Global Music Lesson Plan Traditional Native American

Aboriginal Music

SYG Music Dr. Chadwick

Stevie MacPherson
Due: March 3rd, 2014

PART ONE LISTENING LOG

YouTube Examples:
1) Rain and Deer Dance - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lqNlFQkTks
- Song for all Sioux, Cherokee, Iroquois, Klamath, and Cheyenne people
- Emulates sounds of battle

2) Iriqouis Thunderheart - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTuC_GK20Fk

- Iriquois pow-wow music
- Drumming, vocals, call & response
- Video from celebratory pow-wow

3) A Tribe Called Red Electric Pow-Wow ** LISTENING EXAMPLE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zH9wHWMi_k

- Electronic remix of traditional Native American pow-wow music
4) Black Lodge Mighty Mouse Kids Pow-Wow Songs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zXJdxpPc8I
- From album of pow-wow songs for kids
- About having a free spirit

CDs:
A Tribe Called Red Nation II Nation (CD)
1. Bread & Cheese (ft. Black Bear)
2. NDN Stakes (ft. Sitting Bear)
3. The Road (ft. Black Bear)
4. Different Heroes (ft. Northern Voice)
5. Sisters (ft. Northern Voice)
6. Electric Intertribal (ft. Smoke Trail)
7. PBC (ft. Sheldon Sundown)
8. Red Riddum (ft. Eastern Eagle)
9. Tantos Revenge (ft. Chippewa Traveller)
10. Sweet Milk Pop
** CD contains tracks that are remixes of traditional Native American music

The Greatest Ever Native American Music Volume 4 Spirit of the Wolf (2013) (CD)
1. Lupine Tears ** LISTENING EXAMPLE
2. Shadow Serenade
3. Sacred Ground
4. Prairie Dreams
5. Wilderness
6. Canyon Call
7. Wolf Moon

Black Lodge Singers - Enter The Circle (CD)

1. Intertribal
2. Seasons
3. Crow Hop
4. Intertribal
6. Memorial Song for Nathan Jim Jr
7. Old Faithful
8. '96 Love Song
9. Round Dance
10. Intertribal

Northern Cree - Dance Hard (CD)

1. Grand Entry
2. Intertribal Song
3. Women's Traditional Song
4. Intertribal Song ** LISTENING EXAMPLE
5. Fancy Dance Trick Song
6. Intertribal Song
7. Jingle Dress Dance
8. Intertribal Song
9. Traditional Song
10. Round Dance

Traditional Chants of the American Indian (CD)

- 15 Tracks

Traditional Flute Music of the American Indian (CD)

- 15 Tracks

PART TWO RESOURCES USED FOR UNIT PLAN

Websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American_music
http://people.howstuffworks.com/culture-traditions/cultural-traditions/10-native-americanmusic-traditions.htm
http://www.indians.org/articles/native-american-music.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1350772/Native-American-music/272244/Musichistory-of-the-Native-Americans
https://www.teachervision.com/native-americans/resource/7462.html
http://www.flutopedia.com/naf_history.htm

Books:
The Native American Oral Tradition: Voices of the Spirit and Soul - Lois J. Einhorn

Journal Articles:
Winslow, M., & Winslow, H. (2006). Using the Native American Flute in a Beginning Instrumental
Classroom. Music Educators Journal, 92(3), 46-49
Burton, J., & Dunbar-Hall, P. (2012). Teaching about and through Native American musics: An excursion
into the cultural politics of music education. In, Collected Work: Critical essays in music education.
Pages: 425-433
Burton, J. (2010). Community of Learning: Music Learning and Performance Practices among the Native
Peoples of North America. International Journal Of Community Music, 3(3), 365-370
Allen, L. (2013). 3 Native Americans who are masters of music. Inside Tucson Business, 23(10)

Other:
American Indian Music More Than Just Flues and Drums A Guide to American Indian Music by Scott
S. Prinzing (PDF Article) Geared towards music educators

PART THREE RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS TO USE

Listening Resources:
- Thumb drive with all songs from the listening log in MP3 form
- YouTube links to any other songs not included on the thumb drive
- CDs from my personal collection of Native American music
People:
- Guest Speaker to come to class (Aboriginal Chief, Kevin Taken (presented at
DaCapo), local community member, etc.)
Online:
- A list of all of my personal resources used to construct this unit plan

PART FOUR INTRODUCTION TO STUDENTS

Focus & Outcomes:

- To get the students interest in the area of traditional Native American
music
- To outline some historical facts about the development of the music itself
- To see if the students bring any sort of prior knowledge to the classroom
about Native American music
- To discuss as a class why this music should be learned do we think it is
important? Why or why not?

Introduction:
1) Read as a class the hand-out on History of American Indian Music (see
below). Discuss any important details and answer any questions.
2) Read through the facts sheet (see below) and elaborate on some of the facts.
3) Ask the students if they have ever heard traditional Native American music
before where did they hear it? What did they hear?
4) Ask the students why this music should be taught in schools lead a discussion
based around this question.
5) Ask the students what they want to learn about Native American music is
there any activities that they would be interested in doing? Any guest speakers
they would want to hear?
6) Discuss other facts about aboriginal music including how it is so closely related
to dance talk about the spiritual connections between this music and religion
discuss music written for a purpose and what other types of music might be
part of this classification.

Handout on History of American Indian Music

American Indian music prior to European influence consisted primarily of voice, rhythm
instruments (drums/rattles/shakers), or wind (flutes/whistles). Musical elements first introduced
to American Indian music by Europeans were string instruments (fiddle/guitar), the accordion,
and the use of harmonization. As Europeans migrated westward and brought enslaved
Africans to the Americas, European as well as African musical traditions began to influence
American Indian music traditions. In some cases, this led to the development of new musical
genres.
Music created by American Indians was traditionally intended for specific purposes.
Whether it was as part of ritual, a prayer, or to accompany dancing, it was not generally
performed for the purposes of pure entertainment. The primary instruments in making music
among Indians were the human voice and percussion. The use of wind instruments varied
among tribes and the use of stringed instruments was rare.
Traditional vocals may have resembled chanting to European ears. Melodies were often
limited to only a few vocal tones, with repeated lines. The singing may have included the use of
language, vocables (non-words), or a combination of the two. Both solo and group vocals were
used, but harmonization was rare.
Drumming or the use of other percussion instruments accompanied both singing and
dancing. The drum often represented the heartbeat, whether that of the human heartbeat, that
of an animal, or even that of the Earth as Mother. Drums would vary between culture regions
depending on available materials. In woodland areas, logs could be used as drums; in the
Southwest, pottery might form the body of a drum. Animal skins were most often used to
stretch over a circular opening for a drum head. Drums tended to be played with a stick or
beater rather than played by hand(s). Drums might be held in one hand and played by one
person, or larger drums would be encircled by groups of drummers playing in unison, much like
contemporary powwow drum groups.
Percussion instruments included rattles, shakers, or bells. Gourds or other hollowed out
plant material were used to make rattles. Shakers might involve shells, bones, or teeth. Hooves
were utilized in much the same way as bells. Tobacco tins were used regularly after the
introduction of metal trade goods.
Many cultures used bone whistles, usually for ceremonial purposes. Wooden flutes
were often used either as forms of prayer or as part of courtship practices. There were a few
places where a simple reed trumpet-like instrument was used. Even rarer was a type of fiddle
that involved a single string stretched tight over a large reed that was bowed with a single
string bow.

FACTS ABOUT TRADITIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC YOU MAY

NOT KNOW
-

There are many different traditional genres of Native American music including pow-wow,
chicken scratch (waila), ghost dance, and throat singing

These genres all come from different tribes some including Iriquois, Sioux, Metis, Blackfoot,
Dene, and Inuit

In Native American music, there is tribal, pan-tribal, and inter-tribal genres, as well as secular
subgenres of music including rock, blues, hip-hop, an film music

The Native American flute plays a huge role in traditional music it is a known tradition that
Native American men used to court women through their flute playing through the mans flute
playing, a woman would judge their personality and decide whether he would be good for her

In pow-wow music (despite what people may think) the singers are actually singing words when
they throat sing

Vocables, or lexically meaningless syllables, are a common part of many kinds of Native
American songs - they frequently mark the beginning and end of phrases, sections or songs
themselves

Music, dance, worship, and celebration are all inter-related in Native American music

Gender plays an important role in Native American music - men and women play sex-specific
roles in many musical activities - instruments, songs and dances are often peculiar to one or the
other, and many musical settings are strictly controlled by gender

A tribe's history is constantly told and retold through music, which keeps alive an oral narrative
of history

Music and power are two closely related concepts it was believed that some people had more
musical talent than others because of their individual power

Native American music is still widely performed and learned today it t is used for ceremonial
purposes, recreation, expression, and healing

ACTIVITY LISTEN TO, CREATE, & PERFORM A SONG

Main Musical Objectives:

- Have students become familiar with the sounds of aboriginal drumming,
flute, and various percussion instruments
- Discuss the musical elements involved with aboriginal music
- Analyze textural and melodic ideas in aboriginal music
- Have the students collaboratively create a song
- Encourage free improvisation on desired instruments
- Have the students perform their song

Activity:
1) Listen to Lupine Tears on the Spirit of the Wolf Album.
2) Make a list of all the instruments that the students heard on the board.
3) Discuss whether there was a form in the piece was there a theme? Did it
ever re-occur? Allow students to come to the conclusion that the piece is in
ABA form.
4) Talk about the different instruments and what role they played did the
instruments personify anything in real-life?
5) Have the students start creating their own song on traditional instruments.
It must be in ABA form. Recommend that they start with a simple drum
pattern to be the foundation of the piece (emulate a heart beat?)
6) Mediate the process as they create a song. Also recommend that the
students create some sort of theme done on an instrument with a distinct
timbre.
7) Have the students perform their song. Record it on a recording device.
8) Self-reflection questions: What did they like about it? What didnt they like
about it? What would be their next step?

ACTIVITY LISTENING WORKSHEET

1) Listen to the musical example linked here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h30yD84e_8
What instruments/voices do you hear?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
2) What is the general style of the music? What does it make you think of? What kind of imagery
does it create?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3) Now listen to this example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zH9wHWMi_k
How is this version of the song different from the first?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
4) Does this version evoke the same feelings/imagery as the first one?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
5) Why do you think this version was created? What do you think the artists intention was?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
6) What audience do you think this song is intended for?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
7) Do you think this version is still considered traditional? Why or why not?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

CURRICULAR OBJECTIVES FOR ACTIVITIES

ELAs

Music Language &

Performance Skills

GLOs

Students develop skills for

making music individually
and as part of an ensemble.

SLOs

demonstrate understanding
of and facility with a variety
of tools for improvising
simple melodies and
instrumental pieces
demonstrate appropriate
interpersonal skills for
making music collectively

Creative Expression in Music

Students generate and use

ideas from a variety of
sources for creating music
Students generate and use
ideas from a variety of
sources for creating music
Students interpret, perform,
and share their own and
others music

generate multiple ideas for

music making through
constructive experimentation
with music and sound
demonstrate understanding
of experimentation and
improvisation as a valuable
component of the musicmaking process
collaborate with others to
develop and extend musical
ideas
make interpretive musical
decisions, demonstrating an
integrated understanding of
expressive devices and music
elements
demonstrate a valuing of risk
taking as a component of the
creative process

Understanding Music in
Context

Students experience and

develop awareness of music
from various times, places,
social groups, and cultures

identify, describe, and

compare music experienced
from different times, places,
social groups, and cultures

Students experience and

develop awareness of a
variety of music genres,
styles, and traditions
Students demonstrate
understanding of the roles,
purposes, and meanings of
music in the lives of
individuals and in
communities

(include: music from past and

present and from global,
Canadian, and Manitoban
cultures, including First
Nations, Inuit, and Mtis)
demonstrate awareness of
general characteristics of
music within groups (e.g.,
cultural, social, historical
contexts)
demonstrate appreciation of
music as a means of
experiencing the world and
understanding the
perspectives of others
identify, share, and discuss
examples of music
experienced through live
performances and through
various media

Valuing Musical Experience

Students analyze their own

and others musical excerpts,
works, and performances
Students form personal
responses to and construct
meaning from their own and
others music

respect and acknowledge

that individuals may have
different interpretations and
preferences regarding
musical works and
experiences
demonstrate understanding
that detailed observation,
listening, and reflection
inform musical thinking,
appreciation, performance,
and creation