We all have different passions when it comes to music, from our favorite throwbacks, to our classical or film scores that make an unforgettable impact on us. Dr. Abdullah Khalaf’s passion was ignited since childhood, and it happened through the timeless cartoons we’ve all watched, that of Tom & Jerry and Mickey Mouse. When his interest towards the background music of these two cartoons grew even more, Abdullah’s call to follow the sound was actioned.
Dr. Abdullah holds both an MA and a PhD degree from the UK in Piano Performance. Now 37 years-old, he is currently teaching music at The Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET). Before his journey was set, Abdullah’s younger self was more into scientific subjects, and when he joined Kuwait University to study Microbiology for a year and a half, the tables were turned. “I wanted to do music but I didn’t have the guts to tell my family that I want to switch from Microbiology to Music. It took a year and a half to convince my mom, which happened in the end. Then, I went to the same college where I’m teaching now [PAAET],” he says.
The sound of the piano is the one that resonated with Dr. Abdullah the most, but there was also another reason. When he was studying at a public school in Kuwait, the number of musical instruments available was limited. As he says, “There weren’t instruments other than a keyboard, drums, or a piano. So, maybe if there was a violin or any other instrument, I might be taking it. I don’t know. Piano was there, and I already liked it.” The truth is, government schools in Kuwait do not necessarily take the field of music very seriously, if anything, it’s clearly not being invested in rightfully.
Dr. Abdullah highlights the several obstacles we have when it comes to educating and learning anything within the field of music, and it all comes down to restrictions and limitations. This is why the Musicology Center was born, “I wanted to have my own place where I can teach in my own way, my own agenda, my own hope. So, I started the Musicology Center. The first idea was that I wanted to create a place, free for everyone to just come play music and read books about music,” he says.
At first, Dr. Abdullah tried to find financial support to fund the project, but ended up taking a big loan from his personal bank account, and put everything he had into the Musicology Center. It’s a place where part of it is free of charge, including lectures, concerts, the research library which is amazingly his collection that he built throughout the years, and there are around 3000 books in there. He says that “90% of it [the library] are about classical music, and the rest are politics, history and classic novels.” The only experience which requires a payment at the Musicology Center are the classes, since those payments are the ones that cover the rent for the space.
One step at a time, and one dream after the other, Dr. Abdullah published his first Arabic piano book last year for those who would like to learn the basics of playing the piano. “There are millions of books available but, unfortunately, all of them are in English. I didn’t come across any book in Arabic, and here [in Kuwait] I can’t force everyone to study in English,” he says. The book is basically an Arabic curriculum that is based on western methods. Dr. Abdullah adds that the book is available for anyone, “I believe music should be for everyone not just for musicians. It makes us better people, teaches us how to deal with each other, how to behave better, how to live better, so I wanted it to be for everyone who wants to do it.”
The introduction of the book alone says it all, it’s dedicated to a 12-year-old boy who always wanted to study music, and was internally struggling between his passions and the expectations of his surrounding society. A boy who couldn’t find the proper book at the time, and couldn’t read English to learn more about the world of music. Today, he is Dr. Abdullah Khalaf, and now he holds his dream book in his hands while also sharing it with everyone who may have gone through the same experience. Not only that, but Dr. Abdullah is already working on the publication of levels two and three.
With so much more to achieve, what Dr. Abdullah is looking forward to the most is to continue to grow the Musicology Center. “The hope is for it to become a real music school, where I can give diplomas and bachelor degrees. But this is a big project that needs real government financial support, which I don’t have at the time. So, I’m just going to keep [doing] what I’m doing now, it’s growing, people are getting to know it, hopefully in the future someone would be happy to finance it and turn it into a real music academy,” he says.
Two things he always shares with his students is to read and travel, “Because it will teach them that we don’t exist alone. There is a bigger community outside, we have to learn from them and we have to get exposed to these communities and those cultures.” No matter how small or big your dreams may be, never stop seeking them, one day you might be holding those dreams in your hands just like Dr. Abdullah Khalaf, who never gave up despite the obstacles in our community, and the hardships he had to go through to achieve what he wanted today.
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE
What do you most value about your friends?
Their honesty, and their presence when I need them.
Which living person do you most admire?
My mom.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Avoiding the word “perfect”.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Honesty.
What is your most treasured possession?
My family.
What is your greatest fear?
Losing my beloved ones.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Dedication.
Which talent would you most like to have?
A beautiful voice.
What is one trait you have that you are most grateful for?
My passion about the things I love.
What is the human trait you most dislike about others?
Lying.
What is it that you most dislike?
Negative people, even though they give me motivation sometimes.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
My dear.
What are your favorite words to live by?
“Simplicity is the final achievement.”
Where would you most like to live?
London or Barcelona.
If you could have any job, what would it be?
Full-time film music composer and performer.
What would you consider your greatest achievement?
Influencing my students.
What do you hope for the future?
To beat the present.
For more information on Dr. Abdullah’s projects, follow his Instagram page @a_k83, for the center follow @musicologycenter, and for his music book, check out the page @ak_pianobook. Images courtesy of Sager Alsuwaiel, @sageralsuwaiel on Instagram.
