Centering on African Practice in Musical Arts Education

Minette Mans

Description

This collection brings together many African voices expressing their ideas and conceptions of musical practice and arts education in Africa. With essays from established scholars in the field as well as young researchers and educators, and topics ranging from philosophical arguments and ethno-musicology to practical class-room ideas, this book will stimulate academic discourse. At the same time, practical ideas and information will assist teachers and students in Africa and elsewhere, bringing fresh musical perspectives on instrument playing, singing, children’s literature and play.Minette Mans, previously Associate Professor of Music and Dance at the University of Namibia, currently freelances as researcher and writer. Her fields of interest include the theory and practice of African musical arts, focusing on Namibia. Since completing her doctoral studies at the University of Natal, she has spent years combining field research with reflective literature studies. She sits on many editorial boards and has published widely, including three books, chapters in books and articles in journals such as International Journal of Music Education, Arts Education Policy Review, International Journal of Education and the Arts and Journal of Music Arts in Africa. She was previously member of ISME board of directors, chair of ISME’s Music in Schools and Teacher Education Commission, and vice-president of PASMAE.

Sujets

• Musique

Informations

• Publié par: African Minds
• Date de parution: 03 décembre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

African Practice Centering on n Musical Arts Education i Edîted by Mînette Mans

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Fîrst pubîshed în 2006 for the Pan-Afrîcan Socîety of Musîca Arts Educatîon

by Afrîcan Mînds

www.afrîcanmînds.co.za

A rîghts reserved

ISBN: 1-920051-49-X

Produced by Compress

www.compress.co.za

Foreword Contributors AcknowLedgements

Table of contents

Relections on African theory and educationaL impLementation 1. Aesthetîcs and practîces în îndîgenous chora styes of the Yoruba of AfrîcaOlufemi Adedeji 2. The phîosophy of art relected în Afrîcan musîc: A comparatîve anaysîs of Western and Afrîcan aesthetîc perspectîves Mellitus Nyongesa Wanyama 3. Meanîngs and messages în musîca artsMinette Mans 4. Growîng în musîca arts knowedge versus the roe of the îgnorant expertMeki Nzewi 5. Is there a Swahîî way of teachîng musîc? Descrîbîng a serîes of teachers’ workshops on teachîng musîc to chîdren în TanzanîaHildegard Kiel & Tormod W. Anundsen 6. Factors assocîated wîth academîc performance of students în musîc at NCE eve: A case study of Oyo State Coege of Educatîon, Oyo, NîgerîaKayode Samuel 7. Learnîng, înkîng and partîcîpatîng: Transmîttîng Afrîcan musîc în Austraîan schoosDawn Joseph

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8. The use of Tanzanîan fok songs and story-teîng în a teachîng envîronmentHetta Potgieter & Jeanne Colling 9. The heaîng power of musîc …Estelle Marié van Heerden

African practice – past into future 10.The Talkîng Drum(TTD): Mouthpîece for PASMAE Elizabeth Oehrle 11. Change, înnovatîon, and contînuîty în the performance practîce of tradîtîona Luo înstrumenta genres în contemporary popuar settîngsRose Omolo-Ongati 12. The cutura marrîage musîc of the Abauhya: Song text as a mode of dîscourseKaskon W. Mindoti 13. A persona account of musîc educatîon în Freetown: “You can pay a musîca înstrument” Franklyn Johnson-Williams 14. Thesegaba: An îndîgenous form of musîc educatîon Mothusi Phuthego 15.Oja(Igbo wooden lute): An întroductîon to the payîng technîque and performanceChristian Onyeji 16. Study and performance technîque of Afrîcan înstruments and theîr buîdîng technoogy: A case study of the “Igba” sînge membrane drumO’dyke Nzewi 17. A hands-on approach to the teachîng-earnîng ofuhadî Luvuyo Dontsa 18. The substance of Afrîcan Dîvîne Church chora musîc Abîgaîl Nancy Masasabî 19.Mhande, a Shona (Karanga) raîn-makîng dance. Lessons în Zîmbabwean tradîtîona dances for generaîst prîmary teachers – the Morgan Zîntec Coege experîencePhilemon Manatsa

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Foreword

Minette Mans, editor, Windhoek, Namibia

Thîs coectîon came about through the învovement of teachers, musîcîans and schoars în the Pan Afrîcan Socîety of Musîca Arts Educatîon (PASMAE). Musîca arts educators from across the contînent submîtted proposas and research reports to the PASMAE Maputo Conference, Mozambîque, Juy 2005. Athough the practîca nature of the conference meant that the papers as such were not presented, a the submîssîons underwent a strîct peer revîew process, and eventuay 19 papers were seected from the orîgîna 34. Wrîters must often wonder, what are the guîdîng crîterîa for seectîon? The answer îs sîmpy engagîng, ucîd wrîtîng that represents dîfferent regîons and, more împortanty, brîngs out the voîces of Afrîcan musîcîans and schoars, to speak of musîca cuture and educatîon în Afrîcan contexts. In a sense, the îdea of coectîve partîcîpatîon îs buît înto the entîre coectîon, whîch shoud be read as comîng from dîfferent perspectîves, age groups, genders and eves of învovement wîth musîca arts. Sîngy, each sîngs a dîfferent song. Coectîvey, severa îdeas and concerns are brought forward în harmony. Even at an eary stage of readîng the contrîbutîons, I was keen to aow the dîverse group of authors’ îndîvîdua voîces and îdeas to stand for themseves. As the edîtorîa process contînued, ît became evîdent that thîs woud not aways be easy, and I had to resîst the temptatîon of becomîng overy învoved

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în tîme-consumîng dîscussîon of certaîn “hot” îssues. It seemed împortant to aow authors to retaîn theîr own styes and perspectîves. The dîfferent paradîgms educators work from, and theîr theoretîca perspectîves therefore brîng a rîchness and “mutîversîty” to thîs coectîon, and are very îkey to stîmuate îvey dîscussîon and argument amongst the cadre of Afrîcan musîc educators and others. As my însîght înto the contrîbutîons deveoped, ît became cear that thîs voume speaks for Afrîca în so many ways – not a of whîch appear în the actua words of the authors. The covert sîgns are there to be read as we. The dîscernîng reader mîght note that the varîous essays dîffer markedy în stye and eve of dîscourse. Whereas Western academîa dîspays ixed rues on what quaîies as schoary and what as educatîon, thîs coectîon încudes artîces that emerge from work în progress, persona accounts, ethnographîc research, as we as theoretîca, îterature-drîven relectîve dîscourse and phîosophîca argument. My reasonîng as edîtor was that educatîona materîas based on Afrîcan experîence are sorey needed throughout the contînent. Whîe the guîdance of mature relectîon îs requîred, the dîrect sharîng of înspîrîng experîences and new materîa înformatîon serve a very practîca purpose. Readers mîght aso note that much of the îterature referenced îs somewhat “edery”. Thîs relects a common Afrîcan sîtuatîon that schoars în weathîer countrîes mîght not be aware of. It îs not a case of the Afrîcan schoar’s înabîîty to ind the atest sources, but a sîtuatîon where unîversîty îbrarîes do not have adequate budgets for books, partîcuary în the arts. However, drawîng new îdeas out of dated, often coonîa, îterature mîght be seen as a case of creatîve înteectua recycîng! In a recent survey of research on înforma educatîon în musîc and dance în Afrîca, ît became cear that there îs a trend amongst Afrîcan schoars to assert theîr rîght to pragmatîc research, drawîng from persona experîence and knowedge earnt vîa the ora tradîtîons of Afrîca (Mans în Breser, 2006 forthcomîng). That trend îs aso apparent în thîs coectîon, where some of the authors, for exampe Mîndotî, Samue, Onyejî and Masasabî, report on

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educatîon în înstruments they pay and communîtîes they îve(d) în, rather than provîdîng extensîve îterature references. Thîs îs counter-baanced by work that reîes entîrey on empîrîca, phîosophîca and ethnographîc methods. The book îs organîsed broady înto two sectîons. The irst ooks înto the theoretîca perspectîves and systems – phîosophîca, normatîve, aesthetîc and poîtîca – that underîe musîca practîces. It aso ooks at practîca împementatîons of theorîes în educatîona sîtuatîons. Thîs încudes two dîfferent înterrogatîons of aesthetîcs înAfrîca. Musîca meanîng îs învestîgated, and educators are warned agaînst the negect of growîng în musîca arts în the Afrîcan ways. Severa of these îssues are pîcked up în the artîces on educatîona sîtuatîons as we as those commentîng on cutura practîces. The îssues of vaues and meanîng emerge tîme and agaîn throughout the book. The second sectîon of the book draws from dîverse experîences and cutures to brîng new, often ethnographîc, înformatîon on cutura practîces, musîca înstruments and payîng, and archîvîng technîques. The împortance of drawîng upon musîca herîtage to strengthen and support contemporary educatîon, îs a theme and îs stressed tîme and tîme agaîn. So too, îs the împortance of understandîng îndîgenous knowedge systems, organîsed as meanîngfu musîca arts, demonstratîng and maîntaînîng vaue systems. Thîs becomes cear în the artîces that provîde organoogîca descrîptîons of tradîtîona musîca înstruments, payîng technîques, earnîng technîques and musîca exampes. Others ook înto the changîng envîronments în whîch tradîtîona cutura practîces try to survîve and retaîn meanîng, whîe some authors take the opposîte perspectîve and descrîbe “îmported” musîca înluences that have taken seed and bossomed în an Afrîcan way. Havîng worked and worrîed together at these essays and reports, I thînk I may speak for a who contrîbuted that we trust thîs book wî hep readers în practîca and thoughtfu ways, brîngîng a sma but worthwhîe contrîbutîon to the extant Afrîcan wrîtîngs on musîca arts. After a, as a Namîbîan sayîng goes, “One day cannot make an eephant rot”, but în Hausa terms, “Sma showers i the stream”. May thîs be a sma shower.

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Contributors

Femi Adedejiîs a Senîor Lecturer/Researcher în the Department of Musîc, Obafemî Awoowo Unîversîty, Ie-Ife, Nîgerîa. He îs aso the Assocîate Edîtor/ Coordînator of Nîgerîan Musîc Revîew, a departmenta peer-revîewed journa. He specîaîses în Afrîcan Musîcoogy and Musîc Theory/Crîtîcîsm and he has pubîshedextensîvey on musîcoogîca, theoretîca andtheoogîca dîmensîons

of Reîgîous Musîc în Afrîca; coverîng church, Ifa and Gospe.

Tormud Wallem Anundsen, îs Assîstant Professor (AUC) and head of the Instîtute of Musîc Educatîon, Agder Unîversîty Coege, Norway. Is responsîbe for the AUC-DCMA cooperatîon. He îs currenty doîng a PhD în the ied of cross-cutura musîca expressîons.

Jeanne Collingcompeted her BMus (Performîng Arts) degree în 1998 at the Unîversîty of Pretorîa, specîaîsîng în Opera. She spent the next sîx years în Tanzanîa (East Afrîca), where she furthered her studîes and worked as a vounteer musîc teacher for pre-prîmary chîdren. She has been actîvey învoved în varîous research projects concernîng the peope of Tanzanîa and

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theîr musîc. Jeanne’s iedwork and observatîon of the sîtuatîon of musîc educatîon în prîmary schoos of Tanzanîa, formed the focus of her MMus degree, whîch she inîshed cum aude at the Unîversîty of Pretorîa în 2001. She has presented papers at varîous conferences about dîfferent aspects of Musîc Educatîon, încudîng the Unîversîty of Exeter (UK) and PASMAE (Kenya). Jeanne îs currenty îvîng and workîng în Johannesburg, where she focuses on the hoîstîc deveopment of young chîdren through actîve partîcîpatîon în musîc.

Luvuyo Dontsa (Dr)îs a senîor ecturer at Water Sîsuu Unîversîty (WSU), South Afrîca, and an experîenced, advanced creatîve performer, wrîter and composer of Afrîca-orîented composîtîons and poetry wîth twenty-sîx years of academîc învovement. He teaches Ethnomusîcoogy wîth emphasîs on Afrîcan musîc and the Dîaspora, and dîfferent types of ensembes în Afrîca and the Dîaspora such as Marîmba, îndîgenous Afrîcan dances, Voca Jazz Ensembe andAfro-Jazz Ensembe. He îs aso a government research consutant on Arts and Cuture actîvîtîes, conducts workshops and ectures on Afrîcan îndîgenous musîc and înstruments înternatîonay, natîonay and ocay, and pays a great roe în the runnîng of the unîversîty’s Afrîcan Musîc Archîves, and the Internatîona Centre for Afrîcan Musîc and Dance (ICAMD). Hîs area of research îs on Performîng Arts în Afrîca and the Dîaspora. He has pubîshed în refereed and non-refereed journas.

Dawn Joseph (Dr) îs a ecturer în musîc and educatîon studîes at Deakîn Unîversîty, Mebourne, Austraîa. Her current research focuses on the teachîng and earnîng of Afrîcan musîc and teacher change în Austraîan educatîon settîngs. She îs the Coordînator of the Austraîan “Musîca Arts Educatîon Actîon Team” ce for the Pan Afrîcan Socîety of Musîca Arts Educatîon (PASMAE) and îs chaîr of the Austraîan Socîety for Musîc Educatîon (ASME), Vîctorîa.

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Hildegard Kielîs Managîng Dîrector and founder of Dhow Countrîes Musîc Academy. She studîed Musîc and Musîc Therapy în Los Angees, then moved to Germany where she worked many years as a musîc therapîst în prîvate practîce and hospîtas. She swîtched careers and became head of press and pubîcîty for a CD abe and dîstrîbutor în Austrîa, Lotus Records, before returnîng to Afrîca, Tanzanîa, where she grew up.

Philemon Manatsaîs Prîncîpa Lecturer în charge of Musîc Educatîon at Morgan Zîntec, Harare, and hods a Certîicate în Educatîon from Unîted Coege of Educatîon (UCE), a BEd Teacher Educatîon (Musîc), Unîversîty of Zîmbabwe (UZ), and a BMus Hons (2004) from the Unîversîty of Pretorîa. In the ast tweve years he has combîned ecturîng wîth research and performance aongsîde communîty musîcîans în popuar and tradîtîona musîc genres, on guîtar, marîmba, mbîra and hosho. He has presented semînar papers for the ISME Commîssîon of the Educatîon of the Professîona Musîcîan în Harare 1998 and Stavanger 2002.

Minette Mans, prevîousy Assocîate Professor of Musîc and Dance at the Unîversîty of Namîbîa, currenty freeances as researcher and wrîter. Her ieds of înterest încude the theory and practîce of Afrîcan musîca arts, focusîng on Namîbîa. Sînce competîng her doctora studîes at the Unîversîty of Nata, she has spent years combînîng ied research wîth relectîve îterature studîes. She sîts on many Edîtorîa Boards and has pubîshed wîdey, încudîng three books, chapters în books and artîces în journas such asInternatîonal Journal of Musîc Educatîon, Arts Educatîon Polîcy Revîew, Internatîonal Journal of Educatîon and the Arts, andJournal of Musîc Arts în Afrîca. She was prevîousy member of ISME Board of Dîrectors, Chaîr of ISME’s Musîc în Schoos and Teacher Educatîon Commîssîon, and Vîce-Presîdent of PASMAE.

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Abigael Masasabiîs a Tutor at Maseno Unîversîty (Kenya) în the department of Creatîve and Performîng Arts. Havîng attaîned a BEd and MMus, she îs currenty a PhD student at Unîsa hopîng to acquîre a DMus degree. Her areas of înterest încude Musîc Composîtîon în Ethnomusîcoogy, Performance and Musîc Educatîon, and she has wrîtten some papers. As a performer she has accompîshed the ABRSM Grade 8 eve în voîce and conducted severa chora groups that have competed at Kenya’s musîc festîva. Her înterest în musîc has seen her adjudîcate at Kenya’s Musîc Festîva Natîona eve and as an examîner of the secondary schoo musîc practîca exam.

Kaskon Mindoti, born în 1958 în Western Provînce of Kenya, was schooed în Naîrobî Unîversîty, Kenyatta Unîversîty (Kenya), and Makerere Unîversîty (Uganda). He ectures în the Department of Creatîve Performîng Arts, Maseno Unîversîty, Kenya. Hîs specîaîsatîons are în ethnomusîcoogy, composîtîon, and dance. He has wrîtten and arranged musîc pîeces of whîch some have been performed at varîous festîvas în Kenya. He has wrîtten and presented papers and artîces at natîona and înternatîona conferences, and has so far pubîshed 12 artîces în peer revîewed refereed journas. He was awarded the Presîdentîa Award for Exempary Contrîbutîon to Research în Musîc of Kenya, 2004. As a partîcîpant în Kenya Musîc Festîva Foundatîon as resource person and competîtor, he has won varîous certîicates of merît. Mîndotî presenty conducts research în the use of performîng arts în conlîct resoutîon în Kenya and aso traîns young dancers to use theîr eîsure tîme posîtîvey through cutura and neo-tradîtîona dances.

Meki Nzewi, a Professor of Afrîcan musîc, Musîc Department, Unîversîty of Pretorîa, îs an Afrîcan musîca arts system researcher, and has pubîshed on the phîosophy, theory and performance practîce. He îs a composer, musîca dramatîst and modern cassîca performer on Afrîcan drums. He îs the Centre/ Programme Dîrector of the Centre for Indîgenous Afrîcan Instrumenta Musîc and Dance Practîces (CIIMDA), Pretorîa, whîch he conceptuaîsed, and past Presîdent of PASMAE.

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