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.
African Practice Centering on nMusical Arts Education i Edîted by Mînette Mans
"'3*$"/ .*/%4
Fîrst pubîshed 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 styes of the Yoruba of AfrîcaOlufemi Adedeji 2. The phîosophy of art relected în Afrîcan musîc: A comparatîve anaysîs of Western and Afrîcan aesthetîc perspectîves Mellitus Nyongesa Wanyama 3. Meanîngs and messages în musîca artsMinette Mans 4. Growîng în musîca arts knowedge versus the roe of the îgnorant expertMeki Nzewi 5. Is there a Swahîî way of teachîng musîc? Descrîbîng a serîes of teachers’ workshops on teachîng musîc to chîdren 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 Coege of Educatîon, Oyo, NîgerîaKayode Samuel 7. Learnîng, înkîng and partîcîpatîng: Transmîttîng Afrîcan musîc în Austraîan schoosDawn Joseph
v viii xvi
3
17 31
49
61
75
89
iii
8. The use of Tanzanîan fok songs and story-teîng în a teachîng envîronmentHetta Potgieter & Jeanne Colling 9. The heaîng 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 popuar settîngsRose Omolo-Ongati 12. The cutura marrîage musîc of the Abauhya: Song text as a mode of dîscourseKaskon W. Mindoti 13. A persona account of musîc educatîon în Freetown: “You can pay 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 payîng technîque and performanceChristian Onyeji 16. Study and performance technîque of Afrîcan înstruments and theîr buîdîng technoogy: A case study of the “Igba” sînge 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 generaîst prîmary teachers – the Morgan Zîntec Coege experîencePhilemon Manatsa
iv
103 117
135
141
157
167
181
195
209
225
241
253
Foreword
Minette Mans, editor, Windhoek, Namibia
Thîs coectîon came about through the învovement of teachers, musîcîans and schoars în the Pan Afrîcan Socîety of Musîca Arts Educatîon (PASMAE). Musîca arts educators from across the contînent submîtted proposas and research reports to the PASMAE Maputo Conference, Mozambîque, Juy 2005. Athough 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 eventuay 19 papers were seected from the orîgîna 34. Wrîters must often wonder, what are the guîdîng crîterîa for seectîon? The answer îs sîmpy engagîng, ucîd wrîtîng that represents dîfferent regîons and, more împortanty, brîngs out the voîces of Afrîcan musîcîans and schoars, to speak of musîca cuture and educatîon în Afrîcan contexts. In a sense, the îdea of coectîve partîcîpatîon îs buît înto the entîre coectîon, whîch shoud be read as comîng from dîfferent perspectîves, age groups, genders and eves of învovement wîth musîca arts. Sîngy, each sîngs a dîfferent song. Coectîvey, severa îdeas and concerns are brought forward în harmony. Even at an eary stage of readîng the contrîbutîons, I was keen to aow the dîverse group of authors’ îndîvîdua voîces and îdeas to stand for themseves. As the edîtorîa process contînued, ît became evîdent that thîs woud not aways be easy, and I had to resîst the temptatîon of becomîng overy învoved
v
în tîme-consumîng dîscussîon of certaîn “hot” îssues. It seemed împortant to aow authors to retaîn theîr own styes and perspectîves. The dîfferent paradîgms educators work from, and theîr theoretîca perspectîves therefore brîng a rîchness and “mutîversîty” to thîs coectîon, and are very îkey to stîmuate îvey dîscussîon and argument amongst the cadre of Afrîcan musîc educators and others. As my însîght înto the contrîbutîons deveoped, ît became cear that thîs voume 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 markedy în stye and eve of dîscourse. Whereas Western academîa dîspays ixed rues on what quaîies as schoary and what as educatîon, thîs coectîon încudes artîces that emerge from work în progress, persona accounts, ethnographîc research, as we as theoretîca, îterature-drîven relectîve dîscourse and phîosophîca argument. My reasonîng as edîtor was that educatîona materîas based on Afrîcan experîence are sorey needed throughout the contînent. Whîe the guîdance of mature relectîon îs requîred, the dîrect sharîng of înspîrîng experîences and new materîa înformatîon serve a very practîca purpose. Readers mîght aso note that much of the îterature referenced îs somewhat “edery”. Thîs relects a common Afrîcan sîtuatîon that schoars în weathîer countrîes mîght not be aware of. It îs not a case of the Afrîcan schoar’s înabîîty to ind the atest sources, but a sîtuatîon where unîversîty îbrarîes do not have adequate budgets for books, partîcuary în the arts. However, drawîng new îdeas out of dated, often coonîa, îterature mîght be seen as a case of creatîve înteectua recycîng! In a recent survey of research on înforma educatîon în musîc and dance în Afrîca, ît became cear that there îs a trend amongst Afrîcan schoars to assert theîr rîght to pragmatîc research, drawîng from persona experîence and knowedge earnt vîa the ora tradîtîons of Afrîca (Mans în Breser, 2006 forthcomîng). That trend îs aso apparent în thîs coectîon, where some of the authors, for exampe Mîndotî, Samue, Onyejî and Masasabî, report on
vi
educatîon în înstruments they pay and communîtîes they îve(d) în, rather than provîdîng extensîve îterature references. Thîs îs counter-baanced by work that reîes entîrey on empîrîca, phîosophîca and ethnographîc methods. The book îs organîsed broady înto two sectîons. The irst ooks înto the theoretîca perspectîves and systems – phîosophîca, normatîve, aesthetîc and poîtîca – that underîe musîca practîces. It aso ooks at practîca împementatîons of theorîes în educatîona sîtuatîons. Thîs încudes two dîfferent înterrogatîons of aesthetîcs înAfrîca. Musîca meanîng îs învestîgated, and educators are warned agaînst the negect of growîng în musîca arts în the Afrîcan ways. Severa of these îssues are pîcked up în the artîces on educatîona sîtuatîons as we as those commentîng on cutura practîces. The îssues of vaues and meanîng emerge tîme and agaîn throughout the book. The second sectîon of the book draws from dîverse experîences and cutures to brîng new, often ethnographîc, înformatîon on cutura practîces, musîca înstruments and payîng, 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 knowedge systems, organîsed as meanîngfu musîca arts, demonstratîng and maîntaînîng vaue systems. Thîs becomes cear în the artîces that provîde organoogîca descrîptîons of tradîtîona musîca înstruments, payîng technîques, earnîng technîques and musîca exampes. Others ook înto the changîng envîronments în whîch tradîtîona cutura practîces try to survîve and retaîn meanîng, whîe some authors take the opposîte perspectîve and descrîbe “îmported” musîca înluences that have taken seed and bossomed 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 hep readers în practîca and thoughtfu ways, brîngîng a sma but worthwhîe contrîbutîon to the extant Afrîcan wrîtîngs on musîca arts. After a, as a Namîbîan sayîng goes, “One day cannot make an eephant rot”, but în Hausa terms, “Sma showers i the stream”. May thîs be a sma shower.
vii
Contributors
Femi Adedejiîs a Senîor Lecturer/Researcher în the Department of Musîc, Obafemî Awoowo Unîversîty, Ie-Ife, Nîgerîa. He îs aso the Assocîate Edîtor/ Coordînator of Nîgerîan Musîc Revîew, a departmenta peer-revîewed journa. He specîaîses în Afrîcan Musîcoogy and Musîc Theory/Crîtîcîsm and he has pubîshedextensîvey on musîcoogîca, theoretîca andtheoogîca dîmensîons
of Reîgîous 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 Coege, Norway. Is responsîbe for the AUC-DCMA cooperatîon. He îs currenty doîng a PhD în the ied of cross-cutura musîca expressîons.
Jeanne Collingcompeted her BMus (Performîng Arts) degree în 1998 at the Unîversîty of Pretorîa, specîaîsîng în Opera. She spent the next sîx years în Tanzanîa (East Afrîca), where she furthered her studîes and worked as a vounteer musîc teacher for pre-prîmary chîdren. She has been actîvey învoved în varîous research projects concernîng the peope of Tanzanîa and
viii
theîr musîc. Jeanne’s iedwork and observatîon of the sîtuatîon of musîc educatîon în prîmary schoos 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, încudîng the Unîversîty of Exeter (UK) and PASMAE(Kenya). Jeanne îs currenty îvîng and workîng în Johannesburg, where she focuses on the hoîstîc deveopment of young chîdren through actîve partîcîpatîon în musîc.
Luvuyo Dontsa (Dr)îs a senîor ecturer at Water Sîsuu 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 învovement. He teaches Ethnomusîcoogy wîth emphasîs on Afrîcan musîc and the Dîaspora, and dîfferent types of ensembes în Afrîca and the Dîaspora such as Marîmba, îndîgenous Afrîcan dances, Voca Jazz Ensembe andAfro-Jazz Ensembe. He îs aso a government research consutant on Arts and Cuture actîvîtîes, conducts workshops and ectures on Afrîcan îndîgenous musîc and înstruments înternatîonay, natîonay and ocay, and pays a great roe 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 pubîshed în refereed and non-refereed journas.
Dawn Joseph (Dr) îs a ecturer în musîc and educatîon studîes at Deakîn Unîversîty, Mebourne, Austraîa. Her current research focuses on the teachîng and earnîng of Afrîcan musîc and teacher change în Austraîan educatîon settîngs. She îs the Coordînator of the Austraîan “Musîca Arts Educatîon Actîon Team” ce for the Pan Afrîcan Socîety of Musîca Arts Educatîon (PASMAE) and îs chaîr of the Austraîan Socîety for Musîc Educatîon (ASME), Vîctorîa.
ix
Hildegard Kielîs Managîng Dîrector and founder of Dhow Countrîes Musîc Academy. She studîed Musîc and Musîc Therapy în Los Angees, then moved to Germany where she worked many years as a musîc therapîst în prîvate practîce and hospîtas. She swîtched careers and became head of press and pubîcîty 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 hods a Certîicate în Educatîon from Unîted Coege 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 tweve years he has combîned ecturîng wîth research and performance aongsîde communîty musîcîans în popuar 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, prevîousy Assocîate Professor of Musîc and Dance at the Unîversîty of Namîbîa, currenty freeances as researcher and wrîter. Her ieds of înterest încude the theory and practîce of Afrîcan musîca arts, focusîng on Namîbîa. Sînce competîng her doctora studîes at the Unîversîty of Nata, she has spent years combînîng ied research wîth relectîve îterature studîes. She sîts on many Edîtorîa Boards and has pubîshed wîdey, încudîng three books, chapters în books and artîces în journas 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 prevîousy member of ISME Board of Dîrectors, Chaîr of ISME’s Musîc în Schoos and Teacher Educatîon Commîssîon, and Vîce-Presîdent of PASMAE.
x
Abigael Masasabiîs a Tutor at Maseno Unîversîty (Kenya) în the department of Creatîve and Performîng Arts. Havîng attaîned a BEd and MMus, she îs currenty a PhD student at Unîsa hopîng to acquîre a DMus degree. Her areas of înterest încude Musîc Composîtîon în Ethnomusîcoogy, Performance and Musîc Educatîon, and she has wrîtten some papers. As a performer she has accompîshed 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 schooed în Naîrobî Unîversîty, Kenyatta Unîversîty (Kenya), and Makerere Unîversîty (Uganda). He ectures în the Department of Creatîve Performîng Arts, Maseno Unîversîty, Kenya. Hîs specîaîsatîons are în ethnomusîcoogy, composîtîon, and dance. He has wrîtten and arranged musîc pîeces of whîch some have been performed at varîous festîvas în Kenya. He has wrîtten and presented papers and artîces at natîona and înternatîona conferences, and has so far pubîshed 12 artîces în peer revîewed refereed journas. He was awarded the Presîdentîa Award for Exempary 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 presenty conducts research în the use of performîng arts în conlîct resoutîon în Kenya and aso traîns young dancers to use theîr eîsure tîme posîtîvey through cutura 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 pubîshed on the phîosophy, theory and performance practîce. He îs a composer, musîca dramatîst and modern cassîca 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 conceptuaîsed, and past Presîdent of PASMAE.