Rhythms of the Seoul: South Korean Traditional Drumming Workshop
South Korean traditional music was greatly divided by class and region. In spite of suffering great decline through the mid-20th century, a unified style of Korean drumming (samulnori) inspired from tradition of farmers’ drumming (p’ungmul) became part of the pro-democracy movements of the 1970s and 80s. Dr. Ruth Mueller will discuss traditional culture and identity, share stories from her 4yr years living in South Korea, and share what she has learned in over a decade of research on traditional music. In this workshop students will listen to traditional instruments as well as learn to play some of the rhythms of traditional drumming by clapping and stopping. Be ready to make some noise!
Dr. Ruth Mueller Ph.D., Lecturer of Music and Culture at Washington University in Saint Louis.
Senior Student Session (Friday morning): Playing with Polyrhythms
This workshop is geared towards high school students who already have a basic understanding of the concepts of beats and rhythms as we introduce them to polyrhythms, the use of two or more rhythms simultaneously. This session will begin with some active listening of world music selections found within the Smithsonian Folkways catalogue. Discussion topics will include geographical location, and world instruments and their role within the piece. The remainder of the workshop will be spent internalizing these rhythms using our voices and body percussion through the guidance of the book Slap Happy by Alan Dworsky and Betsy Sansby.
Primary Student Session (Wednesday): Hitchin’ a Tune: Folk Music across Canada
This workshop is centered on our beautiful country and celebrating its heartbeat. Using the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Classic Canadian Songs album as our engine, we will start in Cape Breton and virtually travel across Canada. Along our travels we will take pit stops along the way to listen to folk music, learn about the people, history, and culture, and even attempt to write our own folk song arrangement. Our journey will come to an end on the Canadian West Coast where we will reflect on our travels and conclude in singing a folk song.
Daya Madhur, Ethnomusicologist and Arts Educator.
Contratiempo and clave, from son to New York Salsa
The defining characteristic of New York salsa dancing is its timing, which – unlike other salsa styles – emphasizes beat two in each four-count measure. Likewise, New York salsa musicians focus on adherence to the clave timeline and a tightly-locked rhythm section that emphasizes the “two.” “On 2” dancing derives from the son of Cuba, where it is known as contratiempo, but evolved in different directions as it became a symbol of Puerto Rican identity. We will use rhythm and movement to explore how son became salsa, and why New York salsa both connects with and diverges from its Caribbean roots.
Dr. Sydney Hutchinson, Syracuse University, New York, Music History and Cultures.
Arab Music in Sound and Idea: A Singers and Instrumentalists
This workshop welcomes students, instrumentalists, singers, and community for an introduction to and conversation about Arab music performance and context. Drawing upon musical genres typical of the Arab Waslah (or instrumental and vocal suite), ethnomusicologists Anne Rasmussen and Anne Elise Thomas will facilitate an experience of the Arab system of rhythm and melodic mode, various instrumental and vocal forms, details of performance practice, techniques of singing, and the ideal interaction that transpires among musicians and between musicians and their audience.
The workshop is open to players, singers, and anyone interested in the Arab world, Middle East region, and Islamicate world. In addition to learning something about Arab music and culture, we hope to make the case for engaged musical citizenship as a methodology for exploration, understanding, and healing.
Anne K. Rasmussen, Professor of Music and Ethnomusicology is the founding Director of the William and Mary Middle Eastern Music Ensemble.
Anne Elise Thomas, a founding member of Rasmussen’s ensemble went on to earn her Ph.D. in ethnomusicology with a dissertation that explores music transmission and pedagogy in Jordan and Egypt.
Songs from here and there!
Schools, Wednesday morning (younger group):
Songs in different languages: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Bulgarian, and Judeo-Spanish from Morocco and Turkey. I will accompany several songs with small percussion instruments, including some surprising objects fromSpain and Portugal, not typically thought of as musical instruments, and some different sized recorders and folk flutes. We will talk about people and their parents and grand-parents speaking different languages and coming from different cultures, and singing different songs – but all singing.
Songs from different people, different places, different times!
Wednesday afternoon group:
Songs in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Bulgarian, and Moroccan and Turkish Judeo-Spanish, possibly others as well, such as Hebrew and Arabic. I will accompany several songs with small percussion instruments, including some surprising objects from Spain and Portugal, not typically thought of as musical instruments, and some different sized recorders and folk flutes, including the three-holed tabor pipe played with one hand while the other hand plays a drum. The songs and dance tunes will be selected from both traditional folk music and medieval popular music.
Traditional French Songs / Chantons les traditions
Library, (Friday):
Songs in different kinds of French – Québec, Acadie, Franco-Ontario…. different parts of France, and back in time to medieval French, and old Occitanian of the troubadours. I will involve the students in singing, and explain the different kinds of songs and the contexts they were sung in – from old ballads to chansons-à-répondre and dance tunes. Students are invited to bring two ordinary kitchen spoons, preferably soup spoon-size, and I will include a basic spoons-playing workshop. I’ll also bring the traditional bonhomme-gigueur.
Dr. Judith Cohen, York University, Toronto.
Hands-on Introduction to Cuban Music
A hands-on introduction to Cuban music. In this workshop we will learn about Cuban music through playing rhythms, clapping, dancing and singing. Sonia and Sara will take you on a musical journey through the history and development of Cuban music using stories, rhythm and song. We will learn about the instruments played in Cuban music, listen to what they sound like and how they sound. Fun for all ages, we tailor the workshop to suit the students present.
Sara McGuinness, London.
