Anthropology 217

Drums, Culture, and New World Rhythmatism

Dr. Joshua S. Levin
Email: joshua_levin@ccsn.nevada.edu
Home: www.joshualevin.org
Phone: 651-3147 (email is better)

Fall 2007 Semester Syllabus

Course Description: What is your edge? How do you respond when you encounter it? If we're lucky, this class will take you to an edge. For it is out on the edges of cultures, on the edges of our personal comfort zones, on the edges of scientific discovery, that all of the most extraordinary things happen. Think about it... all growth occurs at the edges of life. If you are willing to explore your own edge, then you are ready to step into the rhythm and make the most of this course.

In this class we will be looking at culture through rhythm and rhythm through culture. Our studies are designed to inspire engagement with ourselves and the peoples of the world through cultural thoughts and practices surrounding rhythm, dance, and chant. In order to better understand the roles that these key arts play in human experience, we will be using the method of New World Rhythmatism, which involves movement, chanting, and learning to play a variety of hand drums in an ensemble format. I have been developing these methods for more than 10 years.

At the same time that we are learning to play drums and chant together, we will be reading articles, watching video, and listening to music that will inform us about the various ways that rhythm is an integral part of cultural life around the world. By contrasting contemporary rhythm culture in the U.S. with the practices of people around the world, we will come to a much deeper understanding of the diverse nature of these arts.

Objectives for this course include:

1. direct experience of stepping outside familiar cultural frames of reference by participating and exploring in musical/rhythmic activities that are foreign, challenging, and yet rewarding.
2. expansion of consciousness through raw exposure to the wonder of cross-cultural diversity in musical, rhythmic, and mythological expression.
3. familiarity with interpretive analysis as it is applied to understanding cross-cultural artistic/musical practice; Increased ability to analyze and discuss cultural thought and behavior.
4. familiarity with rhythm, music, and dance as an integral part of cultural creativity, ritual, religion, spirituality, and identity formation.
5. familiarity with major historical patterns of transformation in the cultural contexts of music and music making.
6. understanding and appreciation for the influence of culture on rhythmic sensibility and music production.
7. familiarity with the concept and practice of cultural appropriation and of the ethical issues involved in artistic production, consumption, and distribution across cultural contexts.
8. enhanced listening and observation skills resulting from the requirement of learning to play a variety hand drums and working together in an ensemble.
9. enhanced communication skills resulting from the requirement of learning to play a variety of hand drums and working together in an ensemble.
10. personal creative empowerment through mastery of the basic musical skill set necessary to play together in an ensemble, and by appreciating other cultural perspectives on the value and function of art and creativity.
11. greater self confidence resulting from successfully rising to the challenge of learning a foreign musical instrument, playing together, moving together, singing together, and offering relevant individual creative work to the group.
12. greater mental and emotional well-being resulting from the camaraderie of weekly discussion and music making with an increasingly familiar group of peers.
13. greater interest and appreciation for the arts and cultures of the world.

General Course Outline (subject to creative transformation)

Each week we will combine the following elements:

1. Play: rhythm, chanting, and drumming skill building
2. Play: ensemble skill building
3. Watching and listening: video, audio examples.
4. Lecture and Discussion: course material (video, audio, readings, lecture) and reflections on course activities.

Each week will build upon the previous week's work.

You will be provided with three types of drums for use and discovery in this class. They are framedrums, doumbeks / darboukas, and rebolo. We will be learning much more about these instruments as the class proceeds. You will be assigned a doumbek or darbouka and a framedrum. You are responsible for the care of these instruments. You will be required to pay the cost of replacement for any instrument that you damage during the semester. If you decide that you would like to have a drum of your own, we will have lots of opportunity to discuss options and places where these instruments can be acquired.

If you already have one or both of these drums, you are invited to play with them in class.

The readings are an important part of this course. Students who mindfully attend to these written materials will receive a great deal more out of this class than those who do not.

Folders containing a fabulous set of required readings are available under my name and course in the Henderson Campus Library. In addition, we will be reading and working from the New World Rhythmatism Guidebook. A list of these readings is available on the WebCT course area.

These readings have been hand picked to represent the ideas of key artists and scholars connected with this field of study. They range from personal narratives to academic analyses, and are filled with interesting ideas, provocative arguments, and instructive histories. I strongly suggest that you do not attempt to read too much at one time. Spread your reading out so that you can savour and reflect on the ideas. As part of your course grade, you will be asked to discuss some of these readings in writing.

Video:

This course utilizes a wide range of videos that cover various aspects of rhythm and culture. Please expect to spend significant time absorbing, analyzing, and discussing material from video. For those of you who wish to go deeper into this subject, you are strongly encouraged to take notes during our review and discussion of these films.

Required Work:

1. Careful reading of all materials on the syllabus.
2. Access to WebCT. As a CCSN student, your fees pay for access to the CCSN computing system. You will need your student ID and password. Your student ID is your C# (listed on your class schedule. Don't include the "C" or the first "0"). Your ID# is 8 digits long. Your password is the month and year that you were born, MMYY format. (example: June 1983 would be 0683). You can use computers that are available at each campus. There are advisors at these centers to help you get started.

Graded Work:
15% online article outlines and discussion.
15% online reflections on Rhythmatist contemplations (email or discussion group).
30% attendance
10% individual creative presentation
30% rhythm knowledge and performance quizzes

Participation in all activities are essential. You simply will not pass this class if you do not participate.

Article Outlines and Discussion: (15%) of your grade:
(First three due by the 8th week of class)

During the semester, you will outline and discuss six of the course readings. You get to choose which readings you want to outline. For more information on how to effectively outline the readings and get the grade you desire, please read: Using Outline Notes to Better Understand, Analyze, and Retain What We Read. Although you can only earn points for six of the readings, you are strongly encouraged to read at least one of the articles each week. The articles have been carefully selected in order to deepen your knowledge and growth in this class. You do not have to respond to the readings in order, but you may respond to no more than one per week. This means that if you wait until the last month of class, you will not be able complete all of your outlines. If you have 100% attendance, you will only need to outline 4 of the articles.

In order to receive credit for your outlines, you will also need to post a discussion thread to WebCT based upon your thoughts, insights, and reflections regarding the article you have read. You will not receive credit if your discussion is quoted from your outline. The purpose of the outline is to understand and internalize the points made by the author. The purpose of the discussion is to analyze, synthesize, and reflect upon the authors ideas and their relationship to our own thoughts and experiences. Your post must include your name in the subject line. The first line of the message must include the name of the article that you read.

The guidebook to New World Rhythmatism is separate from the other course readings. All students are expected to read the assigned passages from the guidebook. This reading will help us work together in our ensemble practice.

Online Rhythmatist Contemplations:
(First three due by the 8th week of class)

Direct participation in culture or cultural activities provides enormous opportunities for personal growth. This is a common experience felt by people who travel or study abroad. In order to maximise the learning that comes from doing something different, it is helpful to reflect on these experiences in a focused way. Throughout the course, you will be presented with a series of contemplations, ideas that will ask you to consider the relationships between your thoughts and your experiences learning to play and share in the rhythm. You are required to respond to at least six of these contemplations in writing. Like the online responses to the readings, you can either post your reflections to the appropriate discussion group on WebCT, or send me your reflections directly. Your contemplation must be at least 350 words long. You are not required to respond to the contemplations in order, but you may respond to no more than one per week.

If you choose to submit your response over WebCT email, (rather than the discussion area), the header of your message must include your name and the title of the contemplation you are responding to.

Attendance:

This course depends upon our engagement with the material and each other. The skills that we are learning will build upon each other for the entire semester. If you miss classes, you will fall behind, and this will effect everyone's opportunity to go farther together. You may miss two days without attendance penalty. After two absences, you will lose 5% of your attendance grade for every additional day of class that you miss. You may not get credit if you do not stay for the entire class period.

If you are on time and in attendance for every class, your writing requirements will be reduced to 4 article discussion responses, and 4 written contemplations. If you miss only one class, your writing requirments will be reduced to 5 article discussion responses, and 5 written contemplations.

Individual Creative Presentation

Consistent with the cultural practices of many other peoples of the world, the NWR ensemble method involves drums, rhythm, words/chant, movement, and music. Over the course of the semester, we will be learning about and practicing these elements ourselves. In the process, you will learn techniques for smootly and comfortably integrating spoken word, chant, and poetry, into the flow of our ensemble. Throughout the semester, each student is expected to share one of these pieces (found or created) during an ensemble session.

Informal Rhythm Knowledge and Performance Quizzes

Each week, you will be asked to demonstrate or initiate activities involving the knowledge and skills that we have been learning. For example, you might be asked to begin a particular rhythm, to remind us how to make a particular sound with our drums, or to make an NWR ensemble call (these are just a few examples). These requests constitute a gentle informal quiz to help us both reflect on your progress through the material. I will be keeping a record of how your are doing based on the following criteria.

A=90-100.	Mastery. Concepts are recalled and executed effortlessly.
B=80-89	Competance. Concepts are recalled with some coaching and executed with some effort and repitition.
C=70-79	Familiarity. Concept are familiar, but require explanation for proper recall. Concepts are executed with difficulty.
D=60-69	Apathy. Cancepts are unknown or only vaguely recognized. Little effort has been made to learn and execute. Concepts are performed with difficulty or not at all.
F=0-59	No growth.

If you would like to know where you stand, simply ask. I will be grading to see that you are actively working to improve your skill and understanding of the ideas that we are exploring together. People have different backgrounds in music, rhythm, dance, song, and anthropology. I keep this in mind when I evaluate your performance. Your job is to grow from wherever you have begun this journey. Each week you should progress a bit further. You can view an abbreviated list of the technical skills that you will be developing at this link.

Learning the skills that are taught in this class is easy if you practice 15 minutes every day.

Extra Credit Practice Sessions: You can receive +.5% extra credit per week for having hour long practice sessions. In order to receive credit, you must meet with one other person from your class and play together for one hour. It is important that you spend this time working on your rhythmic relationships. I encourage you to mindfully begin and end your session. For example, you could start by having each person state their goals and intentions for the session. In addition you might take a few moments to silently relax, quiet your mind, and sit comfortably together. You must also have each member sign-in on a page that states the date and time of your meeting. Finally, you must turn this paper in to me no later than the week following your practice session

What if I'm really, really, shy? Then you will be working with this "edge." The class is a supportive safe place for you to experiment with being seen and heard.

Email and Office Hours

I enthusiastically encourage you to come see me at my office. It's not a burden- it's my job, and I love my job. If you cannot see me at the posted office hours, we can work to make an appointment at a mutually convenient time. While I appreciate that certain thoughts are best conveyed in writing, please do not use email in place of coming to talk with me. Email is a poor substitute for a conversation.

Course Guidelines and Rules:

• Please recognize that academic standards are not relaxed for the many students with extensive family, work, and other personal obligations. Such situations are typical of CCSN students and it is expected that you will take such constraints into account when planning your course load and budgeting your time over the semester. I have tried to construct a course that is as efficient as possible in the use of your time and resources.

• Except under circumstances of extreme documented emergency and hardship, no incomplete grades will be given for the course.

• Be careful not to plan travel, hospital stay, and major events during finals week- you will not be excused early. Please don't ask.

• If you will need signatures verifying your grade during the semester, you must inform me of this, in writing (email is good), at least two days before you bring the form for me to sign. I have to have the opportunity to look up your grade.

• Behavior that is disruptive to the class or disrespectful to others will not be tolerated. Such behaviors will be dealt with in conjunction with the CCSN and the UCCSN code of rules and regulations. You will not be permitted to remain in class if you are disruptive to myself or others. Examples of disruptive behaviors include, but are not limited to: sleeping in class, regularly getting up to leave class to use the restroom or for other business (please take care of these things before class), using or looking at cellphones, doing other coursework in this class, using hateful/derrogatory speech, character aspersions, interrupting the instructor or other students, dominating class discussions, etc... If you are engaged in one of these behaviors, I may ask you, during class in front of everyone, to stop them. I may also wait to discuss them with you after class. If the behaviors continue after you have been asked, you will be directed to leave the class. If the behaviors persist in subsequent classes, you will not be permitted to remain in the course.
  • Note: These guidelines are designed to ensure the safety and freedom to express and explore dissenting and opposing opinions in the classroom.

• Academic Honesty: What do you have that is more precious than your honor and your integrity? Please respect yourself, your peers, and my commitment to give you the best educational environment that I can, by helping to make this classroom a safe, honest, oasis in the desert.
  • Plagiarism will not be tolerated. If you use someone else's work without properly citing it as supporting evidence, you will receive an "F" for the course. I may also turn to the CCSN administration for further disciplinary action. Expulsion from the College is one potential consequence of Plagiarism. Plagiarism is much easier to recognize than one might expect. The technologies that are used to assist cheaters are also used to catch them. You are responsible for understanding the meaning of plagiarism. You can learn more about plagiarism at this link.  Learn about proper citations at this link.

• If for any reason, you wish to drop this class, you must officially withdraw through the office of admissions and records. You will earn an "F" grade for this class if you remain registered, but have not attended and completed tests and assignments. Do not assume you that you will be withdrawn; the responsibility to stay or withdraw is yours.

• Absolutely no pagers, cell-phones, or other wireless communications devices in class. If your electronic device does disturb the class (go off), you may be asked to leave class and will not be allowed to reenter for the remainder of the period.

• Films, videos, slide lectures, and readings may depict explicit nudity, sex, sexuality, violence, and coarse language. Viewer Discretion Is Advised!!! If you are uncomfortable with this kind of material you may not want to take this course. In addition, it is your responsibility to temporarily excuse yourself from the classroom if a particular visual scene or discussion becomes harmful to your wellbeing. Please know and respect your own limits and boundaries so that you stay healthy and safe as we examine difficult or troubling issues.

Students with Disabilities:

If you have a documented disability that may require assistance, please contact the Disability Resources Center (DRC) located in the Student Services area of each campus.

If you are having difficulty with this or any other course, please consider:

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