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The
University of Rhode Island Multicultural Center
74 Lower College Road
Kingston, RI 02881
Phone: 401-874-2851
Fax: 401-874-5952
Email:
mcc1@etal.uri.edu |
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| Home
| Schedule | Artists
& Presenters | Class |
World Learning |
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World Voices World
Visions 2003
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| Class
Descriptions |
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The
Art of the Appalachian Fiddle: Fundamental/Intermediate
A lecture-demonstration
class exploring the cultural features of fiddling in the Appalachian region,
and the ways in which the regional style of fiddling reflects and facilitates
the intercultural cross-currents of American society.
This will be a lively five-day seminar equally accessible to musicians
and non-musicians. Alan Jabbour
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An introduction to a percussive
form of folk dance, similar to tap dance, with rhythmic tapping of the
feet, traditionally danced to Old Timey jigs and reels of the fiddle,
but now danced to almost any form of upbeat music. Participants will practice
a vocabulary of clogging steps and combine them into a collective dance
but also will create their own freestyling combinations.
Michelle Kaminsky and Sandol Astrausky, assisted by Gillian |
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This is a beginner’s class.
Students will not expect to be able to play harmonica in any style.
The history of the harmonica will be discussed along with the difference
between the “straight” harp and the “cross” harp.
Most of the songs taught will be played in cross harp.
In addition, plenty of time will be spent discussing harmonica
techniques such as chugging, bending notes, etc.
If time is available, further discussions will cover various harmonica
styles, minor keys, playing in the high register, and different harmonica
positions. Tape recorders
or video cameras are allowed. Bring a working harmonica in the key of “A” for this class.
Rhonda Rucker |
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A beginning and intermediate class
for group playing of blues and folk music. More advanced players can schedule some time for help.
Participants need to bring a "diatomic C " or “Marine
Band Style” harmonica. Harmonicas
can be purchased throughout the week.
Chris Turner
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A
one-time introduction to the traditional music of people from Louisiana
who descended from French-speaking Acadians from Canada.
Embodying French, English, Spanish, Irish, Scottish, German, Native
American, and black C reole influences, Cajun music, similar in some respects
to both zydeco and country music, is often described as melodic and sweet,
featuring fiddle and accordion, and danced to two-steps and waltzes.
Michelle Kaminsky and Alan Bradbury |
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An introduction to the standard
body of graceful, highly stylized movements inspired by the classical
Ramayana myth; expressed by the Apsara, classical dancers of myth; and
taught by Cambodian dance masters in modern times. Somaly Hay
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An introduction to the spontaneous
and rhythmic movements associated with traditional peasant life in Cambodia,
reinforcing the cohesiveness of the community, and marking births, marriages,
deaths, and other rites of passage, as well as the seasonal transitions
and the work cycle. Somaly
Hay |
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This class will enhance student
recognition of batik as art rather than craft. Participants will learn the history of batik, batik drawing/design,
coloring, waxing, “cracking,”
“cold wax,” painting and individual style enhancement.
Nicholas Sironka |
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Explore a more adventurous approach
to banjo picking with one of today’s most prominent clawhammer players
and teachers. Learn some
great old-time Southern and New England tunes, as you refine and add to
your knowledge of fundamental clawhammer banjo techniques.
Among areas covered are such basic skills as brush-thumbing, drop
and double thumbing, basic accompaniment skills, melody playing, hammer-on’s,
pull offs, slides and syncopation.
Prerequisite: Students should have at least a few months of banjo playing
experience, enough so that they can either switch with facility among
basic cords or play a few simple tunes.
Ken Perlman |
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Historically, the five-string banjo provided the rhythmic
platform for fiddlers playing at dances.
This class will give intermediate and advanced clawhammer-style
players new ways to think about playing the banjo as a powerful rhythmic
instrument as we work on popular and obscure tunes from the Southern dance
canon.
Martin Grosswendt |
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A seminar of individualized and small group instruction on
fiddle and banjo from two American masters, focused on technique and repertoire,
and followed by lecture-demonstration and “hands-on” instruction of students
interacting in ensembles. Alan
Jabbour and Ken Perlman |
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A review of the standard body of
tunes and performance styles in the United States that have their roots
in the dance music and tunes that crystallized into a canon throughout
the British and Irish diaspora during the last half of the eighteenth
century. Rachel Maloney
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Love the sound of flatpicked acoustic
guitar in the American bluegrass/old-time traditions? This class will
start from step one – holding the pick, getting the best sound from your
instrument, understanding the structure of traditional music – and progress
to learning tunes from the standard repertoire with an emphasis on the
nuances that can only be learned "by ear." As the week progresses,
we'll explore improvisation, crosspicking, playing in higher positions,
and other aspects of the art of flatpicking. We'll also discuss choosing
a guitar and other equipment in the never-ending quest for optimum tone.
Recording device recommended. Robin
Bullock |
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A musical instruction class focusing
on all aspects of the old-time Appalachian performance style, with special
attention to mastering the bowing patterns that underlie the style.
This as a class for people who already play the fiddle at an intermediate
or advanced level. Beginning
fiddlers can attend but should anticipate a lively instruction pace.
Bring fiddles and audio/video recorders. Alan Jabbour |
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This course will explore bluegrass,
folk, Celtic and "New Acoustic" styles of mandolin, focusing
equally on the mandolin’s twin roles of soloist and accompanist. We'll
start at the beginning –
tuning, holding, picking, and basic chords and
melody. We'll then move on to learning traditional music by ear, improvisation,
practice techniques, and playing mandolin in a group. Recording device
recommended. Robin Bullock
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Michelle will lead students in
creating music in an ensemble setting, without any prerequisite music skills.
Specially designed wood and
metal Orff xylophones of all sizes will be used to create beautiful sounding
and calming music. The instruments remind one of wind chimes, only people
are controlling the sounds. These particular instruments are designed
so that any of the bars can be taken off, (an invention of composer Carl
Orff). As a result, using a pentatonic scale, which works well for improvisation,
with a little bit of rhythmic direction, a group of fledgling or experienced
musicians are guaranteed to have a successful, enjoyable, peaceful, affirming
musical experience. It feels truly magical.
Michelle Kaminsky |
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A review of the standard body of
tunes associated with dulcimer performance, emphasizing strumming and
fingerpicking techniques, and utilizing appropriate rhythms, harmonies,
and embellishments for different performance styles. Bring your own fretted dulcimers for this class.
Nils Caspersson
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The American Civil War lasted four years and cost from 650,
000 to one million American lives.
It also produced more songs than any other War in history.
Rhonda H. Rucker will join Sparky Rucker in teaching and exploring
the songs and poignant history of this uniquely American experience. We
will teach songs from our award winning costumed historic epic, "The
Blue & Gray in Black & White."
We will learn songs from such historical experiences as Sherman's
March to the Sea, the Battle of the Crater, etc.
Learn songs written by George Frederick Root, and Henry Clay Work!
Learn songs written about Harriet Tubman and John Brown! What to Bring? Your
instruments and/or just your voices!
Sparky & Rhonda Rucker |
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Much of American popular music (Blues, Rock & Roll and
R&B) flows from the wellspring of recorded blues that poured out of
the Mississippi Delta in the 1920s and1930s.
This class for experienced (intermediate to advanced) guitarists
will explore the instrumental styles of the seminal musicians of that
genre, including Son House, Willie Brown, Robert Johnson, and the all-important
Charley Patton. We will work
on right and left hand techniques as utilized in specific songs, as well as conventional
and bottleneck styles, in several tunings.
Students should bring a bottleneck or similar tube-type slide and
a recording device to class. Martin
Grosswendt
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An
introduction to the style, manners, and techniques of an American form
of couples dance, characterized by sociability, with many steps common
to square dance and with couples facing each other in parallel lines,
accompanied by live string band music, with the guidance of a caller.
Spread in the United States from New England, New England contra dance
derives from traditions in England, Scotland, Ireland, and France.
Susan Elberger |
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An
introduction to the telling of personal and family stories as a strategy
for understanding our multiple identities as individuals and as members
of family, team, nation, organization, work group, or other collective.
Melodie Thompson-Thomas |
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This is not Beginning Guitar. Students must know some chords! We will work on the rudimentary "bottleneck" or
"slide" guitar techniques, including different tunings, how
to "hold the bottleneck," etc.
We'll explore the techniques of Robert Johnson and Fred McDowell.
REQUIREMENTS:
Steel Stringed Guitar (No plastic
or gut stringed instruments will work for "bottleneck" or slide
playing) One Medium to Heavy Metal Slide (Glass
OK but needs to be heavy glass).
NOTE: A Spark Plug Socket Wrench works!
We will try to learn 1-2 songs.
Tape recorder encouraged.
Sparky Rucker
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Steve and Steve explore the dynamics of songs of social change.
All skill levels are welcome to share in a discussion and performance
of a variety of social change songs. Bring yourself; bring your instrument
if you want. Participation is encouraged. Topics and songs to be covered
include songs from the civil rights movement, the women’s movement, the
environmental movement, the labor movement and other human rights based
songs. Stephen Myles and Stephen Wood |
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Song is a powerful and often under-utilized medium of
transformation. Bob Franke’s
songwriting workshop have inspired songwriters all across the United States
to tap more deeply into this power and take responsibility for it as artists.
This workshop involves individual writing assigments and the formation
of a working songwriters’ group as a model experience to be taken back
into the students’ home communities.
Bob provides a safe environment that supports risk-taking, and
pays attention to the needs of both the songwriter and the songwriter’s
audience. By the end of the workshop, many new songs will have been
written, and many new insights gained into the possibilities of this ancient
yet contemporary art form. Bob
Franke
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A one-time repertory session of
1-2 hours in which 40 tunes will be played from the repertory of my mentor
Henry Reed of Glen Lyn, Virginia.
Bring audio/video recorders.
Alan Jabbour |
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An
introduction to the preparation of selections from the traditional cuisine
of the Yoruba of Nigeria. Participants will assist in preparing and sampling
of foods derived from the Yoruba and will learn about the dissemination
of foods and foodways in Cuba, Brazil, and the United States. Through
discussion and other activities, participants will explore the connections
between cooking and other Yoruba art forms.
Elizabeth Osunkemi Coleman and Barbara Sangoyemi Eaton
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World Village offers a rich variety
of activities for young people (ages 5-12) attending with World Voices,
World Visions participants. Students
must have completed kindergarten to be enrolled.
World Voices, World Visions theme of building community through
the arts is carried throughout this program.
Activities include music, dance, crafts, and recreation, and the
activities draw upon the traditions of many cultures in the U.S. and from
around the world. Enrollment
is limited to 40 youths. Youths
are given a choice of 3-4 age specific workshops per period.
There are five periods each day.
Refreshments are offered in the morning and afternoon.
Participants revert to their guardian’s care during lunch, from
11:45AM-1:00PM. World Village
ends at 4:00PM, finishing with a fifth period Family Hour.
During this hour, World Village, through storytelling, games, art,
and music, explores and strengthens our understanding of the concept of
seeking common ground. Young
people must be accompanied by an adult family member to attend this day’s-end
class. Participants’
ages
8 and older may elect to learn to play mountain dulcimers, using inexpensive
but well built and good sounding cardboard dulcimers.
If you wish to enroll youth in this activity, be sure to make note
of it when sending in your registration, and include $55 for purchase
of the dulcimer. Introduction
to wheel pottery will be offered to older children. |
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A
facilitated group discussion created for the face-to-face exchange of
personal stories, values, and perspectives regarding the development of
global citizenship, the fostering of global community, and the exploration
of the challenges faced by democracy at home and abroad. |
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