Lynn Karatsi

Music does more than entertaining the masses. It employs people and passes on life changing skills.
At the sound of a tune everyone with the ability to appreciate it naturally responds .This happens in babies as well. They talk less or can't even say a word but they are far more receptive than the adults can imagine.
Music helps humans develop some very important skills. This perhaps explains why there are more music schools today and why parents are readily enrolling their children in these expensive schools. A Canadian study on the effect of music on children between four to six years discovered that children who took Suzuki music lessons improved IQ scores and specific skills such as memory and Mathematics. This study suggests that music training has a profound effect on rewiring the brain for cognitive reasons.
In developed countries such as Germany, bars are given funds to pay local music groups and allow in patrons free of charge because it is easy to police people in an organized setting than when they are scattered. This has reduced crime mostly among the youth.
According to the Director of Kampala Music School, Mr Simon Yiga, music is a gold mine since it makes money for the government indirectly as well as for a number of companies for example telecom companies in making ring tones, radios and definitely for the musician.
Despite the fact there is so much income from music, the government has done less in promoting this form of entertainment.
In Uganda music is very popular and as well as dance. The two go hand in hand. The entertainment industry is appreciated very much today and everyday there are signs that this industry is growing. And we should not forget that the more it grows the more money goes to the government treasury and also to some individual's accounts or pockets especially for those involved directly in the industry.
Sell out shows featuring internal musicians and famed local ones attract a VAT charge while a trickle down effect is created through sale of drinks and snacks at the venue. Advertisement is another source of revenue for the government.
New and better musicians come up everyday introducing new styles and trends as they integrate different genres of music to keep the fans on their toes. However the quality of music in Uganda is an issue of
concern. This involves radio and television stations since they represent the music world, the musicians and the audience.
The level of radio limitation limits the audience's level of exposure as well as mobility levels of the audience. According to Olupot Bernard a presenter at 95.9 Touch Fm radios make choice for the listeners which mean the radio limits the listeners as well as the musicians who want to please their fans considering what people seem to like on radio.
He argues that musicians in our country only care about short lived excitement which is why they produce music that dies out. However one wonders where these dynamic musicians come from, talent and passion are very responsible for most of the current musicians. But for some it is the attractive amount of money that others earn that pulls them to the industry. Bearing in mind that hard work rewards the industrious artistes must put in a lot to reap the rewards
Simon Yiga argues that to be a great musician one needs quality training in order to develop creativity in the brain.
He says that early exposure takes a human being to another level ,and it develops the same way playing an instrument does for one needs to follow a rhythm to play to the required level.
And very soon Ugandans as well as well trained musicians are going to start enjoying the well spent money.