Nunya Academy Summer Institute 2024
ADVANCE STUDIES IN WEST AFRICAN MUSIC, DANCE, AND CULTURE
Friday, June 21 - Thursday, July 11, 2024
(instructional days June 24-July 9)
Summer Course with Immersive, Hands-on Experience
in African Music and Dance Traditions
with a focus on West African Drumming, Xylophone, Dancing, Singing,
History, and Culture (including Religion, Language, and Art Traditions)
Dr. Kofi J.S. Gbolonyo - director
With other instructors including
Dr. Sylvanus Kwasi Kuwor, Aaron Bebe and Prosper Gbolonyo
Nunya Music Academy
Dzodze, Volta Region, Ghana
COURSE DETAILS
Date: Friday, June 21 - Thursday, July 11, 2024
(Instructional Days June 24-July 9)
Location: Dzodze, Ghana, West Africa
Host Institution: Nunya Music Academy
Course Venue: Nunya Music Academy & White Dove Hotel, Dzodze, Ghana
Language of Instruction: English
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Interest in West African music is widespread today, found throughout the fields of Ethnomusicology, World Music Percussion, Dance Ethnology, and Music Education.
The music of West Africa birthed an unparalleled musical explosion in the African Diaspora—blues, gospel, jazz, rock, pop, hip-hop, reggae, calypso, samba, salsa and more can all be traced back to the vibrant musical cultures still alive and growing in West Africa. Children in music classes throughout the world delight in playing, singing and dancing “African” music, but teachers are often woefully unprepared to do the music justice, presenting a watered-down version with no knowledge of cultural context.
Without an understanding of its cultural context and its deep connection with dance, oral tradition and its role in daily life, much of its power is lost. Consequently, interest in and search for a holistic knowledge and skills in West African music, dance, games, and culture continue to grow today, in the fields of Music Orff-Schulwerk, Ethnomusicology, World Music Percussion, Dance Ethnology, Cross-Cultural Pedagogy and Multicultural Music and Interdisciplinary Education.
Drawing from the success of the maiden Nunya Summer Institute in 2017 as well as the success of sister courses including the live Orff-Afrique Courses in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023 and the online versions in 2020 and 2021 (all of which had a life-changing impact on many music teachers, scholars, performers and other educators), this unique summer course offers the opportunity for an immersive study in the place where these musical traditions live and breathe. While Orff-Afrique was geared toward music educators working with children in schools, this course was developed for ethnomusicology students and teachers, performing musicians and dancers and those prepared to go deeply into the music and the background surrounding the music. Nevertheless, this course still offers a lot of experience and resources to music educators of all ages and skill levels. The course is centered in Dzodze, a small town in the Southeastern corner of the Volta Region of Ghana on the border of the Republic of Togo.
In this 21-days course, traditions are studied from a perspective that emphasizes participant-observation. The course will focus on drumming, xylophone playing, dancing, and learning indigenous vocal music and songs from the diverse cultures of Ghana and other West African countries including Togo and Benin. Alongside the hands-on learning will be lectures, concerts and field trips as well as observation of and work with students in local schools in the traditional village environment including Nunya Music Academy, the course’s host institution. Lecture topics will include religion, history, Ewe language, and the theories of African musical elements including rhythm, polyphony, and vocal styles and their relationship with other African and African-inspired art forms and histories. Onsite visits to celebrations, ceremonies, and rituals will be combined with instruction by traditional musicians, artists and guest lectures by scholars and culture bearers.
On optional additional days/weeks, participants are welcome to remain for instructional exchange with students and faculty of Nunya Music Academy. During this optional extended time, participants may have opportunities to share their musical knowledge with local students. For example, participants may wish to share techniques and solo or group performance of Western instruments including brass, woodwinds, strings, electric and acoustic guitar, percussion. They may also teach electronic music, dance and other subjects including English language, basic math, and basic computer technology. Individuals may also extend their stay to study, volunteer, teach, direct, or conduct research with the faculty and/or students of Nunya Academy. These opportunities can be explored and tailored to suit each individual’s needs and interests.
FACULTY and STAFF
Leading the course will be Dr. Kofi Gbolonyo, Ethnomusicology and African Studies professor at the University of British Colombia, Vancouver, Canada; an Instructor in the Jazz Studies Program at Capilano University in North Vancouver, Canada and the Founder and Director of Nunya Academy. A Ghanaian native, Dr. Gbolonyo (PhD & M.A., University of Pittsburgh), a remarkable teacher schooled in traditional ways in his home town of Dzodze, Ghana, while also trained in both Orff Schulwerk and Western university methods, will combine his traditional, cultural and artistic upbringing and training as a Ghanaian musician, dancer and culture bearer with his academic interests and knowledge of Ethnomusicology, Jazz, African Music and Dance, African Studies and Music Education.
Joining him will be:
Kofi’s brother, Prosper Kwasi Gbolonyo (Nunya Academy, Principal and Artistic Director), Aaron Sukura Bebe (Gile/Xylophone Instructor, Univ. of Ghana, Legon), along with a selection of music and dance professors and educators including Dr. Sylvanus Kwasi Kuwor from the Dance Department of the University of Ghana, and other seasoned master drummers, dancers, xylophonists, traditional and contemporary vocal music composers and singers to help teach and connect the materials and skills to traditional and on-stage choreography processes as well as to other musical styles such as jazz, and Western choral musics.
Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study with master teachers while immersed in Ghanaian village life!
