Children's Ball Game from Western Afghanistan

As Lew and Campbell (2005) affirm, musical play is a "worldwide phenomenon" (p. 57). I came across Ye toop doram this year during a world music class I observed at a summer camp. The game song hails from western Afghanistan it is performed in the ensuing video by a group of students from Manitoba, Canada.

The song is in Farsi, an Afghani dialect, and translates to this:

Ye toop doram - "I have the ball"

Yek, do, seh - "One, two, three"

Lool-beh day - "Roll it away"

As the translation (Johnson, 2015) suggests and as is demonstrated in the video, a child is in the middle of the circle while the other students pass the ball around waiting for a chance to roll it across the circle after counting to three. The student in the middle has to avoid being hit by the ball, and if they are hit, the person who successfully hits them is moved to the middle.

A variant of this is demonstrated in the following video where multiple people are brought in the middle of the circle, and those individuals switch out while the ball is being passed.

As Lew and Campbell (2005) point out, play is an important part in a child's development, specifically in the realms of "social competence and peer-group interaction" (p. 58). Ye toop doram is evocative of many "it"-related games, such as tag or hide-and-seek, that emphasize social roles and peer-to-peer interaction. Musically it reinforces the concept of steady beat as well as a more advanced understanding of the passage of musical time, as students have to coordinate with one another to pass the ball through the empty space in between the participants on the steady beat. In this sense, steady beat becomes a group/team responsibility rather than one individual, since if one person loses their sense of time and coordination, the entire group may stumble. This responsibility is increased in the second demonstration, since when people are removed from the outside circle, individuals have to reevaluate their sense of time to ensure the steady beat is maintained over an increased passing distance.

Nettl (2015) suggests that music teachers should strive to give their students opportunities to "locate themselves in a wide cultural, historical, and musical space" while also allowing them to "marvel at the incredible diversity of the world's ideas about music" (p. 389). Paired with Lew and Campbell's (2005) assertion that children "learn of their world through the playful songs they sing" (p. 58), it is important that music teachers, especially at the K-3 level, should strive to incorporate play songs from around the world for their ability to develop crucial social skills as well as provide a broader view of the musical world in which we live.

References

Johnson, C. (2015). The world view of passing games. Retrieved from http://cake.oake.org/uploads/3/0/7/4/30742217/world_view_of_passing_games_oake_presentation.pdf

Lew, J. C. & Campbell, P. S. (2005). Children's natural and necessary musical play: Global contexts, local applications. Music Educators Journal, 91(5), 57-62.

Nettl, B. (2015). The study of ethnomusicology: Thirty-three discussions [eBook]. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press. Retrieved from EbscoHost.com

Newly Composed Arab-Inspired Music

Jim Papoulis is a modern composer who is known for infusing world music flavors into new choral music. One such piece is called Sih'r Khalaq, which translates to "creative magic" (Papoulis, 2015, p. 14). Papoulis comments that the piece is meant to evoke the music of Arab countries, which is specifically observed through the prevalent flat-second (p. 14). The piece is written for treble chorus, piano, and percussion (the following recording utilizes a cajón), and it is performed here by the Ithaca College Women's Chorale.

Careful listening of the piece validates Papoulis's (2015b) claim that the song "explores the world of Arabic rhythm, textures, and style" (p. 14). Analysis of the song's refrain (using the text found at 0:59) seems to be written using maqsum rhythmic mode, characterized by its strong beats on the words "sih'r" and "qa" of "i-qa-a," and weak beats on "kha-laq," and the "i" and "a" of "i-qa-a." This beat pattern matches the skeletal pattern of the maqsum rhythmic mode as explained by Wade (2013, p. 88).

Sih'r Khalaq is an excellent example of newly-composed world music. Campbell (2004) asserts that such music can and should be created as long as the music is "treated respectfully, with ample time given to its study" (p. 193). In the case of Sih'r Khalaq, Papoulis (2015a) admits that he consulted experts in Arab music in order to bring the piece to life.

Campbell (2004) also suggests that certain types of music inspire an individual to "respond outside the realm of the purely musical" (p. 210). Such is the case of the performance by Ithaca College. Clearly moved by the driving rhythm of Sih'r Khalaq, they created enticing choreography to enhance the musical work.

In the end, Sih'r Khalaq is the culmination of composer Jim Papoulis's interactions with Arab music. Newly composed musical works are excellent examples of what careful listening and the "intellectual internalization of sonic structures" can create (Campbell, 2004, p. 191), and pieces composed in this way showcase a degree knowledge and understanding of world music. While Sih'r Khalaq is not a true example of a classroom-based activity for creating new world music, it serves as an example of what a final project might become.

References

Campbell, P. S. (2004). Teaching music globally: Experiencing music, expressing culture. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Papoulis, J. (2015a). Sih'r khalaq [Program notes]. Distinguished Concerts International New York presents future vibrations. Retrieved from https://www.dciny.org/wp-content/plugins/sf_sync/cache/00P5000000TupD7.pdf

Papoulis, J. (2015b). Sih'r khalaq [Program notes]. Ithaca College choral collage. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.ithaca.edu/music_programs/1240

Wade, B. C. (2013). Thinking musically: Experiencing music, expressing culture. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

South Indian Vocal Percussion in Modern Choral Music

Konnakol is a highly nuanced South Indian performance art that refers to the recitation of solkattu, or the vocalized syllables that originated as representations of the South Indian mridangam drum (Young, 2013, p. 1). The following song, Tha Thin Tha is written by konnakol performer and Australian composer Lisa Young. It is performed by the Gondwana Choirs, a prominent youth choral organization in Australia.

Young's composition is made up entirely of solkattu syllables, which speaks to its South Indian influence. However, the piece bears little resemblance to traditional South Indian carnatic music, and Young herself admits that there is no strict criteria for pitch if performing konnakol (Young, 2013a, p. 2). With these ideas in mind, the question arises: is Tha Thin Tha a quote-on-quote authentic performance of konnakol or is it something new altogether?

Dr. Lisa Koops (2010) discusses four lenses through which to look at the concept of authenticity when it comes to the performance of world music. One such viewpoint she offers is that of Swanick, who offers the concepts of reproduction, reality, and relevance as key components to authentic world music experiences (p. 25). As Koops explains, reproduction refers to historical accuracy, reality refers to whether the musical experience is reflective of an actual musical practice, and relevance refers to the ability to relate the musical activity to one's own personal outlook or experience (p. 25). Certainly, Tha Thin Tha could be considered under Swanick's criteria. The use of solkattu is reflective of the language of the mridangam drum sounds (a language that has been passed down for centuries) (Young, 2013b), which fulfills an aspect of historical criteria and a true musical practice. One could also argue that the melodic recitation of these in this arrangement allows konnakol, an art form that is studied for years in silence even before performance is allowed (Young, 2013a, p. 2), to become more easily attainable and relatable to the performers.

One could equally argue that Tha Thin Tha goes beyond the concept of authenticity altogether. Koops (2010) summarizes this viewpoint that is shared amongst groups of teachers and scholars, noting that the question is not about reproducing a historically accurate performance, but asking questions such as who wrote/performed the piece, in what context, how is it performed, for what purpose, what influenced it, etc., and using the answers to those questions to improve classroom learning experiences (p. 26). In this sense, Tha Thin Tha seems to take the art form of intoned percussive speech and provides a musically satisfying and attainable music experience. After all, the only additional component added is melody, since konnokol has been spoken as an art form for centuries (Young, 2013b).

Still, I see the argument for both philosophies of authenticity. One could fixate on the concept that solkattu is a language that reflects drum sounds and are therefore unsuited for true pitched melody, though one could easily counter with the reality that the different tones attainable on a drum are a melody in and of itself. Additionally, one could argue that adding melody to this ancient art form is a great way to make it accessible for classroom experience, but the other side of that claim is that it loses its historical authenticity in favor of a more melodic, aesthetically pleasing performance piece.

Regardless of opinion, it's clear that Tha Thin Tha is a performance experience that explores the musical practices of South India. Even so, the question of its authenticity to the true nature of South Indian konnakol, and whether its treatment signifies a world music experience or an entirely new style of music altogether, is worthy of debate.

References

Koops, L. H. (2010). “Can’t we just change the words?”: The role of authenticity in culturally informed music education. Music Educators Journal, 97(1), 23-28.

Young, L. (2013a). Learning the art of konnakol. Retrieved from http://lisayoungmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Learning-the-Art-of-Konnakol-by-Lisa-Young.pdf

Young, L. (2013b, July 12). The art of konnakol [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG-AdpfWDkc

Pre-Democratic South African Choral Music

Up until 1994, South Africa was ruled by a system of institutionalized racism known nowadays as apartheid. The following video, a recording of the traditional Zulu song, "Amavolovolo," is an example of music that was created in pre-democratic South Africa. This arrangement was captured by Rudolf de Beer, a former conductor of the Drackensburg Boys Choir, the choir that is shown in the video. They are accompanied by a variety of drums and shakers.

Structurally, there is not much to discuss. The song is repeated three times, and the variation comes in the movement, though in my research I cannot conclusively say that the movement comes from traditional Zulu or South African dance or whether it was specifically choreographed. Regardless, according to the de Beer (2009), the word amavolovolo is a mutation of the English word revolver, which reflects the original fear-filled nature of the piece, which describes the attitude of South Africans who were afraid to travel to a nearby area because of its history of violence (p. 2).

Certainly, "Amavolovolo" is a piece of music that is deeply rooted in social context. Wade (2013) challenges us to perceive music beyond its musical qualities (p. 148). In this specific instance, "Amavolovolo" seems to reflect the turbulent nature of pre-democratic South Africa, and yet, this song is still widely performed today despite major social and political shifts. Interestingly enough (as alluded to in the video), "Amavolovolo" is still performed today not as a song of protest or a song of fear, but as a song for celebration, as it is frequently performed at parties and weddings (De Beer, 2009, p. 2). In this instance, this piece's cultural context has changed over time.

Context is important when it comes to looking at world music. Specifically for "Amavolovolo," the intensity in which one performs this song could alter its cultural context. If harsh, intense or abrasive, it could be perceived as reminiscent of pre-democratic South Africa (a mistake I made the first time I programmed this song). If performed in the style of the boy choir in the video, one can experience the celebratory, lighthearted nature of the piece's modern celebratory nature. While both interpretations could certainly have a time and a place, particular consideration must be paid to the concept of performance practice especially when it comes to cultural context.

Overall, cultural context helps us understand why music sounds and is performed the way it is. As Wade (2013) observes, such knowledge adds a deeper level to musical understanding that goes beyond structure itself, but to the concept of why it sounds and is performed that way (p. 159). This knowledge and understanding is crucial to being able to develop deep, as-close-to-authentic world music experiences for performers and audiences alike.

References

De Beer, R. (2009). Amavolovolo. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation.

Wade, B. C. (2013). Thinking musically: Experiencing music, expressing culture. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Afro-Peruvian Dance Music

In a survey of Western European classical music, I imagine one would find lots of pieces written neatly in 4/4, 3/4, or 2/4 time signatures. Perhaps something more exotic such as a 6/8 might be found as well. However, Wade (2013) reminds us that "concepts of musical time differ greatly in different traditions" (p. 71), and when studying world music, we must not assume that time sounds or functions the same as perhaps our ears have been trained to understand. My first experience with music challenged my perception of time was the Afro-Peruvian landó, a style of music developed by the descendants of African slaves who arrived in Brazil (CITE). This piece in landó-style is entitled "Samba Malató."

Landó is characterized by solo-chorus, call-and-response, layered percussion, and polyrhythms (Feldman, 2006, p. 110). In basic landó form, the rhythm involves two strong beats, two beats of syncopated rhythm, and two more strong beats. Refer to this diagram:

An easy way to feel this rhythm is to say the phrase "this is how you... play lan-dó," with the "how" and "play" as the eighth notes in beats 3 and 4 above.

Using this basic 6-beat pattern, standard notation practices usually classify landó as either 6/4 or 12/8 (Feldman, 2006, p. 111). However, in watching the video above, one may have a difficult time experiencing either of those time signatures or even identifying where the downbeat is (in case you're curious, it's the dó of landó sung by the cajón player). Feldman suggests that such notation of 6/4 and 12/8 provides different possibilities of understanding landó's musical time (p. 111). Beyond that, listening to the vocal line provides an ambiguous feel of duple and triple meter. Needless to say, understanding the pulse, meter, and rhythm of this song can be difficult.

The classification of time in music is important, as it allows musicians to perform together linked by a common pulse (Wade, 2013, p. 76). As Wade also points out, some pieces are intentionally free of strict rhythm or follow textual pulses (p. 73-74). Yet despite adherence or ignorance of time and pulse, such classification opens a common link to better understand a type of foreign music, as it provides insight into how other musicians organize music in the passing of time (p. 99).

Even in rhythmically ambiguous pieces and genres, such as the landó, meter and rhythm are important. However, when it comes to understanding world music and musical culture, strict adherence to such terms could become a hinderance to deeper learning. For example, Wade (2013) provides the example of Southeast Asian colometric meter, specifically the ketawang form in which the largest gong signals the passing of time on the 16th beat of the 16-note grouping, signaling both the ending and the beginning of a cycle, not simply on the downbeat as many of our Western ears are accustomed to (p. 83). In a different way, landó purposefully muddies the rhythmic structure, hailing to its African ancestral rhythms and their rampant use of polyrhythm (Feldman, 2006, p. 111). Thus, while the classification of time is certainly useful information to understanding world music, such rigid structures cannot be the only means to understanding how others musicians and musics pass time. To do so would limit one's understanding of the true nature of music such as the landó.

References

Feldman, H. C. (2006). Black rhythms of Peru: Reviving African musical heritage in the black Pacific. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press.

Wade, B. C. (2013). Thinking musically: Experiencing music, expressing culture. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Vocal Music of Xinjiang, China

For my first post, I wanted to draw upon my own experiences of world music pedagogy. I chose the traditional Chinese (Xinjiang) folksong "Dance of the Youth" that my former choir, the Cincinnati Children's Choir, prepared for an exchange with the Children's Choir of the China National Symphony Orchestra for our tour of the country in 2014. The song hails from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of northwest China. This arrangement is written for SSA (treble) choir and a one piano, four-handed accompaniment.

In terms of pedagogy, this piece was initially difficult to teach because it is written in Mandarin Chinese with no phonetic translation. Thus, I was tasked to work with a native Mandarin speaker in order to best convey the pronunciation of the text.

Admittedly, I had little context of the piece's translation, its origin, or the context in which it is performed in its native culture. This speaks volumes to the importance of ethnomusicology in relation to world music pedagogy. By not making an effort to learn about the piece in a deeper way, I was promoting a Western view of foreign music, which Reimer (2003) supports by criticizing Westerners for viewing music in a "'low context culture'--a culture in which particular contexts of particular pieces are far less important than the qualities of the pieces themselves" (p. 181). Yet in order to make this piece of music "meaningful and useful" to my students (Wade, 2013, p. 1), I should have looked further to understand the many facets that made this piece of music come to be. This is where ethnomusicology is so valuable: it "frame[s] a perspective for many ways of thinking both about people and about music all over the world" (p. 1). For example, I could have searched for the meaning of the text or discovered whether the "Dance" of "Dance of the Youth" referred also to an accompanied dance. Perhaps the song was originally a folk dance and words were added later. Perhaps it played a more significant role in the culture, perhaps as a rite of passage or for sociopolitical purposes. According to Wade (2013) all of these questions are important pieces that contribute to a deeper understanding of music (p. 1). Bond (2014) supports this statement, arguing that without such contexts, students are deprived of a "multilayered musical experience that potentially strips the music of its meaning and value" (p. 12), which is quite possibly the disservice I imparted to my students when I taught the piece.

Upon a quick search, I've already found more information. I found a Chinese choir performing the same arrangement (which some of the pronunciation differs from my own teaching, which may warrant some investigation). I also found a recording of what seems like a pop singer performing the song on a television show. I have included both videos below. Obviously, there is a broader understanding the song that I missed, and this week was a wake-up call for my future teaching strategies.

References

Bond, V. L. (2014). Culturally responsive teaching in the choral classroom. The Choral Journal, 55(2), 8-15.

Reimer, B. (2003). A philosophy of music education: Advancing the vision. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Wade, B. C. (2013). Thinking musically: Experiencing music, expressing culture. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.