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Department of Music, University of Nigeria – Head of Department’s Statement

Our involvement, as musicians and musicologists, in grooming and mentoring scholars who could confidently handle the social, economic, political, educational, and spiritual demands on the 21st century is quite evident. Teaching, research, and community service are aspects of our duties as musicologists. No wonder the founders of this University included the Department of Music in their foundational considerations of vital areas of learning; hence, since its inception in 1960, the Department of Music of this University—the first of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa—has blazed the trail in producing world-class scholars whose contributions and services are highly valued, globally. We can say authoritatively that every musicologist in/from Nigeria today has a historical and academic connection with the Department of Music of the University of Nigeria.

Reference is often made to the popular entertainment function of music, as if that aesthetic angle to music is the only value of music in the human life. But experience has shown that the utilitarian and contingent functions of music—especially in Africa—put music in the centre-stage of therapy, worship, patriotism, social mobilization and control, enlightenment, commerce, transcendental supplication, national development, etc.

As a discipline that encompasses art and science, the centrality of music in the life of all living things place music and musicians at a delicate position. The instruments and equipment for music-making are as delicate as the psyche of the musicians and musicologists who function as both artistes and scientists. While bracing up to our responsibilities of teaching, research, and community service, the Department also boasts as the officially recognized institution for musical training of military and paramilitary personnel of the Nigerian armed forces.

The Department of Music, University of Nigeria, Nsukka has since established a culture of excellence in scholarship and musicianship—recording numerous enviable achievements from the different fields of music and music-making, globally. On the 31st of August, 2016, the Department stood tall amidst other Departments of Music in Nigeria with first position in the All Nigerian Universities Classical Music Contest (Campus Classicals) held in Lagos, Nigeria. The Sam Chukwu Memorial Recording Studio (SCMRS) of the University of Nigeria, borne out of a Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Nigeria and African Digital Ethnography Project, Morehouse College, USA is distinguished as the first digital recording studio for training, educational and cultural documentation in a Nigerian university. Also, the University of Nigeria Digital Collection (UNDC) Repository—the first of its kind in West Africa—is the first digital archival repository to be curated by a Nigerian university.

I warmly welcome you to the den of the Lion Band, Lion Orchestra, Lion Ensemble, and the Nsukka School of Art Music of the University of Nigeria—The Department of Music.

Prof. Adeogun Oluranti Adeogun

Dean’s Statement

Image is the mother of perceptions. Image determines reputation, and for the Faculty of Arts, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, image has been seen as an important factor in social and academic re-engineering. Some persons, institutions and organizations have over the years perceived the university system negatively due to a number of issues that border on the negative: sexual harassment, sale of handout, illegal fees, endless wrangling over simple issues, etc…

Brief History

The Faculty of Arts is one of the first four foundation faculties of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka which commenced academic activities in 1960 with six departments. Two of these – English and History – became the core departments of the Faculty of Arts when the institution grouped its academic units into faculties. The creation of the faculty in 1960 was in line with one of the four factors which formed the background of the philosophy founding the University.

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