Helping KMS through COVID-19 and Lockdown

As we approach the year's final quarter in September, we reflect on our journey in empowering young talents through music education. Despite challenges, our project remains a beacon of hope.

COVID's shadow may have receded, but its impact lingers. Rising fuel costs hinder some students from attending lessons, and talented individuals struggle with music education expenses.

Two of the singers detailed here are beacons of determination and resilience. They inspire us but need our support to continue.

Joy is progressing well, a dedicated student, aiming for ABRSM Grade 7 singing performance soon. Joy's upper register is growing stronger and projects brilliantly. She is working with her teacher, Francis, to expand her repertoire to improve her foreign language singing, thus enhancing her versatility and skills.

Javan Javan exemplifies commitment and confidence. Currently tackling grade six singing, he's not just a student but a good performer. He's participated in numerous events where he showcased remarkable talent. Recently, his outstanding performance at the Italian embassy's Italian Day celebration left a lasting impression. Javan aspires to become a full-time opera singer and is gaining the confidence and skills necessary for that journey.

GlobalGiving will run a campaign from the 18^th to the 22^nd of September, allowing us to consider how we can further support these talented students and support Kampala Music School. The campaign is titled the Little by Little campaign. GlobalGiving will match all eligible donations up to $50 per unique donor per organization during this campaign, at 50%. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to make a significant impact.

To be noted,

• Donations above $50 will still be matched on the first $50.
• The match offer is restricted to donations made by unique donors per organization.

Whilst these one-off donations are fabulous, we invite you to consider the Monthly Giving Match: In addition to the immediate match during the Little by Little campaign, GlobalGiving's 100% Monthly Match is available to our nonprofit community throughout 2023. New monthly donations set up during the September 2023 Little by Little drive will be eligible for both the immediate match and the one-time 100% match (up to $200) after four monthly payments.

We hope that during this campaign, we can rally support from a wider audience than usual. We also invite those who can consider setting up regular monthly donations, as this ongoing support can make a lasting impact on our students' lives.

These bright stars are our future, striving for the opportunities we provide. Be inspired by their stories and support them and our music school.

Please follow the link below to see furthermore how to support our students.

https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/supporting-talented-students-to-study-music/

I appreciate your dedication. Together, we nurture future musical talents and provide deserving opportunities.

Thank you for your continued support of the Kampala Music School. Despite the ongoing challenges posed by the cost of living crisis and the backdrop of unusual circumstances, we have made significant progress. In this report, we would like to highlight some of the positive developments.

During the current school holiday, we are running our signature holiday program for national schools, which is seen as an enthusiastic participation of children. However, This holiday, we have one of the exceptional students, Maureen, stepping up into the role of a teaching assistant. She is a piano student, but this has not stopped her from assisting in this programme with previously unfamiliar instruments. Her enthusiasm has been tremendous and has been an excellent point for the students to learn from her.

In a similar vein, but linked to the Junior Orchestra, Ian, a trumpet student who is shy and seemingly reclusive, bravely took the stand and conducted the orchestra during rehearsals when the regular leaders could not make it. This young musician's transformation from a shy individual to a confident leader exemplifies the power of music education. He has not only excelled in playing the trumpet, but has also taken the initiative to teach himself the piano. I was immensely impressed by this.

In a remarkable turn of events, the Kampala Music School's Kampala Symphony Orchestra was invited to perform at the Kabaka's birthday celebration! This prestigious opportunity serves as a testament to the remarkable reputation of our school and its associated ensembles. His Royal Majesty praised the orchestra's performance, underscoring the significant impact of our music education initiatives. The orchestra is now largely comprised of current and former students, some of whom have been funded through the Developing Talents Initiative.

Additionally, we had the privilege of hosting the Swedish Saxophone Quartet, who collaborated with our students and taught a masterclass. However, also two former students had the opportunity to explore their talents as composers. They had the chance to showcase their original compositions, which celebrated their remarkable growth.

Furthermore, we are excited to announce the launch of a Youth Orchestra program in collaboration with the City of Strasbourg and the Kampala Capital City Authority. the instrumental launch was in February this year. Our dedicated teachers have started working with students in three schools, two on strings and one on Woodwind. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. With your continued support, we aim to expand this program to reach more schools that have not yet benefited from this particular programme. More details will undoubtedly come in the future.

We express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous contributions to the Kampala Music School and this funding. Your support has been instrumental in our achievements thus far. We encourage you to continue supporting our cause, enabling us to make a lasting impact on the lives of young musicians. Together, we can create a brighter future through the transformative power of music education.

Thank you for reading this update. We look forward to sharing more progress with you in our following report.