Music Scene Crops Up in Unlikely Place

It is not odd that the University of Ghana is host to one of the most vibrant music scenes in Ghana. The location of this scene, however, is a bit unusual.

Want to find it? Just take a tro-tro up to Legon, and get out of the car. There it is. Right next to the tro-tro station, between the Accra-Madina road and the University wall, is the daily meeting place for dozens of music students and teachers. Whereas at most universities, music programs take place behind closed doors, inside classrooms, and in recital halls, at UG Legon the melodies are out in the open for all to hear. Each afternoon, in the grass underneath beautiful sweeping trees, come the sounds of traditional African drumming, and more often than not, the beats continue well after dark.

It is a music-lovers' paradise, and it is just off the highway.

Music classes have been taking place in this unusual spot as long as anyone can remember. Like most good things, this woodsy music nook happened by accident. Or rather, it happened out of necessity. Way back when, a lack of classrooms in the Performing Arts Department forced drum instructors to move their classes outside. The idea caught on, and today, a vibrant community exists just outside the University's gates.

This setting for an academic department seems at first glance to be perfect. Strolling around the wooded area on a sunny day is nothing short of a life-affirming experience. Under one tree you might spot a group of drummers and dancers rehearsing their rhythms. Under another there might be a pair of xylophone players. And amidst the bushes, you may see a young flutist, practicing a melody by herself. This is the way music should be learned. And after all, notes Dr. Willie Anku, Head of the Department of Music at the University of Ghana, "The natural setting for music is not indoors...It naturally fits outside."

But upon further investigation, complications become apparent. The University's "music paradise" is far from flawless.

The most obvious issue, of course, is the coming rainy season. The lack of classrooms makes a rainy day quite problematic. Remarks drum instructor Francis Akotuah, "If there is a large class and it rains, we have to cancel it. It upsets us."

And beyond rain, says Dr. Anku, there are a number of problems inherent in allowing classes to take place "outside the fence."

Letting classes take place in public invites any passer-by to stop and listen. This can be a positive, but oftentimes it interferes with the instruction. In addition, one space housing a number of classes can cause confusion. For instance, it is difficult to learn a drum pattern while a flutist is practicing an unrelated rhythm only a few metres away. And finally, the close proximity to the highway assures that no outdoor lesson can take place without incessant horn-honking in the background.

While the University has plans to build new facilities inside school grounds, the serene nature of playing music outside will be incorporated into the design of the new buildings, assures Dr. Anku.

Rather than traditional classrooms, round thatch summer huts are in the works. "These huts will be somewhere in between a classroom and an outside setting," said Dr. Anku. "It will create a similar environment [to the current outdoor setting], but students can still practise safely late into the night, or when there's light showers, without interference."

But until the funding for the new construction comes through, you can surely still find musicians playing away outside on sunny days. Quips seperewa musician and teacher Osei Korankye, "Hey, it's free air-conditioning."