BosbaPANH: Blog

My dad often receives calls from parents who are asking if we have a music school or where they can learn music. There are now lots of places where you can learn, but it costs quite a lot of money. In fact, I think music education should be free, like in many countries, even in China where my brother studies, music is part of the classes we have at school. But we are not quite here yet in Cambodia.

There are many private lessons given by artists (Cambodian or foreign living here) but the prices are high for a normal Cambodian family at 10-15$ per hour for Cambodian teachers and 15-30$ for foreign teachers. There are also private schools by Cambodian teachers / musicians (for example Khru Rithiravuth - Mozart Music Center and by Khru Ram Daravong) which are not too expensive, and you learn with others. If they receive some funds and instruments from the NGOs for example, then it is free, which is great.

There are also private schools opened by foreigners where you pay from 80$ to 150$ per month but you have about 30 or 45 mn class per week (so 4 lessons/month). You need to practice a lot outside of these lessons if you want to progress ! I think it is not enough if we want to progress, because when I started music, my parents are not musicians so I needed lots of hours and supervision from my teachers to make me work and progress. I think they target only the very rich or the foreigners living here.

There are also NGOs offering lessons for free, but I think if you are from a normal family, they don't accept you. It seems it is only for the very poor or living in the rural areas. I have never been able to join and I remember that once, my brother wanted to join a dance lesson, and they kicked him out of the place!!

As there is now more interest in music, I hope there will be more and more places to learn music and arts and that it will be not too expensive for every kid to join.

So here are the places I know:

- Singing: teacher Kim Myungsil (Korean): 092 761 101 [prices are 15-25$ / 45 mn]

- Piano lessons at Piano Forte 012 917 024 (Jenny) and email is pianistee12@gmail.com

- Mozart Music Center (Khru Rithiravuth, he is on facebook! and there is a page!)

- Simphony Music School : they are also on facebook ! check.

- all my teachers and band musicians also give lessons at 10$/hour.