Ms. Tabitha Kwamboka Osoro

About

Email address: osoro.tabitha@ku.ac.ke

Address: 43844 - 00100, Nairobi, Kenya.

Profile

Personal Profile

I am currently a PhD candidate at Moi University who holds a Master of Music Education from Kabarak University and a Bachelor of Education(Arts) Second Class Honors, Upper Division from Kenyatta University.

Being an early career researcher, I am privileged to be part of a research project titled, “Beyond the Digital Return: New Heritage(s), sustainability and decolonization of Music Archives in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa”. This project is affiliated to African Cluster Centre, which is a component of, Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence at University of Bayreuth, Germany. The project's activities stimulated a strong desire to investigate digital archiving platforms and practices in the context of music performance, heritagization and education.

I am a dedicated music educationist, and a passionate advocate for African musical heritage preservation, and enhancing access to culturally responsive music education resources. Specifically, I am interested in how best to utilize digital repositories to enhance exposure of Kenyan learners to music of their communities, and support music educators in developing innovative methods of teaching music.

Conferences and Workshops

• Beyond the Digital Return- “New Heritage/s”, Sustainability and the Decolonisation of Archives Workshop, University of Bayreuth, Germany- Online Participation [23/04/2024- 24/04/2024]
• Kenya Music Festival National Trainers and Adjudicators Workshop at Nakuru Girls` High School, Kenya [18/02/2024 – 24/02/2024]
• The Inaugural Moi University International Conference on African Studies [23rd – 24th November, 2023], Eldoret, Kenya
• Sounding East Africa: Music, Technology and Ideology Workshop, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania [15/08/2023- 16/08/2023]
• 13th PASMAE-ISME Regional Conference at University of Cape Coast, Ghana [24/07/2023-28/07/2023]
• 47th ICTM World Conference at University of Ghana, Legon [13/07/2023-19/01/2023]
• Beyond the Digital Return- “New Heritage/s” Workshop, University of Ghana, [11/07/2023- 12/07/2023]
• Kenya Music Teachers` Board Workshop, Eldoret, Kenya [ 07/09/2021 – 10/09/2021]
• Kenya Music Festival National Trainers and Adjudicators Workshop at Tom Mboya College –Kisumu, Kenya [26/12/2020 – 01/01/2021]
• Kabarak University International Research Conference on Refocusing Music and other Performing Arts for Sustainable Development 2020
• Kabarak International Research Conference on Refocusing Music and other Performing Arts for Sustainable Development 2019 [17/10/2019-18/10/2019]
• British Institute in Eastern Africa`s Research and Academic writing Bootcamp, Nairobi, Kenya [ 26/01/2018 – 27/01/2018]

Publications and Papers

• Osoro, T. K., (2023) Exploring an Archival Space within a Musical Genre: The Case of Zilizopendwa Songs at the Institutionalized Kenya Music Festival- Paper presented at the13th PASMAE-ISME Regional Conference at University of Cape Coast, Ghana
• Osoro, T. K., Monte, E. P., & Were, M. N. (2020). Determinants of Marginalization of Women in the Kenyan Music Education Space. African Musicology Online, 10(2), 74-96. [2020]
• Osoro, T. K., (2019) Gender Inequalities in Music Education: Experiences of Female Music Educators in Kenya- Paper presented at Kabarak University International Research Conference on Refocusing Music and other Performing Arts for Sustainable Development 2019.

Research Projects and Collaborations

• Field Researcher in a project titled, “Sounding East Africa: Music, Technology and Ideology”, funded by the Perivoli Africa Research Centre at the University of Bristol.
• Doctoral Researcher in a research project titled, “Beyond the Digital Return: New Heritage(s), sustainability and decolonization of Music Archives in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa,” funded by African Cluster Centre, which is a component of, Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence at University of Bayreuth, Germany.

Networks and Memberships

• Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education[01/2023-current]: The Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education (PASMAE) serves as a forum for sharing expressed musical cultures in and across countries. It is a truly inclusive space for artists, teachers, musicians and scholars to deconstruct and reconstruct musical arts performance and instruction.
• Music Education Research Group- Kenya [09/2021- current]: This is a group of music education researchers in Kenya whose main purpose is to contribute to the body of knowledge within the music education space.
• Moi University ACC- Early Career Scholars Forum [02/2023-current] :This platform serves as a gathering point for early career researchers at Moi University in Kenya, who are associated with the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence. It offers a dedicated space for mentorship, the exchange of ideas, and the exploration of research opportunities within the realm of African studies.
• Young Scholars Forum [10/2023- current] :Member of the organizing team of the Young Scholars forum (2024). This team consists of Early Career Scholars in projects under the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, drawn from various institutions in Africa and beyond. They have been actively involved in organizing the Young Scholars Forum/ Workshop (2024). See the link: https://nomadit.co.uk/vad/vad2024/ysf