Week 6

African Clapping Games

Clapping Game #1

Title: No title
Performers: Rannecia and Promise
Origin: Liberia, Africa
Orchestration: Clapping & Vocals

Clapping Game #2

Title: Oh Mama
Performers: Felicia & Victoria, Promise & Jackerline, Temoh & Princess
Origin: Liberia, Africa
Orchestration: Clapping & Vocals

Clapping Game #3

Title: Meter Competition
Performers: Princess & Temoh
Origin: Liberia, Africa
Orchestration: Clapping & Vocals


This week, in the Lew & Campbell reading, it spoke about the musical play of children.  These games or rhymes are ways for children to experience music without even realizing it.  Children become exposed to melodies, rhythms, different meters, etc.  This becomes an educational tool that enhances a child's musical ability.  As the authors state, "Play has been described as a "cause and effect" of a particular culture with- in which children are raised." (Campbell & Lew, p. 58)  I feel that when children are around other children and "things" are being done such as playing games, sports, singing, or even dancing that the other children around want to become involved.

In this video, you can see how enthusiastic these children are about participating in these different clapping games and want to jump right in.  In clapping game #3, it demonstrates clapping going up in numbers and keep the beat and rhythm steady.  I can think back of how when I was a child clapping games were the thing to do on an in-day in school when it was raining or snowing.  Now, children are glued to electronic devices.  It is a breath of fresh air when you see children playing traditional clapping games or just traditional musical games.  There are also many games that have been learned by children of other countries that are played around the world.  Just ask a younger student!

Campbell, P., Shehan, L., Chooi-Then, J. (2005). Children’s natural and necessary musical play: Global contexts, local applications.  Music Educators Journal, 91(5), 57.

Week 5

Title of piece: No name

Performers: Highlands Elementary World Drumming Ensemble

Origin: Africa

Orchestration: Tubano hand drums


In the reading for Creating World Music, I have found this piece performed by these elementary school students.  This took place during an art festival.  This group consists of approximately 23 students who are led by their music teacher Emmanuel Fergile.  These students are playing modernized authentic african drums.  Also, they are playing rhythms and styles that would be found in African music.  I enjoyed how through their playing, you can sense that they have been educated and understand the concepts of the drumming patterns.  There are unison parts that are being played and then followed by clapping.  During the clapping, students are taking short solos, which are being "improvised".  Improvisation is also talked about in the reading for creating music.  The energy that is passed along is phenomenal.  Towards the end, hand signals are used just as we do today for dynamic crescendos and decrescendos.  Finally, one last trigger rhythm is played and a unison hit to end the piece.  It was fun and enjoyable to watch these students have fun with playing different "World Music".  

Week 4

Title of piece: Interpretation of Fanga

Performers: Babatunde Olatunji and two other unnamed performers

Origin: Africa

Orchestration: Various djembes, agogo bells, African drum, conga, various other drums

With the topic of authenticity this week, I decided to choose African hand-drumming.  Since I am a percussionist, African drumming is something that I like to touch on with my students.  This past year, I educated my percussionists in this area during their recess time.  In this video, there are many aspects of authenticity.  It stems from the authentic percussive instruments to the technic used and the culture that is held behind the music.  Babatunde was a drummer from Nigeria who was also also an educator, social activist, and recording artist.  Listening to this piece, you can feel the groove that is set into place and how you feel the authentic African underlying rhythms and beats.

Week 3

Title of piece: Joropo quitapesares

Performers: Cimarrón

Origin: Colombia

Orchestration: Maracas, Cajon, Harp, String bass, Cuatro, Tenor guitar

Cimarrón is a Grammy-Nomiated group, which consists of singers, dancers, and instrumentalists from Colombia.  The word Cimarrón means wild bull.  This music is performed at a fast/brisk tempo, which is pushed by maracas, percussive strings, and singers.  This "música llanera" which means plains music is some of the best music being brought out of South America.  

In this music, many musical things are happening.  First, it begins with a strong unison entrance.  This grabs the attention of the audience right from the beginning.  Heterophony definitely has a strong presence in this music.  A number of instrumentalists take a solo, and put a variation on the melodies that are played.  Also, the solo that are being played, are being improvised (I am sure).  With the form of soloing, there has to be an intra-ensemble interaction between the players.  Just as in jazz in the United States, the players use eye-contact or hand-symbols to bring a solo to an end or to begin at a certain section.  The pitch of the instruments are high, and I feel that helps to work with the fast paced tempo.  The timbre of the maracas and the cajon help to provide that driving tempo.  They are subtle with the right amount of emphasis.  The "percussiveness" of the strings really interlock between one another.  Also, there are some notes that may not sound exactly pleasing to everyone's ear, but in this culture, this may be considered correct.  Unfortunately, not in this piece, but others by this group include vocals and dancers.  This would also connect to music and movement.  

Week 2

Title: Colors of Indian Culture (combination of different folk pieces and dances)

Performers: Various folk artists

Culture/Origin: India

Orchestration: Use of different flutes, reeded instruments, and percussive instruments.  Some are, Shehnai, Bansuri, Nadaswaram, Harmonium, Khol, Maddale, Mridangam, Ankle bells

Throughout the various performances, various instruments were heard and used.  The music and dance is mainly driven by the use of percussion instruments.  Many instruments seen and heard are related to instruments that we are familiar with in our own culture.  The use of flutes, reeded instruments, organ (which is hand-pumped-harmonium), and percussion instruments are similar to what we use in orchestrations in the United States and in other cultures of the world.  Also, different rhythms are used in the different pieces that were played.  Most of these interlock with one another to create a cohesive bond of rhythm.  The coordination between the dancers and musicians seems as if they are connected.

Russian Folk Music-Korobushka

Title of piece: Кorobushka (коробушка)

Performer(s): Folk Artists

Culture or Origin: Russia

Orchestration: String instruments similar to guitars/mandolins called balalaika, domra, an accordion instrument called bayan and garmon, and vocals

When listening to this recording of Korobushka which means "the peddler's pack" which is from the 19th century poem by Nekrasov are where the words came from.  This was a dance that was normally   used for social dancing.  In this, vocals are demonstrated to in a sense match the strumming and trills of the stringed instruments.  You also can here the sustained notes in what we would know as the accordion.  In this folk piece, you hear a familiar tune to a video game from today.  That would be one of everyone's favorites, "Tetris."  The tempos speed up and slow down throughout.  When connecting this to different cultures, there is a direct connection between where the song originated in Russia to a video game in the United States.  As sociologist Christopher Small called doing music, "musicking, which is to take part, in any capacity, in a musical performance, whether by performing, by listening, by rehearsing or practicing, by providing material for performance, or by dancing."