Native American Music: A Must for Every Classroom
By
Joan Baum, Ph.D.
His pleasing, confident a
cappela tenor
almost gives the lie to Dr. Louis Wayne Ballard's claim that
Native American music, basically percussive, is without Western
signifiers such as harmony, counterpoint, and improvisation.
The fact is that many of the 23 class lessons figured here— legends,
lullabies, love songs, social dances, rounds, stomps, and
rabbit, bird, and buffalo songs, among others, are distinctively
lyrical and so captivating that even a hungry 19 month
old baby, waiting for dinner, has his mouth open trying to
imitate the sounds that Dr. Ballard is making. What seems
especially appealing is Dr. Ballard's soft and soothing voice:
he pronounces syllables, takes phrases in small sound bites,
recites, sings in rhythm, invites listeners to join in, then
repeats the essentials. The variety of offerings is surprising.
As Dr. Ballard has written, “There is no one kind of
Native American Indian music, but many kinds,” music
that represents “at least 200 tribes in continental
America alone.”
Dr. Louis Ballard, a Quapaw Indian of Cherokee and French/Scottish
ancestry, is an internationally regarded composer, music educator,
writer and lecturer on Indian music and curriculum development,
whose work has been featured at Carnegie Hall [see Education
Update, November issue].
On the CD's he shows himself to be a patient and quietly impassioned
advocate. Here, after all, is American music, though it has
not yet enjoyed the renown it should have, given the imperatives
of American history. The last census reveals over two million
Native American Indians residing in this country, many not
on reservations. “What is needed in America, as it has
always been needed,” Dr. Ballard has written many times, “is
an awakening and reorienting of our total spiritual and cultural
perspective to embrace, understand and learn from the aboriginal
American what it is that motivates his musical and artistic
impulses.”
Although Native American Indian Songs is
intended for use at levels beginning with the early grades,
the focus of the instruction is such that anyone, at any
age, could easily be moved to imitate and learn. Of course,
the most significant applications will be by music teachers
who follow Dr. Ballard's analyses of how Indian music differs
from familiar ethnic folk songs. For them, the book will
resonate as professional guidance with its reliance on technical
terminology references to “linear modality,” “monophonic
structure,” “chordal foundation,” “mesa
tones” but simpler and general applications could be
developed because of the Guide's basic pedagogical structure.
Each song is introduced with more brief notes about form,
key, starting tone, meter, Native American language, percussive
instrument, and grade level, not to mention wonderful accompanying “Study
Photos.” Where applicable, dance notation is also provided.
For the “Navaho Corn Grinding Song,” for example,
suggested for grade levels 4-12 (the particular lessons here
grew out of classroom situations with fourth graders at Kenilworth
School in Phoenix), teachers are informed that “rattles” should
be used. The actual music scores for each song include lines
for both voice and percussion, but even before the music
notation appears, teachers are given Learning Concepts, Cultural
Notes and Map identification for each tribe. The Navahos
constitute the largest Native American tribe in the country,
both in numbers and in reservation area, with most Navahos
living in parts of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. An illustration
shows corn being grinded, and readers are reminded, which
goes back 3,000 years, is found only in the Americas, North
and South. Thus music instruction becomes a lesson in cultural
history. Meanwhile, the beat goes on and the 19-month old
is still listening as his dinner grows slightly cold.
Native American Indian Songs Taught
by Louis W. Ballard. Guidebook with Two Audio CD's. New Southwest
Music Publications, bibliog., cultural notes, photos, compositions,
resources. 110 pp. P.O. Box 4552, Santa Fe, NM 87502-4552.
The book and CD's are a “new and improved upgrade.” Southwest, “an
Indian-owned and operated music publishing company,” was
founded in 1970 by Louis and Ruth Ballard “to meet the
special needs of music educators and aficionados of Native
American music.” www.nswmp.com.#