Book Review
North American Indian Music
Kelsey Brown
September 25, 2011
North American Indian Music, Rick Ench & Jay Cravath, Franklin Watts, United States of America, 2002.
APA Entry:
Entry 1222: ISBN 0531162303, Jay Cravath, Rick Ench, Adult Education / Teacher Resource, Grade 10, Grade 11, Grade 12, Grade 9.
Subjects:art, ELA, health / physical education, music, social studies / history. Themes:apache flute song, art, distinct sounds and words, first songs, Kwakiutl winter ceremonial, music, Oglala Sioux vision quest, Ojibwa medicine song
I chose to read this book because I hoped it would give me a factual overview of Native American music. I want to indiginize a music class and this book seemed like a resource I could use for a high school classroom setting. If the book could give me a basic understanding of Aboriginal music, than it would be able to do the same for my students.
Summary:
There are six chapters in North American Indian Music, the first two are an overview of Aboriginal music, and the last four go into detail describing specific tribal songs. The first chapter discusses the importance of songs in Aboriginal culture as oral history and ceremonial necessities. It also explains the functionality of Aboriginal music. Finally the chapter lists the four categories that songs fall into.
The second chapter describes where the distinct sounds of Aboriginal music come from. In this chapter musical scales, instruments, drums, and lyrics are explained. At the end of the chapter there are a few paragraphs that discuss modern/contemporary Native American music. The last four chapters describe specific musical genres such as, the Apache flute song, the Ojibwa medicine song, the Oglala Sioux vision quest, and the Kwakiutl winter ceremony.
Quotes:
“Among the traditional American Indian cultures, however, singing to please an audience was unknown. For them, music was far more important than entertainment.”
“Through song, a man can enhance his own power by calling on the power of other beings in the world to assist him.”
“American Indian music has a distinct sound in part because it utilizes rhythms and melodies that are unlike those in the music most of us are accustomed to hearing.”
“Another distinctive quality of American Indian music is the reliance of the human voice as the most prominent feature of the song.”
Grade Level: 9 to 12 Subject Area: Music
Curricular Areas:
GLO 3. Understanding Music in Context
– students will understand how music is used in Aboriginal culture
– students will have knowledge of the instruments, techniques, and traditions of Aboriginal music
GLO 4. Valuing Musical Experience
- students will appreciate the skill and technique involved in playing Aboriginal music
- students will understand the value of Aboriginal music as part of cultural diversity
Reflection:
This book had some useful information in it, but I feel that one that goes into more detail would be better suited to a high school class. I would have liked to see more about the musical rules in Aboriginal culture. For example, the second chapter mentions that most of the music uses the pentatonic scale, but never elaborates on that topic. How is the pentatonic scale used? Is that the only scale present in Aboriginal music? Is all Aboriginal music built on scales, or is some of it atonal?
The other topic they never covered in the book is how music is taught in Native American cultures. Is everyone involved musically? How do you become a ceremonial musician? How is musical talent developed? Is any of the music notated, or do they learn everything by ear?
I thought that the book explained the spiritual connection inherent in music of Aboriginal cultures. This book would be very useful for my lesson plans because my unit or theme for this kit is the medicine wheel teachings. Music is part of the spiritual quarter of the medicine wheel.
Because my focus is spirituality in music, I would have liked to have more information in the book about ceremonial song. I’m interested in the function the music has in the ceremonies, and the book didn’t go into that topic in depth.
Additional Thoughts:
I think this book would be a good choice for a history lesson on Aboriginal music. It is easily understandable, regardless of your level of musical knowledge. It gives the reader a beginning knowledge of the basics of Aboriginal music and how it differs from Western music.
I would like to have my students read this book because it introduces of music as functional. In Western culture, music is used for pleasure, but that isn’t the case with most cultures. In other cultures music is used for function, like work songs, ceremonial songs, prayers, and even for long distance communication. It’s a good idea to introduce students to other ways of viewing things, and I think that this book would help them understand music in a new way.
I would recommend this book for use in the classroom.