World Music Ensemble
Betsy Hamill
Music and Dance Educator
SYLLABUS
FALA WORLD MUSIC ENSEMBLE
Syllabus: World Music Ensemble
4B Day Instructor: Mrs. Betsy Hamill
(928)779-7223 ext 227 bhamill@flagarts.com
Course Description
World Music Ensemble is a performance based class focusing on a variety of musical styles and genres from around the world. This course seeks to develop the various instrumental and vocal techniques required for performing a diverse range of world musics. It will broaden the student's understanding of the traditional musics of Africa, the Middle East, the Balkans, and the Americas, emphasizing the skills necessary to understand the performance techniques of other cultures, an understanding of music in its cultural contexts, an inter-cultural understanding through practical experience of playing and singing music from oral cultures, and an understanding of the fusion of world musics as currently used in contemporary music.
Course Objectives
✦ Students will cultivate an awareness and appreciation for non-western cultures.
✦ Students will learn these world music traditions by rote (ear) reflecting aural pedagogies practiced throughout the world.
✦ Students will keep a weekly listening journal where they will listen to pieces from each region and reflect on musical aspects such as timbre, melodic contour, instruments, etc., or the emotional and spiritual content present in the music.
✦ Students will also have the opportunity to learn a variety of different instruments instilling a sense of understanding and respect for the tradition they are learning.