MUL 132I - An Introduction to Drumming with a Focus on the Music of the African Diaspora, 2 credit hours

This course introduces students to technically safe drumming techniques with hands and sticks and explores their application to the music of West Africa, Cuba, Brazil, and the United States. Students will have the opportunity to learn traditional music and have the option of studying traditional dance as well. Each unit will be presented in its cultural context as a product of the complex legacy of slavery, colonialism, and the mixing of the global cultures. Students will perform parts to pieces, identify important elements of traditional elements of Afro-centric music, and understand their manifestation in modern American life.