| ...My inspiration to turn Thailand into the Musical country or Vienna of the East derived from the believe that music plays an important role in our lives, regardless of nationality, religion, and age...
Dr. Thaworn Phornprapha was, from the very beginning, convinced that Thais, and particularly children and youth with creative abilities, should be developing their musical talents. When, therefore, he travelled to Japan in 1965, he was advised by Mr. G. Kawakami, Director of the Yamaha Music Foundation and Chairman of Nippon Gakki, manufacturer of world-famous Yamaha musical instruments, to set up a Junior Music Course in Thailand as an introduction to music for children. On his return, Dr. Thaworn resolved to make Thailand the Vienna of the East. He founded, consequently, the Siamkolkarn Music School on April 27, 1966 on the third floor of a building at 865 Rama 1 Road, just across from the National Stadium. Khunying Sunet Pongsopon and Archaran Manrat Srikaranonda were the School's two other founders.
The benefits of the Siamkolkarn Music School were readily apparent. The School instilled and promoted in Thai students the same modern musical skills, knowledge, and values found abroad. It encouraged young Thais to use their free time productively, enhanced their learning capacity, imagination, and creativity, refined their character, and helped develop their IQ (intelligence quotient) and EQ (emotional quotient) In all these ways, graduates from the school would become better family members and better contributors to their work and community. It could be said, therefore, that the founding of the Siamkolkarn Music School was an important milestone in the history of music in Thailand.
Today, the pioneering work of Dr. Thaworn Phornprapha has been extended and magnified by Khunying Phornthip Narongdej and Mr. Phornthep Phornprapha. The Siamkolkarn Music School is recognized throughout Thailand for its high standards of teaching and performance. More than 100 branch schools have been established all over the country. The Yamaha Music Academy is responsible for the supervision and management of instruction at standards equivalent to those upheld by the Yamaha curriculum in Japan. The Siamkolkarn Music School presently has an enrollment of some 30,000 students and a list of graduates over all the years of its operations that now exceeds 500,000. Siam Music Yamaha Co., Ltd., meanwhile, has become the sole agent of Yamaha musical instruments in Thailand. The Company's product lines include keyboards, instruments for bands, combo and orchestras, and audio equipment for home theatre and professional audio settings.
The Siamkolkarn Music School is proud to have contributed to the social and economic well-being of Thailand during the past 40 years. While enabling many musicians and composers to make music their life career, the School has also given young people in Thailand a proper foundation of modern musical knowledge, and manifested their musical potential through opportunities for public performance. the Siamkolkarn Music School and its affiliated schools, a network of countrywide dealers, and various public and private agencies.
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