INTG MT585 Music of Ghana Performance Lab
The Traditional African Dancing and Drumming Lab integrated with THYG 585 studies and performs traditional music and dance from Ghana, West Africa. Items of repertory mostly come from the Ashanti and Ga ethno-linguistic communities, though repertoires from the Dagomba ethno-liguistic community are featured as well. The drum ensemble includes bells, rattles and drums. Each instrument has a specific phrase that fits together with other parts to make a rich melorhythmic texture that loops over-and-over. The vocal music features call-and-response singing in local languages, and is a primary focus in the theoretical component of the course, taught by Professor Felicia Sandler. Drumming is closely intertwined with the singing and the dancing. The lead drum directs the performance with phrases that cue dancers and energize the singers. The students in THYG 585 participate in an end-of-term performance under the name Mile Norvisi (pronounced Mee-LAY Nor-VEE-see), an E ãe name that means "Out of many, ONE."
The lab component of THYG 585 is a performance lab giving students an embodied experience of the traditional repertoire that they are exploring theoretically in the classroom. The lab integrates drumming, dancing and singing. All students study all components of the art form. The lab is offered in one 2-period time block. Co-Requisite: THYG 585