Right before lunch we have a weekly performance time. Each piano and voice student is required to perform one time during each semester. During lunch students and faculty eat a common meal together. Recently we have begun offering an “English lunch” to those who wish to practice their English while they eat.
Following lunch the first year students attend an English class while the other students either attend an art song class or a piano chord reading class. The school day ends with choir which is attended by everyone.
What sort of teachers does AMI need?
AMI needs teachers who are Christians committed to Christ and building His kingdom. These teachers need to have sufficient skill and training in Western Classical music to help our students increase in their own levels. There is a constant need for voice teachers, theory teachers, piano teachers and piano accompanists for all our voice majors. We would like to offer Malagasy ethnomusicology and other instrument lessons or majors but have not yet had the faculty or student interest to do so.
What other music programs does AMI sponsor?
On Wednesday afternoons from 1 pm until 6 pm AMI runs a program called APC (AMI Piano Class). At current APC teaches 47 students (mostly children ages 6 – 18) piano lessons. Most students receive a half-hour piano lesson which is then accompanied by a half-hour Bible lesson. Our students’ languages range from only Malagasy speaking to only French speaking to only English speaking to some combination of those and other languages.
Six of these students are in a special Children’s Class for children ages 6 and 7 who are studying piano for the first time.
Presently we have four teachers (2 Koreans, a Malagasy and an American) who teach individual piano lessons and two teachers (both Malagasy) who teach the Children’s Class. One Malagasy woman teaches the children Bible in French, English or Malagasy.
