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Professional Literature Review

Learning across Disciplines: An Approach to West African Music by Francine Morin (2003)
provides ideas for content and teaching strategies for lessons on West African Music. Morins desired
audience is music teachers, so she begins by describing the importance of teaching students about
world music. Studying music from cultures other than their own can intrigue and engage students,
which is how they best learn. Elementary students should begin to learn about the world and how it
works. To begin this instruction for West African music, Morin says the students should learn about the
culture and then ask musical questions. The answers to these questions should then be explored
through guided discovery and introduction to the traditions of the music of West Africa.
Morin says that students should experience the music aesthetically, through singing, moving,
listening, playing instruments, creating, and recreating. This will help students develop a deeper
understanding of the culture. Morin suggests that the teacher collect different resources that involve
West African musical culture, including people from the community who have personal experience with
it. Once the students have formulated questions about the music of the culture they have studied, these
questions can be categorized and students may be put into groups or the teacher may incorporate each
question into the lessons during the unit.
Morin then provides examples of possible classroom activities and content for learning. There
were three ideas that most influenced my own lesson planning. The first was the study of the sounds of
the African rainforests. This gives an opportunity for students to compose on unpitched percussion
instruments to create the sounds of the African rainforest. Morin also suggests drumming and moving
to African music in traditional stylistic ways. Call-and-response form can be taught, along with ostinatos
on pitched percussion instruments. These ideas also have influenced my lesson planning.
Morin is writing to provide a basis for teachers to teach about West African culture well and to
use that knowledge to then apply it to music. My own lessons will be approached in a way that
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incorporates these two things at the same time. Students will learn about the culture through song and
movement, and discussion will also be a part of each lesson. The embodying the culture while relating to
it and being intrigued by it is also one of my main focuses. This can be seen in the African dances, stories
about African fisherman and villages full of happy and welcoming people, and African musical games.
Teaching Multicultural Music Authentically by Jon Chappell (2008) helped me to develop more
fully the idea of using West African drums. Chappell makes the point that in African cultures, music and
dance always go together. My lessons include African songs, movements, and instrumental use.
Recordings of African people singing African songs in their own language is a good way to show students
authentic African music, and is also helpful for pronunciation from the teachers standpoint. Chappell
says that teaching African music is the most authentic when the students are learning in the same way
that African children learn this music. This is why my lessons include rote teaching, call-and-response,
and movement. Chappell is writing to music teachers to encourage them to teach multicultural music
respectfully and authentically so that the students actually relate to other cultures and people.
Drum Circles and the National Standards by Steve Fidyk (2009) gives excellent suggestions for
how to approach African drumming in a way that incorporates as many of the music standards as
possible. When the students are in a circle and all have different instruments, they can each be given
responsibilities for full group participation and involvement. Fidyk also suggests the use of ostinatos,
which I have incorporated into my own lessons, along with echo patterns to again incorporate every
students creativity, listening, coordination, and musical skills and build on previous knowledge.
Fidyks writing is geared toward music teachers, and he emphasizes that every drum circle time
is important, since many elementary schools offer music class to each student just once a week. This is
true for the classroom that I have been working with, so this recommendation is very relevant to my
teaching and lesson planning. Fidyk incorporates the standards, including composing and arranging,
improvising, analyzing and describing, evaluating, and understanding music.
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References
Chappell, Jon. "Teaching multicultural music authentically." Teaching Music Feb. 2008: 48. Academic
OneFile. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.
Fidyk, Steve. "Drum circles and the national standards." Teaching Music Jan. 2009: 49+. Academic
OneFile. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.
Francine Morin, Learning across Disciplines: An Approach to West African Music. Music Educators
Journal, March 2003; vol. 89, 4: pp. 27-34. Web. 8 Apr. 2014.