AIRS Annual Report Year 1 Sub-Theme 2.1: Learning to Sing Informally

Submitted by Dr. Patricia Campbell (April 1, 2009 – March 31,
2010).

Members

  • Beatriz Ilari
  • Martin Gardiner
  • Graham Welch
  • Helga Gudmundsdottir
  • Caroline Van Niekerk
  • Esther Mang
  • Catherine J. Stevens
  • Kati Szego

Update   

Active exchange on 2.1 themes with Caroline, Helga, Beatriz,
Graham, including (a) Discussion of potential student
projects/proposals (Caroline), (b) archived collections of
children’s and adult group songs (Helga).

Continued development of thematic ideas relative to singing in
informal settings, especially among children and in vocalizations
enfolded within pedagogy and practice of instrumental
music/musicians, with new attention to on-line archives of
traditional song and the collection, analysis, transcription, and
interpretation of song in central Tanzania (Wagogo) and Kenya.

Involvement of Patricia on Steering Committee on issues relative
to 2.1 and AIRS at large.

Reference to AIRS and Theme 2.1 projects at presentations at ABEM
(Londrina, Brazil), University of Rio de Janeiro (Ethnomusicology
Archives) University of Western Australia (Perth), Griffith
Conservatorium (Brisbane), Society for Ethnomusicology (Mexico
City), Ethnomusicology Symposium (University of Dar es Salaam),
UCLA (graduate student symposium), and The College Music Society
(Seattle meeting).   

Involvement of students

Ethan Chessin and Megan Perdue were funded for scholarly projects
in 2009-2010; both projects are completed, with presentations at
Beijing (ISME) and Seattle (ICMPC, AIRS). The papers have recently
been submitted to journals for review leading to possible
publication.

Christopher Roberts, Kedmon Mapana, and Donald Otoyo Ondieki are
funded for scholarly projects in 2010-11.

Project completion by March 31 2011

  • Christopher Roberts:  Children Singing One Line: An
    Examination of Web-based Resources of Children Singing
    throughout the World

  • Kedmon Mapana: Traditional Songs of the Wagogo of Central
    Tanzania: Collection, Analysis and Interpretation

  • Donald Otoyo Ondieki: The Analysis of Early Kenyan Popular
    Music of 1945-1975 for the Development of Instructional
    Materials for Music Education

Questions

  • How can we engage members of Theme 2.1 more thoroughly?
  • How can we assess the continued interest of Theme 2.1 members
    in issues and projects?
  • Can we invite in other research and teaching faculty with
    Theme 2.1 interests and energies to participate in AIRS
    activity?

Students at AIRS Annual Meeting

Research Summary
Christopher Roberts (Summary of Chessin and Perdue projects)
Poster
[In good hope], posters by Chessin and Perdue
Songs
Christopher Roberts, Kedmon Mapana

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