...where music dwells | Making Music

SAM KANG LI

The sound emanating from the saxophone is haunting; mournful and exalted at the same time. An impossible amalgam of melodies rise and fade as Mariano blows softly into the mouthpiece. Dripping sweat from his long blond locks, the founder and director of the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC) plays on, oblivious to the fact that he is being observed. He finishes the note, and notices us at the door, watching transfixed. He smiles, and invites us into his sanctum.

On the top floor of the Gyanodaya College lies the KJC, and within its walls is Mariano Abello's office. Miles Davis adorns a wall as the saxophonist talks of the beginnings of the project closest to his heart. Mariano had been living in Nepal for a long time, playing with various local outfits and teaching a few students privately. While playing in the band Stupa and with Nirakar Yakthumba of 1974AD, Mariano expressed his dream of starting up a music school in Nepal. His idea struck a chord with Nirakar and the two pooled together their money to start up KJC in November of 2007.

KJC may not be the first music school in Nepal but it is the most unique. With a fully-fledged curriculum that offers a two or three-year diploma in music, world-class tutors and even a recording studio, KJC provides what other music schools only dream of. The Conservatory tuition charges range from Rs 1200-3000 per month, with scholarships available for those with the passion but no resources. The Hyatt Regency contributes $100 each month to sponsor a female musician and Mariano has Rs 40,000 stashed away for scholarships.

And don't be fooled by the moniker. Although named the Jazz Conservatory, the school teaches everything from funk-rock to eastern classical (a curriculum designed especially by Dhrubesh Regmi). Instructors include Mariano himself, two foreign musicians: Patrick Scannell from Curacao and Gary Pattison from Canada, and Manohar Gurung, Yuvraj Chettri and Nirakar Yakthumba, all eminent Nepali musicians. There are music workshops conducted fortnightly by visiting foreign bands who are more than glad to share.

"We musicians are selfish, only wanting to better ourselves and play for ourselves," says Mariano. "I love teaching and the school is just a way for me to pass on all that I know." For Mariano, the KJC is more than a school that teaches music. He wants to promote Nepali talent and encourage people to take up music.

In less than five months, the Conservatory already has fifty students, all of whom arrived through word of mouth.

Its meager tuition fees do little to supplement the charges incurred by the school, but Mariano does what he can, organising various fund-raising concerts. KJC also puts on a monthly concert series with the KJC ensemble performing alongside veteran Nepali bands. There is also the Nepal Jazz Jatra, a bi-yearly event that will take place every year in March and October. It will feature students from the Conservatory and local as well as foreign bands. Mariano wants it to be something regular, something that everyone can look forward to.

"Ten years on, I see Nepal as the possible music focal point of South Asia," says Mariano. "Nepal has that much potential. But I don't want to be the only school to make that happen." Mariano wants to work collectively with other schools, not as competitors but as collaborators, partners-in-crime in bringing about a musical revolution. Mariano may be a dreamer, but he's a stubborn dreamer, one who will not rest until he's made his dream a reality. "To learn music, talent is secondary. You need determination and the will to succeed. Anyone can learn music."