Sigma Alpha Iota

Spring 2019 12 PAN PIPES back to the 1600s and involves dancers, traditional instruments, actors, and costumes. Maracatu Nations have passed down their own distinct rhythms and traditions through the years. These are used to honor and preserve the African culture of the many slaves in Brazil while also fusing it with the musical traditions of the Portuguese settlers. We did not shy away from any of the darker aspects of how this tradition came to be. Rather, we examined the entire course of its development, seeing how it became a very empowering tradition among the people who participate. Through this we found a way that we could respectfully learn and perform our own version. We saw this same process happen again as we learned music of Appalachia. The guest artists came in and taught us how to authentically sing and perform their music. They also taught all the songs as if we were gathered for a jam session or a campfire sing. By the time we were done, we were easily singing in four part harmony. I have never had a moment like that before where I felt so instantly connected to other people. Africa was also a stop made during the week. Through another guest artist and a WVU faculty member, the participants found ourselves in southern Ghana one day and northern Ghana the next. Both times we learned and worked with the oral traditions just as someone in the culture would: chants were learned through call and response; rhythms and patterns were played on repeat as people slowly joined in; and dancing just sort of happened as we all got swept into the magic of the moment. We visited the Dagara people of Africa to play gyils and learn several songs. We played on authentic gyils, but we also added Orff xylophones to see how we could adapt this to our classrooms. After we were finished playing we also brainstormed ideas to recreate the unique sounds of the gyil in our classrooms. Wax paper placed under the bars will produce an almost identical timbre. The project to bring this amazing experience to a close was for each participant to put together their own World Music Pedagogy project. This project was modeled after the many different lesson plans available on the Smithsonian Folkways website. I decided to investigate my family's musical history with my project and ventured out to the Andalusian region of Spain to present a lesson on Flamenco dancing. I was able to synthesize the many facets of this tradition into an introductory lesson for my 2nd-4th graders where they explore the different moves involved in Flamenco and then make their own dance. To finish and pass the course, I presented a shortened version of this lesson to the other participants. Putting all the ideas we learned over the week into practice was the perfect way to wrap up the week, especially when I was able to connect so deeply with my own heritage. I cannot thank Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies enough for giving me the opportunity to attend the Smithsonian Folkways Certification Course in World Music. It's like they sent me on a world tour of music. The most amazing part has been taking all this music back to my classroom to share with my students. Most of these kids have never been outside of the state of West Virginia and now they can travel the world in my classroom. There are no words to express how deeply this is will benefit them for years to come. Bronwyn Clagett is an initiate of the Kappa Lambda Chapter at West Virginia University, where she received a degree in Music Education and a minor in World Music. She teaches K-4 music and choir at Kingwood Elementary School. Bronwyn directed the Strolling SAIs at the 2018 National Convention and is currently serving as Chi C Province Officer. Visit the Smithsonian Folkways website at: https://folkways.si.edu Participants in the Smithsonian Folkways Course participate in a camp sing during a session on Appalachian music. WORLD MUSIC

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