Class meetings of 2/18, 2/23, and 2/25: Controversies over African Rhythm

Thursday, 18 February

All read:

Koetting, James. 1970. "Analysis and Notation of West African Drum Ensemble Music." Selected Reports in Ethnomusicology 1/3:116-146.

Music cognition students read (before reading Koetting):

Ellingson, Ter. 1992. "Transcription," in Ethnomusicology: An Introduction, editor Helen Myers, 110-152. xxiv, 487 pp. The Norton/Grove Handbooks in Music, New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co.
ML3799.E826 1992. (on reserve under this number)

Musicology students read (after reading Koetting):

Merriam, Alan. 1990. "African Music Rhythm and Concepts of Time-reckoning," in Ethnomusicological Theory and Method, 293-311. The Garland Library of Readings in Ethnomusicology, editor. Kay Kaufman Shelemay, Vol. 2. New York, NY: Garland Publishing.

Tuesday, 23 February—Daniel Avorgbedor, guest

All read:

Avorgbedor, Daniel. 1996. "African Rhythm: A Northern Ewe Perspective (review)." Yearbook for Traditional Music 28:200-202.

Stone, Ruth M. 1985. "In Search of Time in African Music." Music Theory Spectrum 7:139-148.

Avorgbedor, Daniel. 1987. "The Construction and Manipulation of Temporal Structures in Yeve Cult Music: A Multi-Dimensional Approach." African Music 6/4:4-18.

Stone, Ruth M. 1986. "Commentary: The Value of Local Ideas in Understanding West African Rhythm." Ethnomusicology 30/1:54-57.

Koetting, James. 1986. "What Do We Know About African Rhythm?" Ethnomusicology 30/1:58-63.

Agawu, V. Kofi. 1986. "'Gi Dunu,' 'Nyekpadudo,' and the Study of West African Rhythm." Ethnomusicology 30/1:64-83.

Book review presentation (Lennard):

Agawu, Kofi. 1995. African Rhythm: A Northern Ewe Perspective. xx, 217 pp. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
ML3760.7.G4A3 1995.

Thursday, 25 February—David Temperley, guest

All read:

Agawu, Kofi. 1995. "The Invention of 'African Rhythm'." Journal of the American Musicological Society 48/3:380-395.

Temperley, David. i.p. "Meter and Grouping in African Music: A View from Music Theory." Ethnomusicology

Annotation and presentation assignments: one of the above (to be chosen in class)