African+Music+with+Traditional+Instruments-Bracy+&+Michaela

9. African Music and Musical Instruments
 * //Traditional African Music and Instruments//**
 * Research Traditional African Music
 * Play a piece for the class
 * Research Modern African Music that uses traditional instruments
 * Play a piece for the class
 * Instruments to research and explain: African drums, traditional African flute, ogene, ekwe, and udu.
 * Most importantly, the Mbira (This instrument may not have been used in Nigeria or by the Ibo, but it is very much associated with African Music.)
 * Find a website that plays examples of these instruments. I know one exists because other students have used it in their presentations.
 * Also find a website that teaches you how to play the Mbira (I also know this exists because of other students)
 * Note: I have a Mbira in my classroom that you can use during your presentation. Maybe you will learn to play it and demonstrate


 * Bracy:**

Here is the link to my Glog: [] Here is my research/script and citations:


 * __ Work Cited: __**

[] [] [] [] []
 * //__Videos:__//**


 * //__Pictures:__//**

//African flutes:// [] [] []

//African Udu drums:// [] [] []

//African Ekwe drums:// [] []

Research: Estrella, Espie. "African Music." //About.com//. New York Times Company, n.d. Web. 2 Nov 2011. . "History of the Udu." // Soundjunction //. cultureonline, n.d. Web. 2 Nov 2011. . Raine-Reusch, R. "World Instrument Gallery." // ASZA.com-New Directions for World Music //. N.p., May 2002. Web. 2 Nov 2011. . "Samples of Musical Instruments from the Igboland." // Ummuna Cultural Association of Indianapolis //. 1994 - 2008 Umunna Cultural Association of Indianapolis, 2008. Web. 2 Nov 2011. . Walwyn, Gareth. "About AMI Wind Instruments." // African Musical Instruments //. African Musical Instruments and Gareth Walwyn 2009, n.d. Web. 2 Nov 2011. .

African percussion instruments are a major part of both African music and culture. For centuries, these instruments, along with many others, have been used to communicate, preform festivals, and conduct religious ceremonies. As you can see in this first video of the Kora Symphony, they bring in a more modern music but keep the traditional instruments in their productions. In the second video you can hear the different instruments used. These are traditional instruments that have been played in a modern fashion, keeping the African roots but adding their own twist of a more modern style.
 * __ Research and Script: __**
 * //__ Modern music with Traditional Instruments: __//**
 * //__ African Flutes: __//**

In the video of the African flutes, you can hear the different tones and inflictions the musician preforms. Also, you can hear how he speaks or sings while playing which also allows the flute to produce different notes and rhythms. One type of African flute is the Nyanga Pan Pipes. This instrument is difficult to play, it involves both blowing and singing while including rhythmic patterns and dancing along with intricate steps. There are many other styles of flutes and materials they are made from. Two of the materials are wood and bone. In this video you can see that the man is not playing the Ekwe, but a slit wood drum. I was sadly not able to find a video of someone playing an Ekwe but this instrument is closely related to the Ekwe and the sounds and how it’s played are very similar, so it gives you an idea on what one would sound like. The Ekwe is made out of a hollowed-out tree trunk with two rectangular cavities at each end and rectangular slits running its length. The size of the Ekwe depends on what it is to be used for. This instrument has other important properties other than creating music, it was, and still is, used to communicate over long distances. It is also an important part in traditional and cultural events, such as coronations and rituals. The different sounds and rhythms of the Ekwe can summon citizens to the town square or a monarch’s palace, or meetings, alert the citizens to a fire, theft, and other emergencies. In the video of the Udu drums, you can hear the different sounds the Udu is capable of making. It all depends on, one, how hard you touch the Udu, and two, where you strike the Udu. You can tell that different sizes and shapes produce different tones when the Udu is played. The Udu originated in Nigeria and was invented by the Nigerian women. The Udu, which means pot or vessel in Igbo, was thought to have evolved from the water carriers that are found in Africa. The Udu was first a woman’s instrument and was used only by women for ceremonial music, but can now be found being played by both men and women and even in a few African bands.
 * //__ The Ekwe: __//**
 * //__ The Udu: __//**

Glogster link: []
 * Traditional African Music and Instruments **
 * Michaela: **

Work Cited link: [|Work Cited.doc]

There is a great deal of similarity among the different types of traditional African music. There are, however, small variations due mainly to the difference of language among different tribes. African people tended to play music that mimicked the sound of their language. Music was integrated into every aspect African life. Music was used to announce a birth, celebrate coming of age, mourn the death of a loved one, and perform religious rituals and ceremonies. Music played an important role in life. From the time of birth, through the coming of age process, music helped children to prepare for their many future tasks, including attending and taking part in various events such as ceremonial dances and religious festivals. African music was not created to please the ear, like almost every other kind of music. Instead, it was meant to illustrate every possible aspect of life. Music was the way by which African people showed their emotions. Following ancient musical traditions also made people feel closer to their ancestors. Most importantly, music could be a useful communication device. Drum beats or the sound of an ogene could carry over many miles, warning people of an attack from a nearby village, or calling them for an important event.
 * What was it like and what was it for?**

What instruments were most commonly used? Some common instruments used in traditional African music are African drums, the ogene, and the mbira. The African drums were mainly used to send messages to neighboring villages. Two of the most basic African drums are the djembe and the ashiko. African drums were usually made from a single carved piece of wood or many branches tied together and covered with animal skins. The type of animal skin and the thickness of the material affected the sound that the drum produced. The ogene was an instrument that resembled a cowbell. It was a small gong that was usually made from bronze. An ogene could either be cylindrical or flat. It was wide at one end, but tapered at the other. The ogene was played with a piece of wood for ceremonial purposes. The mbira is an instrument that is very associated with traditional African music. It was made of a piece of wood and fitted with staggered metal keys. The variety of instruments indigenous to a certain people was based entirely on the availability of raw materials.