Developing Cultural Awareness Through World Music Traditions

Lisa Mallett, Primary Music Teacher

As a teenager growing up in London, I had played the flute since the age of nine, following the traditional route of grades and Western classical training. My world of music consisted of the classical greats in the school orchestra, the 80s hits on the radio and my parents’ record collection. It was in this stack of records that I was drawn to the sound of Indian music for the first time on the track Within You Without You on the classic Beatles Sergeant Pepper Band album. The mysterious sounds of the sitar blending in with the song were enticing and were, in part, responsible for my unfolding journey into the study of Indian music years later.

At music college, I delved further into exploring ‘world music’ traditions, playing with Indo-Jazz fusion bands and improvising music based on Indian classical scales (ragas) on my western silver flute. This eventually led me to India, where I studied the Indian bansuri bamboo flute. Discovering Indian classical music opened up a whole new perspective and perception of music as did learning an instrument that was similar but yet so different to my own flute. I was immersed completely, both musically and culturally. My understanding of music theory was turned upside down in this new genre of time cycles and ragas, whilst culturally, I was learning about a whole new country, its people, languages, customs and food that were all invariably intertwined with the music. It was a defining moment as a musician and educator. I’ve had a fascination with ‘world music’ ever since and its gateways to cultures and people across the globe.

Music education is key in helping support our young learners on their journey as global citizens and developing their cultural awareness. The universal language of music is the perfect platform to explore and address challenges of cultural stereotypes. The inspirational TEDX talk by the Nigerian

author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie raises a pertinent point on the danger of a ‘single story’. It is about what happens when human beings are reduced to a single narrative, when all Africans, for example, are stereotyped from media images of famine hit countries.

This relates to music also. If your perception is, for example, that all music out of India was that of the Bollywood hits, then this single story would lead to misconceptions of the vast array of music and culture from this subcontinent which crosses folk, classical, electronic music, indie and urban hip hop to name but a few. A rich and varied music curriculum therefore is essential for developing an appreciation and understanding of different musical traditions and musicians, offering a window outside of what children ordinarily listen and connect to.

In Bangkok Patana, the Primary Music curriculum covers a range of genres. African and Samba drumming units in upper Key Stage 2,for example, enable children to learn and play traditional rhythms and instruments of Gambia and Brazil whilst exploring the respective countries and cultures. Our ECAs range from choirs and wind bands to Thai Traditional orchestras and Japanese Taiko drumming. All these practical experiences shape our young learners, helping to inform and break down musical and cultural stereotypes whilst opening opportunities for critical dialogue too.

Understanding the impact that these cultural traditions have had on popular music is a vital part of the learning. Blues music, for instance, is firmly rooted in African music. It emerged from the oppressed and disadvantaged AfricanAmerican communities in the rural southern states of the United States of America in the years following the American Civil War. Blues singers were descendants of slaves and elements of their music have origins in the work songs from that era. The call and response format can be traced back to these songs and are a feature of Blues music too. In the classroom, singing these songs enables students to sing different languages and connect histories and music to the present day.

Our Musician of the Month project is another strand of our curriculum that focuses on musicians from across the globe. The Queen of Salsa, the Cuban Celia Cruz, was our featured September musician. Learning about the challenges she faced, as well as the successes in her life, introduces students not only to Salsa music, its instruments and dance steps but also the inequalities she encountered. Discovering that she was unable to return to Cuba for many years because of political circumstances leads to further dialogue on the present-day similarities people face in countries across the world and in turn, develops empathy.

Music is a powerful medium for connection and communication in society. A study by Harvard researchers found that people around the globe could identify lullabies, dancing songs, and healing songs, regardless of the songs’ cultural origin, after hearing just a 14-second clip. The finding suggests that not only is music deeply rooted in human nature, but that some types of songs transcend cultural boundaries. By instilling an appreciation of these world music traditions from a young age, this can only strengthen and enhance our students own cultural awareness of the world around them.