Nick Page, editor
What is the purpose of the Choral Family Newsletter?
• to transcend the goal of musical excellence---to go beyond performance values to ask how our music can heal the problems of the world. To promote the simple thought that when we sing, we make the world a more beautiful place and that when we sing with the purpose of bringing people together and breaking down the prejudices that keep us apart, we create a powerful healing harmony.
• to promote the concept of diversity within the choral field---both the diversity of choral styles and philosophies and the diversity of those who make this music, male/female, professional/novice, people of all ages, faiths, races, and cultures. The worlds many singing traditions should not be split into categories of traditional verses multicultural. Instead they should be seen as a whole---all music fits within the multicultural framework.
• to promote the simple act of group singing, recognizing that singing has been an integral part of our evolution and that each culture of the world helps to define itself through its songs---also recognizing that if we do not preserve the music of our world's cultures, both classical and folk, this music may disappear---replaced by music of the global mass market.

Table of Contents:

Rethinking Multicultural Authenticity (new 1/06)

Four Simple Guidelines for Audience Participation (new 2/04)
The Cultural Connection
Standards Of Excellence
Benefits Of Music On Overall Education (new 1/03)
Some Points On Singing The Music Of Many Cultures With Children
All Music Is Multicultural
CASA/Zamir/GMWA
Diary Of A Multiculturalist
Composing From A Cultural Perspective
Thoughts on Anti-Racism
The Urban Harmony Movement
Expanded Consciousness

RETHINKING MULTICULTURAL AUTHENTICITY by Nick Page 1/06

In 1994 I wrote an article called ALL MUSIC IS MULTICULTURAL (see below). It was written in reaction to the prevailing belief at the time that multicultural music was outside the sphere of traditional programming. Since then, the majority of choral concerts have become multicultural. Often, however, much of it sounds similar regardless of the culture it represents. Unconventional meters become 4/4. Nasal and other nontraditional vocal timbres become traditional, though still beautiful timbres. Standardized piano parts replace a world of instruments. These pieces can still be quite wonderful, but we should be honest about where they lie in the multicultural spectrum.

If I were writing the same article now I would call it ALL MUSIC IS CULTURAL AND MULTICULTURAL. Each culture helps to shape itsı musical traditions. All music is cultural. The biggest differences between a Bach motet and a country Gospel piece are going to be cultural, not musical.

The word "multicultural" means more than one culture. If we perform Zulu prayers along with Bach motets, then our concert will be multicultural, representing more than one culture. If, on the other hand, we perform a concert of only Zulu prayers, the concert itself will be cultural, but not multicultural. Obviously, the same would be true of an all-Bach program.

If a single piece of music arises from one culture, it is said to be authentic. Authenticity, in itıs purest form, is a culture making itıs own music in itıs own place and time. But authenticity, in itsı most corrupted form, is a culture singing the music of another culture with no knowledge or respect of or for that culture. When we teach a piece of music from a culture other than our own, we naturally aspire to be as authentic as we can be which means getting the right sound and teaching as much as we can about the songıs culture: telling itıs stories and respecting itıs traditions.

If a single piece of music uses styles of music from more than one culture, then that single piece is multicultural. Debussy, Stravinsky, Copland, Bernstein and living composers like Glass and Bolton have fused classical traditions with jazz, Latin American, raga, West African drumming and endless popular music styles. More and more of todayıs choral composers (myself included) revel in combining cultural elements. "Hope For Resolution" by Caldwell/Ivory is a popular example. It combines the Gregorian chant "Of the Fatherıs Love" with the Zulu prayer, "Thula Sizwe." adding a piano part reminiscent of old time Black Gospel music. "Of the Fatherıs Love" and "Thula Sizwe" are each cultural compositions. "Hope For Resolution" is a multicultural arrangement of the two. In my choral compositions I have used cultural styles ranging from jazz, raga, bluegrass, Gospel, Celtic, salsa, to Baroque. For me, the cultural palette is one of the five palettes every composer draws from (whether consciously or unconsciously). These are the musical palette, the physical and emotional palettes, the cultural palette and finally the spiritual palette (see my website essay "Composing from a Cultural Perspective").

In defining multicultural music, it is essential to distinguish between authentic music and music that "borrows" from other cultures. I have heard pieces that sounded Zulu, but were actually written in the United States by composers with a great love of South African music. World Music Press (www.worldmusicpress.com) publishes my transcription of the South African anthem NıKOSI SIKELıI AFRIKA as sung by Joseph Shabalala and his group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. I spent two weeks studying with Joseph, transcribing his music. I sat down with him and sang each part of NıKOSI from beginning to end to get his comments and changes, both to the pronunciation and the pitches. The published octavo, with extensive performance notes and historical information, is as close as I could get to an octavo representing authenticity. Boosey & Hawkes publishes SHOUT THE PRAISE, a composition of mine inspired by Psalm 150 that fuses Gospel forms and salsa rhythms. It is a fusion of cultures that is authentic only in itsı sincere and exuberant emotions.

There is, of course, a whole spectrum of gray areas between the world of authentic performances and the world of cultural fusions. One could argue that a concert of Zulu music celebrating eighty years of Zulu culture from traditional to sacred to pop represented many sub-cultures within the Zulu culture and was therefore a multicultural concert. In the same way a concert spanning J. S. Bachıs long career and many styles could also be considered multicultural since he absorbed French, English, Italian, and other cultural styles during his lifetime and the environments he composed in were each quite unique.

We come here to a seldom-discussed aspect of multiculturalism, that the authentic music of every culture is actually a fusion of other cultural traditions. And this brings us back to the title ALL MUSIC IS MULTICULTURAL. Few cultures over the course of humanity have existed in isolation from outside cultures. Their music evolves because cultures interact with other cultures, continually creating something new. For example, traditional South African Mbube singing owes as much to European hymnody as it does to traditional chant. The same is true of Polynesian Gospel music and other regions of the globe where European traditions have been assimilated into the cultures.

"Assimilation" is a broad term that can refer to the people of one culture choosing to absorb another culture or it can refer to a culture being forced to strip itself of itsı own culture in order to conform to a mass (often oppressive) culture. Whether intentionally or simply through "osmosis," the music of every culture from classical to folk to pop is a merger of many cultural styles that took place over many generations. It could be argued therefore that every individual piece from a Bach motet to a Zulu prayer is, in itself, multicultural. The songs of every culture are like living things; the songs evolve. Authenticity may simply represent snapshots in time. We focus on one timeframe within the evolution of a choral piece and we honor that momentıs authenticity.

Here are four recommendations: If you are a composer, donıt trivialize a culture by insulting itıs traditions. It may be clever to have "Go Down Moses" sung in the showchoir style, but it is ultimately disrespectful of the spiritual tradition.

Distinguish between authentic and fusion performances. If your aim is to be authentic, teach the authentic intonation (not always with traditional western tuning), teach the right timbres and most important, teach the stories that give power to the music. If you want to sing the authentic music of another culture, but you donıt want to change your timbre, intonation or other traditional western ways of singing, be honest. The honesty comes in the simple admission that the music being performed represents another culture as sung by your choir. Elements of both cultures will be present.

If, on the other hand, your aim is to celebrate the intentional fusion of cultures, you also need to be honest. There is great beauty in the mixture of cultures. I have heard Bulgarian choirs singing with West African drummers, bluegrass bands playing with jazz bands, and the "Soulful Celebration" fusion of Black Gospel with Handelıs Messiah. Each of these fusions honors the cultures from which they evolved.

In time, each of these fusions will become old traditions in themselves and future performers will spend hours and hours discussing the correct authentic performance practices - which snapshot in time to honor. Hopefully, they will make the music their own, which is what we all do to keep the music alive. The music will live on as the living changing spirit that all music is.

FOUR SIMPLE GUIDELINES FOR AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION İ
from Sing And Shine On! by Nick Page (www.worldmusicpress.com)

Guideline One: Make every group sound fantastic
The "Break The Ice" Technique - Bring volunteers up front Purpose: To make singing (and emotions) acceptable
The Smiles and the Frowns Technique ­ Sing a song using different facial expressions Purpose: To bring out the emotions (and the importance of emotions)
The Marshmallows in the Mouth Technique ­ followed by making voice into a drum Purpose: To produce percussive dynamic singing
The Echo Technique ­ have an audience echo exactly what you do Purpose: To produce dynamic listening & focus IMPORTANT: Donıt DUMB DOWN
The "Nick Page No Fault Harmony" Technique ­ sing a pitch until it doesn't sound good anymore, then find a new pitch. Purpose: To create harmony and wonder
The "Own The Song" Technique ­ With folk music, make respectful changes Purpose: To create firsthand experiences ­ to create greater empathy for song

The "We Can All Sing In Tune" Technique
Sing songs that are easy to sing in tune (na na na na na)
Sing in head voice (echo high head voice speech)
Inner Hearing (If you can hear a pitch, then you can sing it)
Green Light/Red Light (Green: sing, Red: hear inside, but don't sing)
Dynamic listening ­ donıt assume they can't sing in tune ­ make them listen
Give the starting pitch before starting ­ make them listen again
The wind-up technique ­ (from Rodney Eichenberger) wind-up gliss to pitch
Sing Soft ­ make them listen
Use the Oo vowel ­ many who are off-pitch hear the harmonics (3rd, 5th) created by "Ah, Oh" vowels. The Oo vowel creates the octave harmonic
Sing a cappella (no instruments) ­ make them listen
Encourage solo singing (lots of pressure) Have singers sing pitch or phrase 1 at time
Create a positive vocal model, either yours or that of someone else
Once they are singing in tune, advance to singing rounds & partner songs
Good Posture, Good Breathing (lots of support)
Right ear/right hand ­ If you are right handed, then your right ear is dominant
With untrained Changing Male Voice, keep the notes in cambiata range
Percussive singing (as opposed to passive singing) (sing a lot of percussive songs)
Emotional singing (as opposed to "blah")
Smile & and expect Great Things. Alice Parker says "You get what you ask for."

Guideline Two: Create Confidence Then Transcend to Awe

Guideline Three: Teach songs as if you were teaching them to yourself
Mind, Repetition, Hands, Body, Repetition, Emotions, Stories, & Repetition

Guideline Four: Honor Cultural Traditions
Tell the Story (Create Empathy)
Be Sensitive to Cultural Differences
Be authentic, but also be yourself

For more info on these guidelines, see Nick's book SING AND SHINE ON
www.worldmusicpress.com

The Cultural Connection NEW 11/00
by Nick Page
10/1/00

This essay was written for the March, 2001 issue of the Choral Journal, published by ACDA, the American Choral Directors Association. This web version has extra sections including a list of recommendations. There are endnotes at the end of the essay.

Multiculturalism asks us to look at music and culture from many perspectives instead of just one. With the single cultural perspective we assume that a) everyone believes as we do and that b) we can use the same performance practices and performance standards for all music. With the multicultural perspective we see that a) there are many cultural beliefs and b) there are many performance practices and performance standards. This diversity enriches our lives(1). broadens our understanding of the world we live in, and deepens our appreciation for the music of our own cultures.

Music helps to define who we are. Music helps create our communal self-identity. Our musical likes and dislikes are defined primarily by what culture we identify with. The reason some people dislike classical music may not be because they dislike the music itself. It may be because they don't identify with the culture of classical music. The same can be said of someone's dislike of country music, or rap music, or any other kind of music. Perhaps they don't relate to the culture, not the music.

Because culture is such an important part of all music, it is essential that we see all music from both a cultural perspective and a musicological perspective. The differences between a Drum Gahu chant from West Africa and a Gregorian chant from Europe will be primarily cultural (2). Looking at music from a cultural perspective also effects our performance practices. In addition to helping us create cultural identities, music helps us outwardly express these identities. The standards of excellence for each culture will be different. We cannot use our own cultural standards to shape or judge the standards of another culture. The standards of excellence for a Gospel performance will be different from the standards of excellence for a Renaissance performance. We all want the highest possible standards in whatever we do. To do this, we must understand the relationships between music and culture.

E t h n o m u s i c o l o g y

The study of this relationship is called ethnomusicology. Ethnomusicologists spend many years studying the music of a particular culture. They live with the people they are studying, learn their languages, their customs, and their mythology. Ethnomusicologists fully acknowledge that no matter how hard they try, they can never fully understand the music of another culture (3). Most ethnomusicologists also live in the culture of academia where they publish papers on their fields of interest (4) . Modern ethnomusicology has come to look at all music, not just the cultures from outside the European canon. They use the same tools to examine the culture of Gregorian Chant (5)as they do the culture of Drum Gahu rituals(6). Modern ethnomusicology has also expanded to embrace the new field of biomusicology (7), the study of humanity's common genetic propensity to need and make music.

H o n o r i n g O u r D i f f e r e n c e s

Singing is universal, but our reasons for singing are not. Within the Western music canon, we sing primarily for performance and for worship, two very different reasons. But there are many other reasons for singing. For many cultures, music is a living force. A West African musician might sing as a blacksmith forges a tool. Without the singing, they believe, the tool would have no strength. The music, for them, has power. For many cultures singing is used for diagnosing and healing illnesses. Through the use of dance and chant, many cultures use singing as a means of spiritual transformation reaching altered states of consciousness. Many cultures use singing to make powerful connections, connections to their bodies through a variety of toning practices and connections to their ancestral pasts through ancient rituals. For many cultures singing is not performing at all. For them, music is an act of compassion. By singing, they make the world a more beautiful place. Music becomes an act of sharing. There is no audience for this act of compassion. Everyone participates. For us, understanding these radical differences and teaching and celebrating them makes all the difference in the world.

The more we learn about the differences, the more we learn about the uniqueness of our own cultures. The great violinist, Yehudi Menuhin, studied and performed the classical raga traditions of Northern India as well as jazz and other traditions(8). It helped him appreciate with fresh eyes the beauty of Bach's music. In the 1960's, ethnomusicologist, Mantle Hood (9) recommended that every conservatory student study and become proficient in the music of two cultures. He called this bi-musicality. The first culture would be their own culture and instrument of choice (including voice, of course.) The second tradition would be that of another culture. When we broaden our perspectives in this way our musicality improves. We become more open minded about exploring different ways of creating beauty and as a result all the music we create, including the music of our own cultures, becomes more beautiful.

The major differences:

1) Not all cultures have performance traditions with divisions between the audience and the performer.

2)Likewise, for many cultures there is no division between the talented and the untalented. Charlotte J. Frisbie writes, "In the Navaho world anyone can sing and all are encouraged to learn songs. . . Not knowing any songs or not having the ability to create them is equated with poverty." (10)

3) We tend to think of singing as either being monophonic, homophonic, or polyphonic. Consider this quote by Hewitt Pantaleoni, "Most of the world's harmony is heterophonic. Our Western tradition of precise unisons and carefully planned counterpoint is, in the broad view, peculiar."(11) A simple definition of heterphony is when everyone sings the same melody differently at the same time. You hear it in Celtic, Native American, Asian, African, and most of the world's folk traditions. The best known example of the heterophonic texture is in American Dixieland Jazz. So if we listen to the heterophonic textures from one of the cultures listed above and we think to ourselves, "Why can't they get it right?," then we are using our own cultural standards to measure the standards of another culture.

4) Most cultures learn songs by rote instead of from the written page.

5) There are other vocal timbres besides bel canto.

F o u r C o n t r o v e r s i e s

The most controversial issues in multiculturalism arise when we view music from only one cultural perspective. Let's use the Christmas/Hanukkah debate in schools as an example. If we make the assumption that our public schools are Christian, then singing Christmas carols would be a natural expression of that faith. But our public schools are not Christian nor any other religion. When asked about his perspective on carols, Joshua Jacobson, director of Boston's Zamir Chorale, replied, "Try to get into the mindset of someone growing up (in the 1950s) as part of a minority culture/religion. For many Jews it was difficult to maintain customs, traditions and religion in the face of an overwhelmingly pervasive Christian-based culture. Christmas was a particularly challenging time for us. I still do not feel comfortable singing these songs in a social/religious context."(12)

If the first Jewish song we do during the school year is a Hanukkah song that we program to balance Christmas carols, then we are doing Jewish music only to be politically correct and we are still in the mindset that our public schools are Christian with everything else being under the category of "other." If, on the other hand, we are teaching Jewish songs and traditions from the beginning of the school year and throughout the school year, then we are doing what is called "inclusion." We are honoring many traditions. When we become inclusive in our thinking, much of the controversy will be eliminated(13). If we know where to look, there is a huge amount of Jewish music available - from a great diversity of folk and pop traditions (14) to great choral masterpieces (15) and contemporary arrangements and compositions (16). Attend (as this non-Jewish author has) the North American Jewish Choral Festival (17). You will be inspired by this rich, diverse and often ignored choral tradition. Do Jewish music because it is powerful and meaningful and beautiful.

Do we have to eliminate religious music? Certainly not. This brings up the second controversy of multiculturalism, the issue of religious music in the schools. There are many arguments both pro and con. The United States Constitution guarantees a separation of church and state. Some say this means that we cannot and should not teach religions in public schools. Others argue that because we celebrate religious freedom, religion belongs in all aspect of public life. From a multicultural perspective, both of these arguments need to be listened to, but in a way that does not exclude anyone. If you are examining any culture and you remove the religious and/or spiritual practices, you have taken away both the core and the roots of that culture. What remains is an empty shell. What you are doing, in effect, is sanitizing that culture in order to fit it into another cultural framework. When you present music from a cultural framework, the religious beliefs of that culture are part of its' story - part of what makes that music powerful. To ignore this power is to ignore the richness of multiculturalism. For example, if you were teaching the South African song "Siyahamba" (18) with the words, "We are marching in the light of God," you could say, "Black South Africans, who sang this song of protest at marches during the apartheid years, had a firm religious conviction that God would set them free. Theologians call this Liberation Theology. This faith was very much a part of their singing." By telling this story, you would be honoring the soul of a culture.

The challenge for teachers is to understand the differences between proselytizing and teaching. We must enrich the lives of students without preaching to them. Even something as innocent as having our students perform at places of worship should be avoided as it gives the message that there is a link between the place of worship and their school.

There are major exceptions to the above statements. These topics wouldn't be controversial if there weren't. This is where the third controversy comes in. Because we want to honor cultural beliefs, we must sometimes not sing certain songs from some cultures. Ethnomusicologist David P. McAllester speaks of how many Native American cultures have songs that belong only to their sacred time and sacred space. Speaking of a song from a Navaho ritual he writes, "An uninitiated person might use one of these songs improperly, through ignorance, and cause great harm to the community, or worse yet, rob the song of its potency." (19) To sing a song from a Navaho Nightway Ritual in a school or church would be inappropriate. The Navahos have a wonderful phrase, "to walk in beauty." It means to live in harmony with all things. Sometimes honoring these beliefs means not singing certain songs. This does not mean that we shouldnıt sing Navaho songs. There are certainly many appropriate Indian songs for schools. (20) The reason we get into trouble is that in our mass culture there are religious songs that we sing on bus rides, in the shower or wherever we want. When we make the assumption that all sacred songs can be sung on a bus or in the shower, we are applying our own cultural values onto the values of another culture. None of us would ever perform communion at a public school simply because we already know better. In the same way, once we become sensitive to cultural differences we learn more of these doıs and donıts. Can we ever know all we need to know? Probably not. But that shouldnıt stop us from trying.

A u t h e n t i c i t y

The fourth controversy regards authenticity. There are those who are completely uninformed, giving performances of music that has little resemblance to its original source. On the opposite extreme are those who say that if we can't be one hundred percent authentic in performing the music of a culture, then we shouldn't do it. Neither model will do. Uninformed performances perpetuate false stereotypes while purist ideologies scare most of us away and keep great music from being celebrated.

A. J. Palmer, in a 1992 article for the International Journal of Music Education (21), spoke of a spectrum of authenticity. Complete authenticity can only be achieved by the original culture in the original setting. As soon as people from outside the original culture perform an arranged setting of a song from that culture, several degrees of authenticity are lost. A Zulu a cappella group in South Africa singing Solomon Linda's 1939 song "Mbube," would be completely authentic. An American rock group singing the same song in doo-wop style with the American words "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" would be less authentic (22). A school chorus singing the same song and thinking that it's a Walt Disney song would be even less authentic. Do we despair that we can never get it right? No. This is where the beauty of multiculturalism comes in.

Since the beginning of humanity, cultures have been mixing it up with other cultures. When American children sing South African music something new and beautiful is created, a music with elements of both cultures. When Debussey incorporated the gamelan music of Indonesia in his compositions, something new was created. Jazz and rock & roll and rap and all other contemporary styles of music were created when cultures borrowed musical traditions from other cultures. In the end, it isnıt about being completely authentic, but rather being completely honest - acknowledging that our own culture will always be present when we perform the music of other cultures - and acknowledging that this new merger of two worlds, when done right, can be both beautiful and powerful. Yes, we should strive for the highest standards in authenticity. Mary Goetze, at Indiana University, is developing CD ROMs, the first of which features South African singers giving word by word pronunciation guides and dance instructions. These CD ROMs foster a high level of authenticity in that they require us to learn the music by rote as opposed to learning the music from the written page (23).

Remember that the music of each culture helps to define that culture. In performing the music of each culture it is essential that we tell the stories - the stories that help define each culture. It is the stories - the cultural traditions - that give power to the music. Singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" can be fun, but singing it with an understanding of the many traditions behind the music can be far more powerful (24). It would also be far more respectful of that culture. We show respect to a culture when we tell its' stories and make these stories live in our hearts. We also show respect by being honest to who we are. If a chorus from outside the Gospel tradition performed rehearsed shouts of "Amen! Preach it brother!," it might appear authentic, but in reality it would be disrespectful of the Gospel tradition. It would be an authenticity based on mimicry rather than an authenticity based on the honoring of a proud culture.

This author heard a chorus from Russia perform at an American school - beautiful Russian liturgical and folk music with low resonant bass tones. At the end of the concert, the conductor honored the audience with an American song. With the different dialects and the Russian accompaniment, it took the audience a few moments to realize, with delight, that the Russians were singing "I'll Be Working On The Railroad." Was it an authentic performance? Not at all. Was the American audience honored that the Russian chorus was singing it? Completely. It was done with complete respect and it was honest.

"I'll Be Working On The Railroad" is a folksong. When folksongs receive classical arrangements and are sung by classically trained choral groups, they become just as much classical as folk - beautiful museum pieces, unchanging, but with the folk roots still showing. When folk songs are allowed to change, with new words, new harmonies, new instrumentation, and new melodic flourishes, they come to life. The present is joined with the past. The Russian Chorus was honoring this folk tradition by singing the folk song in their own way. They were making an American song their own.

The excitement of multiculturalism comes from both the purity of each cultural expression and the diverse mixtures of cultural expressions. When composer Bonia Shur (25) was asked to compose a piece of reconciliation between conflicting Black and Jewish groups in Cincinnati, he created a piece called "Amen/Ose Shalom" that combined a traditional Hebrew prayer for peace and the familiar African American "Amen." The power of the piece comes from the merger of two cultures, creating something of both worlds that is also quite new. Nick Spitzer, the host of a radio show that has no cultural boundaries admits, "I'm not a multiculturalistŠ I'm drawn to the bounderies where cultures meet and overlap and simmer together." (26)

Because of this constant change, it is sometimes difficult to know what is authentic and what is new. Robert Garfias, in an article for MENC, gave examples of court musicians from Japan who could trace their teachers back to the eighth century. They firmly believed that the music they were making was exactly the same as it was a thousand years ago. He writes, "Yet when some years ago I played recordings that had been made in the 1920's for some of the younger musicians they had great difficulty accepting the knowledge that these recordings had been made by their own grandfathers and great-grandfathers - so greatly had the style changed in a few years." (27) We need to see authenticity in both the older pure traditions as well as in the newer expressions that are born of cultural mergers and change.

R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s

1) Tell the stories. Every song has a thousand stories behind it. The story can simply be a translation of the text or a description of the hidden wonders within the text. The story can speak of how a song relates to its culture or historical period. It can describe how the culture behind the song makes music powerful in its own way. The stories can also be personal - how a song effects us or has played a part in our lives. Singing is an expression of emotions. When we attach these stories to our music, we form emotional connections both to the songs and to the cultures from which the songs arise. More and more publishers are providing cultural information printed within their octavos. They can still provide more information. Even the simplest songs have stories. "Twinkle Twinkle" was once "Ah! Vous dirai-je, Maman," a French childrenıs song Mozart used for a set of variations (28). We should tell these stories in rehearsals, in performances, and yes, in worship. We should turn to our singers and our audiences and ask, "Does anyone have a story related to this song?" The results can be amazing. Without these stories and our emotional reactions to the stories, music would be nothing more than pretty sounds.

2) Honor Cultures. Singing the appropriate music of another culture honors that culture. Singing it well with our best pronunciation and inflections honors them more. The biggest honor is when we make the music come alive by telling the stories and then feeling at least some of what that culture feels when they sing the piece. When this is done honestly, without any pretentious imitation, something wonderful happens - a connection is made between two cultures that enriches both cultures. The flip side of this is obvious. Don't show any disrespect to a culture. As with the Navaho chant mentioned before, find out what music is appropriate to do and what is not. Respect cultural and religious traditions. For example, be sensitive to the use of the Hebrew name of God. It is used only in worship, and then only once (29). If you are doing a piece that uses this Holy word, be sensitive to its' use. You can use the word "Adomai" instead - with the letter "m" replacing the letter "n." Joshua Jacobson, director of Boston's Zamir Chorale writes, "In Zamir we generally will sing 'Adonai' in a sacred text. Of course, if an individual member is more strictly observant, he/she could sing 'Adomai' while the rest of the choir is singing 'Adonai' and the sound would not be discernibly altered. The only time we will consistently use 'Adomai' is when we are chanting a blessing (the formula, 'Barukh Attah Adomai . . .') which is intended for a specific liturgical use only. For example, the blessing over the Friday night wine -- as in Kurt Weill's wonderful 'Kiddush' -- would be inappropriate for a Sunday afternoon concert where no wine is being blessed or consumed."(30) With African American Spirituals, be careful not to change the words to fit your gender preference. Changing words like "Lord" and "Father" is disrespectful to a proud tradition. You cannot change another cultures' beliefs to conform with your own. Likewise, we shouldn't sing a Spiritual as if it were a show stopper for a show choir. These arrangements are out there and they are disrespectful.

3) Don't assume that your beliefs are everyone's beliefs. This pertains particularly to the Christmas/ Hanukkah debate discussed earlier.

4) Do Your Research. Just as we would learn what we could about a piece by Bach or Bloch, we should learn what we could about the cultures of all the pieces we are doing. Don't tackle the whole world at once. Start by programming one song from a culture that excites you and learn what you can about that culture. The 1988 Groves (31) is a good place to start our research. It has detailed information on thousands of world cultures written by leading ethnomusicologists. World Music Press (32) and World Music at West (33) are also great resources.

5) Explore vocal timbres beyond bel canto. Eastern European folk music doesn't sound the same when it's sung like Puccini. America Shape Note singing loses its rough diamond brilliance when sung overly polished. Black Gospel can sound mushy unless it is sung, as Horace Boyer suggests, with a percussive edge, like hitting a drum with our voices. Exploring vocal timbres should be done intelligently so no harm is ever done to the voice.

6) Explore the oral traditions. In most cultures, music is learned by rote. This includes the classical music traditions of places like West Africa, but pertains primarily to the world's folk traditions. Songbooks (35) and recordings are simple resources for simple songs to teach by rote (36). Ysaye Barnwell, of the group Sweet Honey In The Rock, made a collection of tapes for learning African American choral traditions (37). She refuses to write the songs down as she wants to keep them in the oral tradition. Teaching by rote doesn't mean we have to dumb down. Sometimes simplicity is measured in humility - by letting go of such things as the written music, a pre-arranged harmony, and even a conductor (blasphemy!), we open ourselves to tremendous power.

7) Move.

8) Become proficient in the music of one culture outside of your own. As Mantle Hood suggested forty years ago, bi-musicality, becoming proficient in the music of two cultures, increases our overall musicianship and opens our eyes to different ways of perceiving beauty.

9) Become a folky. In classical music, the notes are written down. We're not allowed to change them. Why would we? With folk music, the songs change from performer to performer and from performance to performance. If we sing "This Little Light of Mine" exactly as it is written in a song collection, it will sound stiff and lifeless (38). We give it life when we respectfully add our own touches to it. Change the key. Change the rhythm. Add new words (with respect.) We fall into a similar trap with recorded music. We hear a recording of a folk song and our classical mindset incorrectly assumes that that recording is the only way to sing the song. Make appropriate changes. Gospel music doesn't quite fit into the folk realm, but in order to lead Gospel music we must get off the page, which is only a blueprint to begin with, and we must fly with it (39).

10) Become a song leader (40). In many world cultures there is no division between performers and audience. Everyone sings, plays or dances along. The South African song "Siyahamba," when sung in English is easy enough for any audience to learn (41). They donıt have to sing it in harmony (although if you asked them to, they would.) Expect great things of your audience. Alice Parker teaches us that you get what you ask for (42). Ask for a lot. Have the audience join in singing and even dancing a Chassidic niggun (a wordless prayer of great passion.)(43) Tony Leach, from Penn State, recommends programming two spirituals together. The first could be one of the many respectfully arranged spirituals. For the second, invite the audience to join in on a familiar spiritual. Both versions would be completely authentic, but the second would feel wonderful. Professor Leach, speaking of the African American Spiritual, says, "In its' simplicity is great elegance."

11) Memorize. Holding sheets of music while doing a Yuroba chant removes several shades of authenticity.

12) Invite Guests. When learning the music, invite guests from the cultures you are celebrating to help with pronunciation, inflection, and meaning. For your performances, go out of your way to bring in Gospel pianists, Klezmer clarinetists, or Celtic uillieann pipes players. The energy they will bring to their respective cultures will amaze you and the singing will change dramatically.

I saw a marvelous music celebration done by The Christmas Revels, the Boston-based organization (www.revels.org). In the show, they weaved themes from both the African American and Appalachian worlds in a sensitive and powerful way. I asked George Emlen, their music director about how they did this. He said, "When we do music of different cultures, we get a 'tradition bearer' on board to act as a cultural guide and steer us through the minefields. One of our guests for the Christmas show, Janice Allen (an African American singer/teacher in Boston), told us that it was okay to sing spirituals as long as we established the context (i.e., 'the African people were stolen from their homes and brought to America') and then always remember to portray how they prevailed over these appalling circumstances. In the case of the upcoming spring show with its theme of the European immigrants, we have Brian O'Donovan in the cast to make sure we don't portray Irish immigrants crassly. As it turns out, he is very open to the Irish American genre, including the music hall-type songs popular at the turn of the 20th century. I have also been in touch with Hankus Netsky, director of the Klezmer Conservatory Band, as well as Josh Jacobson, about appropriate Yiddish material. I try to do the right thing when I explore the music of other people's cultures. People in my choruses tend to be very supportive and are constantly offering new songs, versions of songs, alternate translations, etc., and I have come to value these contributions."

13) Support the full spectrum of the choral arts. We must not become overly political with traditionalists fighting multiculturalists. The only victor in this struggle would be the global mass marketplace. From a cultural perspective, both the traditional classical choral arts and the choral arts of world cultures are threatened by a Top 10 mentality where anything that doesn't sell mass volumes isn't worth preserving. Preserve singing in all of its diverse and glorious voices.

14) Become a preservationist. Global assimilation is causing many cultures to become extinct. We are losing great beauty. Third generation Cambodian-Americans tend to want only music of their American popular culture. If we were to honor our Cambodian (44) students by doing Cambodian music, we would be validating their cultural roots. They might be less inclined to discard their roots if their schools were environments where traditions were honored and not ignored.

15) Go beyond the politics of multiculturalism. The conservative in all of us wants to bring back the good old days. The liberal in all of us wants to eliminate the injustices of the good old days. The good old days of choruses singing great choral music is not threatened by multiculturalism. Multiculturalism simply offers multiple perspectives, all of which bring great depth to our music.

16) Absorb the soul of the music. The great ethnomusicologist, John Blacking, wrote, "The ultimate aim in dancing is to be able to move without thinking, to be danced."(45) We could paraphrase that to become, "The ultimate aim in singing is to be able to sing without thinking, to be sung."

17) Forgive Yourself. If you have made any of the mistakes mentioned in this article, join the club. Itıs all a wonderful learning experience. Learn from your mistakes and move on.

None of these recommendations will work unless we are able to view music from many cultural perspectives instead of one. We are humans and as such are genetically predisposed to find comfort in the familiarities of our families and cultures. We are often threatened by the unfamiliar. When we gain familiarity, the threat goes away. We go from being many small tribes to being a rather large tribe that goes by the name "humanity." The multicultural perspective embraces humanity and all the glorious diversity of human expression.

endnotes

1 "Diversity is crucial to nature, yet we humans seem desperately eager to eliminate it, in nature and in one another. This is one of the greatest mistakes we are making. We reduce complex ecosystems to one-crop 'economies,' and we do everything in our power to persuade or force others to adopt our languages, our customs, our social structures, instead of respecting theirs. Both practices impoverish and weaken us within the Gaian system." (Gaian system refers to the earth's ecosystem) Dr. Elisabet Sahtouris, Gaia, The Human Journey From Chaos to Cosmos, NY: Pocket Books, 1989. p. 27

2 Consider this quote: "(In China) Sound as a natural phenomenon was perceived to be central to many ritual processes....Accurate aural perception was of paramount importance in man's perception of the world around him. . . Understanding sound and music was the key to understanding numerous other aspects of man and nature." (He goes on to say that in ancient China, a sage was one who listened well as opposed to the ancient Greek definition of someone with great vision.) Kenneth J. DeWoskin, A Song For One Or Two, Music and the Concept of Art in Early China, Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan, 1982. p.4

3 "The African musician has felt the drums while in his mother's womb and has been carried on her back as she danced her belief in metaphysical forces and her involvement in community: he has witnessed and participated in many performances throughout his life; and he believes in the powers of reincarnation, the ancestors and the invisible mysteries. We - the unculturated - choose the task of learning a musical tradition which has not been part of our lives, our history, our culture." David Locke, Drum Gahu, A Systematic Method for an African Percussion Piece, Crown Point, IN: White Cliffs Media Company, 1987. p. 128

4 Ethnomusicology, The Society for Ethnomusicology, Inc. Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

5 Peter Jeffery, Re-Envisioning Past Musical Cultures, Ethnomusicology in the Study of Gregorian Chant, Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago press, 1992.

6 David Locke, Drum Gahu, A Systematic Method for an African Percussion Piece, Crown Point, IN: White Cliffs Media Company, 1987.

7 Nils L. Wallin, Björn Merker, and Steven Brown, ed., The Origins of Music, Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. 2000 (A fascinating overview of biomusicality with an emphasis on evolutionary musicology.)

8 Yehudi Menuhin and Curtis W. Davis. 1979. The Music of Man. New York: Simon & Schuster, Inc. (Exciting book and video series.)

9 Mantle Hood, The Ethnomusicologist, Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1982.

10) Charlotte J. Frisbie, "Gender and Navaho Music: Unanswered Questions", Women in North American Indian Music, Richard Keeling ed., Six Essays, Bloomington, IN: The Society for Ethnomusicology, 1989. p. 25

11 Hewitt Pantaleoni, On The Nature of Music, Oneonta, NY: Welkin Books, (28 Watkins Ave. 13820) 1985. p. 109

12 From an e-mail correspondence with Josh Jacobson, director of Bostonıs Zamir Chorale and a frequent contributor to the ACDA CHORAL JOURNAL.

13 We may never be rid of all controversies simply because there is such an emotional connection between music and culture.

14 Tara Publications, 29 Derby Ave. Cedarhurst, NY 11516, 800-827-2400 www.jewishmusic.com (Tara publishes hundreds of song books and recordings representing the great diversity of music within the Jewish tradition. Their catalog is a must!)

15 Transcontinental Music Publications, 838 5th Ave. New York, NY 10021 212-249-0100 www.uahc.org (Octavos and collections of both sacred and secular Jewish music. Note: Most Jewish secular music has elements of the sacred in it due to the nature of the culture.)

16 HaZamir Music Publications, www.zamir.org Distributed by Transcontinental (above) (Music by Joshua Jacobson, David Burger and others.)

17 Zamir Choral Foundation, P.O. Box 109 Planetarium Station, New York, NY 10024 (Every summer, the Zamir Choral Foundation co-hosts a conference on Jewish choral music in the Catskills of New York.)

18 Anders Nyberg, ed. FREEDOM IS COMING, Songs of Protest and Praise from South Africa for Mixed Choir. Chapel Hill, NC: Walton Music Corporation. (Book and tape of SATB songs and chants. Great for grades six and up. With words in Zulu and English. Highly recommended!)

19 David P. McAllester, "North American/Native American", Worlds of Music, An Introduction to the Music of the World's Peoples, Jeff Todd Titon, ed. NY: Schirmer Books, 1984. p. 42

20 Bryon Burton, 1993. Moving Within the Circle: Contemporary Native American Music and Dance. Danbury, CT. World Music Press. (Book and tape. Very teacher-friendly. Highly recommended!)

21 A. J. Palmer "World Musics In Music Education: The Matter of Authenticity" from International Journal of Music Education 19: 32-40 1992 from the book Sound Ways of Knowing, Music in the Interdisciplinary Curriculum by Janet R Barrett, Claire W. McCoy & Kari K. Veblin, New York, NY: Schirmer Books, 1997. pp. 249-250

22 Pete Seeger, 1993. Where Have All the Flowers Gone, A Singer's Stories, Songs, Seeds, Robberies. Bethlehem, PA: Sing Out Corporation. (Pete Seeger brought "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" to World audiences. This autobiography has an interesting section on this song.)

23 Information on Mary Goetz's project Global Voices in Song is on the website www.globalvoicesinsong.com

24 Beats of Resistance (A video on the Pop music of South Africa) from the video/book series Beats of the Heart, Popular Music of the World by Jeremy Marre, and Hannah Charlton. 1985. New York: Pantheon Books.

25 Bonia Shur, 3101 Clifton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45220 (Bonia Shur publishes his own Jewish choral compositions and arrangements. Transcontinental also publishes his music.)

26 Nick Spitzer, quoted by Samuel G. Freedman, New York Times, 8/13/00.

27 Robert Garfias, "Music: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally" from Becoming Human Through Music, The Wesleyan Symposium on the Perspectives of Social Anthropology in the Teaching and learning of Music, Aug 6-10, 1984, Reston, VA: Music Educators National Conference (MENC), 1985. p. 24

28 Don Campbell, The Mozart Effect For Children, NY: William Morrow, 2000. p. 24

29 In an e-mail correspondence, Josh Jacobson wrote, "The holy name of God, the tetragrammaton YHWH (often written out as 'Jehovah') was considered so sacred in ancient Israel that it could be pronounced by only one person (the High Priest), in one place (the innermost room of the central Sanctuary in Jerusalem), once a year (Yom Kippur -- the Day of Atonement). Therefore, Jews generally avoid pronouncing that word, substituting, instead, the euphemism, 'Adonai' which means, 'my Lord.' More observant Jews will even avoid pronouncing that word, and will use a euphemism for a euphemism, usually 'Hashem' ('the Name') or 'Adoshem' (a word which has no meaning, but incorporates elements of both words, 'Adonai' and 'Hashem'). The word 'Adomai' was invented by choral conductors as a substitute which comes closer to the sound of 'Adonai'."

30 From an e-mail correspondence with Josh Jacobson.

31 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Ed. by Stanley Sadie. 1988. London: Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

32 World Music Press, publisher, P.O. Box 2565 Danbury, CT 06813-2565 203-748-1131 fax: 203-748-3432 www.worldmusicpress.com (Judith Cook Tucker publishes excellent song books, tapes, and octavos of music from many cultures. The book/tape sets are well researched and written with the classroom teacher and music specialist in mind. Highly recommended.)

33 World Music at West, Multicultural Music and Arts Catalog, 1208 5th St. Coralville, IA 52241 (800-397-9378) (Distributor of many multicultural music resources.)

34 This authors website has a large resource list on where to get music from around the earth as well as instruments from many cultures. Also on the site are several essays on multicultural issues.

35 José-Luis Orozco, ed. Ill. by Elisa Kleven, De Colores and Other Latin-American Folk Songs for Children, New York, NY: Dutton Children's Books, 1994. (Beautifully illustrated collection.)

36 Peter Blood-Patterson, ed. 1988. Rise Up Singing. Bethlehem, PA: A Sing Out Publication, PO Box 5253, 18015. (The best collection of folk song lyrics around. Tapes available.)

37 Ysaye Barnwell, and George Brandon. 1989. Singing in the African American Tradition, Choral and Congregational Vocal Music. Woodstock, NY: Homespun Tapes, Ltd. (Tapes or CDs with all voice parts. The accompanying book has useful information.)

38 Making changes does not, of course, apply to choral arrangements.

39 Songs of Zion. 1981. Nashville: Abingdon Press. (Manufactured by the Parthenon Press) (A good collection of Gospel pieces, Spirituals, and Hymns from the African American tradition.)

40 Nick Page, Sing and Shine On! The Teachers Guide to Multicultural Song Leading. 1995, 88 Post Road West, PO Box 5007, Westport, CT 06881-5007: Greenwood Publishing Group. 800-793-2154.

41 Anders Nyberg

42 Alice Parker, 1976. Creative Hymn Singing. Chapel Hill, NC: Hinshaw Music, Inc. P.O. Box 470, 27514.

43 Consider this quote: "The people gave the music life, and the music in turn pulsated in the people, passing from parent to child, and from land to land. The joys and triumphs, the tenderness and warmth, the agony and sorrows the prayer and the protest, which were shared by Jews and made them one, were poured into the music; and, wherever they are still felt, that process continues today. When we live for a moment with that music, we are touching the pulse itself, and our own is quickened in turn." Judith Kaplan Eisenstein, Heritage of Music, The Music of the Jewish People, Wyncote, PA: The Reconstructionis Press, 1981. p. 3

44 Sam-Ang Sam and Patricia Shehan Campbell, Silent Temples, Songful Hearts: Traditional Music of Cambodia, Danbury, CT: World MusicPress. (w/tape or CD)

45 John Blacking quoted in Planet Drum, A Celebration of Percussion and Rhythm, by Mickey Hart with Fredric Lieberman, San Francisco, CA: Harper San Francisco. 1991 p. 76

Standards Of Excellence
by Nick Page

In March of 1997, Geoffrey Holland, Director of Choral Studies at Tennessee Technological University, sent out a questionaire to sevan ACDA members from different backgrounds. The answers appeared in a Spring 1998 ACDA Choral Journal article on choral standards in the coming century. The following were my answers.

How would you define standards of excellence in choral music? It is essential that we examine all standards from cultural perspectives. We can no longer catalog music into categories of good verses bad, saying, for example, that the music of J. S. Bach is better than country music. The same would apply to comparing a Renaissance choir and a Gospel choir. The differences are more cultural than they are musical, therefore defining the standards of excellence for each will be radically different. The first thing we need to do is to acknowledge what I call the choral family, the fact that every culture has a group singing tradition that helps to define itself. The European classical tradition is a proud and distinguished tradition within a world of many traditions. Each tradition must be maintained if that culture is to remain. The global mass market mentality is leading us towards a world of one mass culture with pop music as the defining element. We, in the choral arts, must work hard to preserve the many singing traditions or they may disappear. From a mass cultural perspective, the choral arts may be perceived as elitist. If we define our standards of excellence using only the European choral framework, then we will help to encourage this elitist reputation. If our standards of excellence support the full spectrum of choral expression, then we support a future where singing returns as the community builder it has been for centuries.

If I had the time and money, what would be my "dream project?" As a choral director, I would love to establish multicultural choral festivals in every community in the United States---festivals where diverse choral groups, practicing all forms of "standards of excellence," gather to celebrate each others' art. As a choral composer, I would love to dedicate some serious effort on a large-scale composition I have been developing for a long time called Magnificence. Like Haydn's Creation, it would explain why we are here, except that I'd use up-to-date scientific information---in no way less magnificent.

What makes American choral music unique in performance and practice? What makes the Western hemisphere so ripe for all the arts is the cultural influx of both indigenous and immigrant people. Each culture continues to influence each other, creating a constantly evolving rainbow of human expression. The democratic values within the United States add a significant, though not yet fully realized, dimension to this promise. The US Constitution guarantees that we all have an equal and important voice---this has a profound effect on the arts, promising each individual as well as each culture freedom to express itself. We should never take this for granted.

How do I envision the art of choral music expanding in the 21st century? The challenge for choral directors in the next century is to become much more attuned to the cultural make-up of this continent and to see music as an expression of who we are---as a cultural expression. The challenge will be to learn the many performance styles so that our choruses become the sound of our land---a democratic sound made by, for, and of the people---a model sound for the rest of the world---a world quickly turning to democracy and free thinking.

What is the role of choral music in the lives of people? I see three roles; biological, cultural, and spiritual.

* Biological: Music, in general, effects the body in many ways. The rhythms of music effect the rhythms of the body. The harmonies act to harmonize or connect parts of the body together. The left and right brains are examples of this. New studies are showing how making music helps to make the two parts of the brain communicate with each other better. Researchers are learning more about the organs of the body and the influence of sound on them. Singing effects the attention span, the desire to learn, the ability to internalize thoughts, and a whole host of other positive effects. The choral sound acts as a sonic massage for the entire body, stimulating the body, charging the mind and renewing energy. In mysterious ways, the body seems to absorb the harmonies. When we leave our rehearsals, it is as if the harmony stays with us, energizing us throughout the week. Biologists like Rupert Sheldrake study group dynamics in a variety of life forms. For example, he asks why a flock of birds or a school of fish will all move or react simultaneously. He theorizes that the group is behaving as one living entity---an interdependent organism rather than many independent organisms. I believe that when we sing together, we not only become one voice, but we become one mind and one spirit.

* Cultural: That feeling of one mind and one spirit carries over into each culture. The people we bond with, whether determined by nationality, race, religion, or occupation, determines our individual cultures. I have witnessed hundreds of cultures express their collective soul through the choral arts---an Armenian children's choir singing songs of their ancestors, senior citizen groups singing showtunes, South Africans fighting injustice through singing---forming extremely powerful communities, and a joint concert/celebration between a Jewish choir and a Gospel choir, building bridges between cultures using the choral arts.

* Spiritual: The earliest human's first sounds were expressions of powerful emotions. These sounds eventually became speech and song. Both singing and speech were and continue to be our primary forms of communication both with ourselves and with the deities that define our spirituality and culture. Whether singing in a church, synagogue, mosque, or sacred circle, the singing of sacred music is our emotional link with the divine. We need to touch the sacredness through the choral arts.

More and more people are returning to the choral experience. But more and more, it is a choral experience built of the three purposes I outlined above. People feel the biological need to sing with others---to use the choral art as a healing art. People are drawn to singing as a way to explore the world's many culture's as well as a way to validate their own cultures. And more than ever, people are returning to the choral arts out of a need to touch the divine---to experience what the Hindus call "Nadha Brahma"---to experience the mysterious harmony that is manifested in all things---to become spiritually renewed.


Benefits Of Music On Overall Education
Incomplete list by Nick Page

MUSIC AS BENEFIT TO EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

Music making and performance builds confidence. This confidence carries over to other experiences.

Music, along with dance, is an extremely emotional expression.

Music provides emotional outlets that children desperately need. Music making shows students that being emotional in an academic setting is acceptable.

The child transcends confidence to reach awe and wonder.

An aura of power is created with great music making. The student is filled with a strong sense of self-worth as well a sense of connection to a greater community. This power is far preferable to the allure of guns, drugs, cigarettes, and sex.

Music provides communication possibilities for those who have difficulty expressing their emotions. This is part of the basis for music therapy.

Music making and performance provides needed "adrenaline rushes" and ecstatic peak experiences that our evolutionary ancestors required, but which out "civilized" selves have lost.

MUSIC AS BENEFIT TO READING, WRITING AND OTHER SKILLS

Music activities require listening. All listening skills for all academic subjects are aided by music activities.

One can not accurately sing a note without first accurately hearing it. This internalization of sound helps children in their transition from reading out loud to reading silently (hearing words in their heads.) Similarly, this "inner hearing" is an aid to all silent problem solving like math and science.

Alfred Tomatis believes that there is a correlation between the hunger to listen and the hunger to learn. This hunger, he says, begins in the womb with the fetus' brain being fed with sound.

Nick Page believes that there is a correlation between the ability to sustain a pulse and the ability to sustain one's attention span.

Music making is a natural extension of our tendency to play. The elements of play are the same as the elements of music; imitation, repetition, contrast, variation, and exaggeration.

Music is made of patterns. Becoming aware of these patterns, both consciously and subconsciously, helps a child with patterns (often similar) in math, science, and general cognitive skills.

Memorizing music helps with other memorization skills.

Like learning the alphabet through the alphabet song, songs can be a powerful learning and memorization tool.

Tomatis and others believe that sound charges the brain.

Georgi Lazanov believes that certain background music enhances some forms of learning.

When our brains entrain to slow pulses, we become relaxed---slow music can remove stress.

When our brains entrain to fast pulses, our brains become more active---often more creative.

Entrainment can be used to solve discipline problems or to change the mood in a classroom.

In the overall rhythm of a child's day, music activities make great transition vehicles, particularly simple call and response.

Songs with lots of movement, particularly dance, help with body/mind coordination.

The act of improvising and writing songs helps children synchronize their left and right brains.

Group singing creates vibrations throughout the body. Sound healers believe that these vibrations are good for us---they are healing.

We instinctively make a loud sound when we hurt ourselves. Sound healers believe that this is our natural way of using sound to remove pain.

The mind/body coordination required to play musical instruments aids all other areas of learning.

The student/teacher relationship is an ideal model for future learning relationships.

MUSIC TO BENEFIT GROUP SKILLS

Group singing strengthens cooperation skills.

Children who sing and celebrate together create strong bonds with each other and with their schools. Group singing increases their sense of belonging.

Rehearsing for concerts helps discipline by creating focus.

Simply by having singing celebrations (group sings), we demonstrate to children that celebration in life is important.

When children perform for each other, they radiate with pride and joy. Radiance is good.

When we create a supportive environment, we develop cooperation skills where problem solving becomes a group event, not a dysfunctional denial of the problems.

The divisions between the talented and the untalented are not as great as our hierarchical mass culture would suggest. Group music making helps students to see that everyone has talent.

MUSIC FOR MUSIC'S SAKE

Simply being musical is enough of a reason to keep music in the schools.

The Hindu expressions, "Nadha Brahma, the world is made of sound," applies to us as well. We are resonant beings and making music is a natural response to being alive.

The Navahos say we "Walk in Beauty," meaning we are part of the harmony of all things. The harmony becomes alive when we sing.

The universe works as an interdependent self-organized, creatively unfolding event---an event that seems to seek harmony. When we make music, particularly in harmony, we become an event that is interdependent, creative, and self-organizing. We become like the universe.

Music strengthens our cultural bonds with the past and future. Music helps to define who we are culturally.

Music strengthens our cultural bonds with each other. Music helps us to cross cultural borders.

Some Points On Singing The Music Of Many Cultures
With Children
by Nick Page

This article originally appeared in The International Choral Bulletin, April 1998
The North America multicultural movement in education has evolved slowly and its' message is finally reaching Children's Choir directors with spectacular results. An important aspect of the multicultural movement has been the inclusion of all cultures in the education experience. In the same spirit, children with learning or physical disabilities are welcome members in most schools. Choral directors have realized that every hearing child has the potential to be a fine choral singer. The old division between good and bad singers can be seen as the invention of hierarchical cultures.

Here are the four main points I discuss in my workshops:

1) Teach music from cultural as well as musical perspectives. Just as there is power in a pieces' rhythms and melodies, there is power in its' history and culture. Teach the culture. Why is this song sung? Who sings it? When? How?

2) Embrace and honor the tradition of a piece. Do everything you can to observe the performance practices of each culture. Do they move when they sing? Does the vocal tone change? Are they performing the music or, as is the case with many cultures, are they sharing and celebrating their generosity of spirit through the gift of music? Understand that some cultures have music that is to be sung only at certain times and places. The Navaho Nightway ritual songs, for example, should never be sung outside of the Nightway ritual. The rules of performance that apply to your own culture don't necessarily apply to other cultures.

3) The standards by which you judge both the songs and the performance of the songs should be determined by the standards of the culture of the individual song. We can't use classical bel canto standards to judge a gospel song or visa versa. Each culture has distinctive values of excellence. All music belongs to a culture, therefore all music is multicultural.

4) With folk music, understand that, unlike classical music, you are allowed to make changes in the words, melodies, rhythms, and harmonies, as long as you honor the tradition behind the music. When children have a say in the simple arrangement of a folk song, it makes it their song---all the more powerful. They become aware that by singing the music, they are part of a culture, actively shaping that culture through its songs. Be careful not to dishonor the music with the changes you make. For example, it would be insulting to turn a spiritual into a commercial jingle.

Publishers are doing a better job of meeting the great demand for world choral music. Many publishers are including material on the cultural and historic background of the music in the octavos. Choral conferences are programming more workshops on how to sing everything from gospel music to early American shape-note music. And the world of each singing child is made bigger and more fascinating with each new song.


All Music Is Multicultural
by Nick Page 12/94

In 1989 I founded a community chorus called The Mystic Chorale, dedicated to the celebration of multicultural choral music. We have performed music from Bulgaria, Ireland, England, West Africa, Greece, Central America, as well as from a diversity of North American choral traditions ranging from spirituals to shape-note anthems, from Native American chant to Gospel. As a chorus, we embrace the West African performance practice of having the audience be an equal participant in the music making. The audience arrives expecting to sing along. When we presented a concert of West African music, we cleared the chairs at the end so everyone could sing and dance accompanied by the drums. For our Eastern European concert, everyone danced and sang to the accompaniment of a Klezmer band. In November, 1994, the Mystic Chorale will presented a Concert/Sing-a-long celebrating the music of South Africa.

The singing of music from diverse cultures has become a sensitive issue. There are many dangers and many rewards.

There is a powerful connection between music and culture. Music helps to define who we are as communities. We only have to look at young people, including ourselves when we were young, to see this connection. The identification with Rap, Hip-Hop, or the many forms of Rock music, helps many young people define who they are or to which communities they belong. This connection between music and identity is extremely important. We need to remember the connection whenever we teach the music of any culture. Every time we experience music from an unfamiliar culture and we truly celebrate the tradition behind the music, the experience changes us---the music helps to reshape our identity both as individuals and as members of a broader community---we feel a connection with that new community.

The multicultural music environment, when it truly celebrates and honors diversity, is an environment free from discrimination. It is an anti-racist environment. Through celebrating the music of many cultures, we cross cultural borders. When we cross these borders with open minds and open hearts we help tear down the hatred and fear that keeps us separate from one another. Music brings us together.

There is no separation between regular music and multicultural music. All music is multicultural. All music belongs to a culture and a time. The choral music of Bali should fit within the multicultural model the same way as the choral music of Seventeenth Century Europe. In most of our schools, the choral music of Johann Sebastian Bach is just as foreign to our students as the choral music of Central America. Our children would benefit from learning both.

Many see the multicultural movement as a threat to "Traditional" music, but the opposite is actually true. The multicultural model I speak of stands for the preservation of that which makes cultures strong. We cannot afford to be divided between the traditionalists and the multiculturalists because both movements are threatened by the allure of the world-wide Pop culture that is pulling new generations of people from all nations, including our own, away from their cultural traditions towards a mass culture that is based more on commercial needs than on the value of traditions. We need to be united in our celebration of cultural traditions as well as the music within these traditions.

Those who wish to become more multicultural must realize that they already are multicultural. We are surrounded by a huge diversity of music. What we need to do is to gain a better understanding of the cultural traditions that give life to all music on this earth. When we celebrate the cultural traditions behind a choral work, those traditions bring power to the music. In preparing my South African Concert/Sing, for example, I constantly reminded the Mystic Chorale singers that the music they wee singing was the music of freedom. It came from a long tradition of music-making as an act of resistance to racism and oppression. This understanding hopefully enables the singers to experience and express the unique power and spirit of the music.

The music of the European classical tradition is an aesthetic tradition, an art form that is now embraced throughout the world. Handel's Messiah, for example, is regularly performed on every continent in the world. Composers and arrangers from many cultures write choral music using the European classical model. As a result, we may hear a contemporary piece from Korea that, to our ears, sounds as much European as it does Korean. Preconceived notions of what the music of other cultures will sound like are often inaccurate.

Yet much of the world's music does not fit within the European art music tradition. Many cultures have no words for music or art. They don't sing for aesthetic purposes. These cultures make music for different, but equally powerful reasons. In West Africa, for example, making music is an act of compassion. The music has a living quality to it---imbued with life often by the spirit of the ancestors. To perform this living music is to become more alive. A gardener sings as she works to insure a good crop. The music gives energy and life to the singer and the growing plants. It is necessary to understand concepts like these in order to bring power to the performance of west African music. But there is an additional phenomenon that happens when we begin to embrace concepts like the living compassionate nature of west African music. Both the folk and the art music of our own cultures take on the living quality of west African music and the sound energizes us as we begin to make music not for art's sake, but out of an act of altruism. By singing, we make the world a more beautiful place.

When we teach the music of Bach from a cultural perspective, embracing the traditions of the German Baroque period, the music comes alive. It is no longer museum music, but music of a living tradition that is kept alive through our singing and music making.

It is important that we do all we can to create authentic performances. With The Mystic Chorale, it has always been a delight to augment the choral sound with orchestras appropriate to each culture. Our Celtic concert, for example, featured Irish pipes (Uillean), Bodhran drums, flutes, accordions, and violins. The combined sound was magnificent.

It is sometimes impossible, however, to perfectly reproduce the sound of a culture different from our own. Whenever one culture embraces the music of another culture, the resulting music will have elements of both cultures. I once heard a chorus from Russia perform the American folk song "I'll Be Working on the Railroad." As an American, I was honored that they chose to sing it, even though the song sounded as much Russian as it did American. The words and melody were American, but the pronunciation, tone, and harmony were distinctly Russian. The combined effect was very moving for me. It represented the coming together of our two countries in a very simple and powerful way.

Much of the repertoire I draw from comes from the folk traditions of the world. Too often, we ignore a major difference between folk and classical music: with a few exceptions, classical music, once composed, should not be rewritten; folk music, however, is allowed to change and evolve as long as the tradition behind the song is honored. Yet, as soon as a folk song is written down or recorded, many of us treat it as if were classical---we don't dare change a note or a word. If the folk traditions are to survive, however, we must take ownership of them and allow ourselves to make appropriate changes. We can change the harmonies, the textures, the words, the keys, the tempi, and the rhythms. In other words, we are allowed to breath life into folk music.

But it is also important to realize that we cannot sing the music of all cultures whenever and wherever we wish. The music of the Navaho Nightway ritual, for example, should be performed only at sacred places and at sacred times. Many Native Americans consider the theft of their sacred music and spirituality to be the latest of many thefts from their culture. Similarly, there is sacred music from many traditions that should be sung only in sacred settings at sacred times. Some of the sacred music within the Jewish, Catholic, Muslim, and Earth Based traditions should be sung at their respective places and times of worship.

We live in a diverse world. That diversity needs to be celebrated in the music we make. We will encounter controversies as we cross cultural borders, but these challenges are necessary for the ongoing evolution of human civilization. Because of the environment of political correctness, we may often feel forced by a sense of guilt into singing music from diverse cultures. If guilt is our reason for singing a song, however, we shouldn't sing it. Sing because the music is beautiful and performing it will make our world more beautiful.

At the end of the Troubadour article I gave my address and asked for responses. I received four letters. They made the observation that philosophical discussions were fine, but what we really needed was the multicultural music itself. Where do we find choral music from cultures around the world? I had started a resource list at that time, which continnues to grow. It is only the beginning of what could end up being an extensive resource. New resource information is always appreciated.

Where do I find music for my Mystic Chorale? Like many, I have stacks of catalogs, octavos and choral collections. We are all constantly looking for new music. Since I love having my audiences sing along with my chorus, I use many simple songs that I find in songbooks and on recordings.

I called the Swedish Consulate in Boston once and was given the names of places to find Swedish music. I called an Armenian-American group to learn more about their rich choral traditions that I had known little about. When we know where to look, finding music becomes very easy. I recently did a concert/sing-a-long of Latin American music. I had no trouble finding great music. In fact, I ended up with enough music for many more concerts. This would not have happened twenty years ago. Publishers are going out of their way to fill the demand for choral music from around the world.

Finding the music is only the first step. We must learn all we can about the traditions behind the music. As I wrote in the Troubadour article, music is different everywhere. We cannot assume that other cultures sing for the same reason we do. Knowing and teaching those differences make all the difference in the world.


CASA/ZAMIR/GMWA 1997
by Nick Page

(This originally appeared in the Fall 1997 Eastern Division ACDA Troubadour)

The three choral conventions I attended this summer could not have been more different from each other, each one extremely exciting and deeply moving.

The first was the June east coast CASA Summit in Boston. The Contemporary A Cappella Society Of America holds regional and national gathering annually. The Boston gathering was two days of amazing virtuosity in performances by groups like Western Wind, The Persuasions, and Vox One. There were workshops on a variety of a cappella styles including a riveting vocal improvisation demonstration by Bob Stoloff.

For more information contact: The Contemporary A Cappella Society Of America (CASA), 1850 Union Street
1441, San Francisco, CA 94123, fax:(415) 921-2834, e-mail: casa@casa.org, http://www.singers.com, phone: (415) 563-5224

In July, I attended the North American Jewish Choral Festival held in the Catskill Mountains of New York. For five days we sang a huge variety of Jewish choral music. We sang in very informative workshops and during daily community sing-alongs including a rousing late night Yiddish sing. Even for the few, like me, who knew no Yiddish or Hebrew, it was a true celebration. The four hundred participants rehearsed daily in five choruses, preparing for a final celebration on the final day. Each evening featured performances by Jewish Choirs from throughout North America. Because of this yearly convention and the work of Matthew Lazar and many others associated with the Zamir Choral movement, the quantity as well as the quality of Jewish Choirs in America is increasing dramatically.

For further information contact: Zamir Choral Foundation, P.O. Box 109, Planetarium Station, New York, NY 10024

In August I flew to Cincinnati for the annual GMWA convention. Founded by the late Rev. James Cleveland, the Gospel Music Workshop of America gathering attracts fifteen thousand worshipers from across America. There are numerous workshops and concerts daily featuring many styles of Africa American Gospel music from the more traditional Margaret Douroux to the contemporary style of Kirk Franklin. Every group was amazing. The energy was astounding. This was church---for seven days from 7 AM to 2 AM, non-stop praising of the Lord. Two thousand of the participants rehearsed daily for the final concert and recording, available for purchase later this year in most record stores. The many booths (cash only) offered song collections, octavos, and recordings.

For further information contact: Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA), Contact: Sheila Smith, 3908 W. Warren Avenue, Detroit, MI 48208, 313-898-6900

Another gospel gathering, known as the "Thomas Dorsey Convention," is the National Convention of Gospel Choirs/Choruses, Contact: Bishop Kenneth Moales, President, 1243 Stratford Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06607, 800-854-0027.

Lisa Collins publishes a great resource, Gospel Music, 1997 Round-Up , an annual publication on the business of Gospel music. P.O. Box 7274, Culver City, CA 90233-7274, 310-677-6011. There is also an exception gospel website: www.blackgospel.com

When I attended the three choral conferences, I had been chair for the ACDA Eatern Division Ethnic & Multicultural Standards Committee. I was wondering how diverse choral organizations could work together towards promoting what I had proposed as the CHORAL FAMILY. It is a complex issue, one that I have not resolved yet. Looking back, I see great naiveté on my part, but I also see something that is worth pursuing - but not now and not necessarily by me.


Diary of a Multiculturalist
by Nick Page

It is 6 AM. I am a four part Mass by William Byrd. The subtle melodies interweave beautifully as I brush my teeth. I know William Byrd masses should not brush their teeth, but it's early and I'm not completely awake yet. When I listen to this sublime music I become a William Byrd person living in a William Byrd world made up solely of William Byrd and those like me who love William Byrd. This is who I am at 6 AM.

By 8 O'clock, I am a folk song by Bill Staines. Its calm phrases shape who I am. I am a folk song person. I belong to the world of folk song people. By noon I am listening to Ladysmith Black Mambazo. I am living and breathing in a Ladysmith, South African world where the placement of my feet on the earth are anything but random---I take each step with pride and when I proudly stomp the earth with my great feet I am saying to the world, this is who I am. I am proud to be part of the Zulu world, proud to be part of a greater voice for Freedom in South Africa and the planet.

I leave this noble sound environment at 1 O'clock to listen to Bonnie Raitt, a white woman who can really sing the blues---then more blues with Buddy Guy. By three, it is time for something a little heavier, but with the same kind of anger, rap star Ice-T. I'm a white guy from the suburbs---Ice T's musical environment is a very different world for me to jump into. He's rapping about freedom. He's telling me that if I want everyone to live in an apple pie world, I can forget it. We can choose to live in an apple pie world if we want to, but don't tell Ice-T what world to live in or how to live in it. It's his choice. And it's my choice at 3 O'clock in the afternoon to live in this world of rap.

By 4 O'clock I am in need of a musical security blanket, some nostalgic music where I can return to my teen-age years, the years where most of us develop our musical tastes for life. Nostalgic music differs for every human, but most often it is the music we listened to in high school---for me it's the Beatles---safe music of rebellion.

At five, I'm hungry for dissonance. I've had my sweet dietary yin. I need my sour yang. I need music to confuse the nerve endings of my neo-cortex. I listen to my favorite living composer, Michael Tippett, his Songs of Dov. It is very difficult, almost impossible, to enter this music. It is an uninviting world full of ugliness and pain and yet I adore it (No pain, no gain.) Everything stops as I fight the music and it fights me. It is a glorious battle where everyone wins, but I am left exhausted, in need of silence. I settle down for a few moments, remembering a workshop I took with sound healer Don Campbell where we listened intently for five days. I learned how to listen at the age of forty, hearing the harmonics in the rain for the first time.

The silence puts me in an I Ching kind of mood. I turn on the radio and spin the dial. I'll listen to whatever is on, which, un-fortunately, turns out to be disco. I am not fond of disco. I'm reminded of the time a California friend of mine, William Belan, took me to a Mexican restaurant for breakfast and said, "Okay, Mister Multicultural, eat this." It was a soup made from the stomachs of cows. It felt like I was eating the parts of the chicken you're supposed to throw away. The soup did not appeal to me. It was disco in my tummy and it began a familiar dance that kept reappearing like an irritating leitmotif. I became less naive that day about my cultural tastes.

By eight, I am like an addict in need of his jazz fix. I play a McCoy Tyner big band cd---pure ecstasy. Being a bassist, I am drawn to the rhythm section, but the winds are doing a mad mantra dance and McCoy Tyner is creating thunder bolt chords on the piano. I am mesmerized by this world. I wish I could live its language, its whirlwind riffs, scolding bops, its cool water licks.

I wish there were more time in my day to listen to all the music in the world, but it is time for rest. As my final musical experience of the long musical day, I listen to a long raga from India played by flutist Hariprasad Chaurasia. The tambura begins its unending drone and the flute begins its alop (improvisation based on the raga) with a calm note held a half tone above the drone. The effortless dissonance of the music and its ultimate resolution transport me to other realities---Nadha Brahma, the world is made of sound. I close my eyes and become pure resonance, a vibratory part of the whole harmonious universe. It has been a good day on this planet earth.

Next day: Am I living in some false reality where instant gratification can be achieved instantly?---where, simply by playing a recording, I can join a culture that is not my own? Has the phenomenon of recorded music made us all observers of culture rather than participants? Am I a member of a culture-less society that wears its identity like costumes at a party?


Composing From A Cultural Perspective
by Nick Page

As a composer, I have become increasingly aware of the presence of culture in the creative process. Just as a composer cannot escape composing from a personal perspective, so also the composer cannot escape from a cultural perspective. Composers must choose, either consciously or subconsciously, to emphasize either the personal or the cultural perspective or any of the possible shades in between. The composer who chooses to ignore all cultural influences creates a culture of one made up of him or herself. This composer either leads the way for future paths in music or is forgotten completely over time.

A Viennese composer writing a symphony in 1775 would choose instrumentation based on pre-set cultural standards--strings, woodwinds, brass, and kettle drums. Likewise the composer would choose forms and textures from the palette of a classical composer--sonata form, rondo, minuet, theme and variations. Much of the repetition within the chosen form would be suggested by the same cultural habits manifested within a simple folksong of that time and culture. An A theme would either be followed by a simple variation of the A theme or a complimentary B theme. Take the song, "Twinkle Twinkle" as we know it today. Cultural habits suggest that the ascending phrase "Twinkle twinkle little star" be followed by a complementary phrase within exactly the same rhythm, "How I wonder what you are." That we see such a sequence as a natural one shows how much we are conditioned by our culture. These same cultural guidelines helped Mozart with the opening phrase from "Eine Kleine Nachtmuzik." Mozart and Salieri both composed within the same cultural framework. What sets the two apart was that Mozart was able to make the music completely his own. The flights of his imagination knew no bounds, whereas Salieri was bound by an imagination that could not go beyond the obvious---he was satisfied with clichés.

Composers in this century have been given a huge palette of cultural styles and philosophies to choose from. Stravinsky embraced his native Russian culture then went on to compose within 18th century classical formats, 12 tone Viennese formats, and American jazz formats. Each piece was undoubtedly the work of a singular genius. Classical composers like Bernstein crossed the huge cultural border between classical and popular styles. That huge cultural border is becoming less and less distinct as more and more composers choose to compose within multiple cultural (multicultural) frameworks. The minimalistic palette, for example, is inspired by West African drumming, jazz rhythms, and the forms and modalities of the Raga. Ligeti, who broke ground forty years ago with his multi-tonal clusters has consciously embraced the cultures of his native Eastern Europe with his latest pieces. Tonality, once the enemy of all things modern, can now be seen as an honoring of one's culture.

Mid-century, serialists and others led the way, but nobody followed. The serialists ignored culture. If more tonal music is composed today, it is probably because more and more composers choose to embrace culture rather than ignore it. The danger in this is that we could end up with a world of Salieri's---composers whose only wish is to satisfy the dictates of the public, just as rock and roll is controlled by the whims of the marketplace.

Becoming aware of the cultural presence in all music has been inspirational for me as a composer, but there is an equally inspirational perspective, the biological perspective---how sound effects the body, mind, and spirit and how each culture then shapes these sounds into what we call music. The end result is that the music of every culture effects our minds, bodies, and spirits differently. Composing within both the biological and cultural perspectives broadens the palette in infinite ways.


Thoughts on Anti-Racism
by Nick Page

The 1997 Eastern Division ACDA convention in Philadelphia was, in many ways, a celebration of the many strides we've made in making ACDA a multicultural institution. There were many highlights for me. Joshua Jacobson's multi-media presentation on the music of Holocaust was very informative and extremely moving. We looked at several new HaZamir and Transcontinental octavos and heard the powerful stories behind the songs. Diana Saez's presentation on Latin American Choral music made us realize how little we knew and how far we have to go in appreciating the choral traditions in the other Americas. Dr. Barbara Baker's gospel music presentation was a true celebration. We sang her soon to be published arrangement of Tindley's Courage My Soul, The Storm is Passing Over. Most importantly, Dr. Baker discussed the do's and don't of Gospel music---Do find an accompanist who knows what they're doing---Do sing gospel music in the schools---Don't teach the religion of gospel music in the schools---Don't have school choruses perform in worship situations. Most of the reading sessions represented a great diversity of music. The same is true of most of the concerts. Chantaclear, for example, sang some mesmerizing Korean pieces as well as some rousing spirituals.

I gave a talk on racism as part of the roundtable lunch for the Ethnic and Multicultural Perspectives Committee. The discussion afterwards brought out the only weakness of the convention, an old problem---the honor choruses still do not represent the diversity of our country. We are on our way to solving many of the solvable problems like the singing of diverse repertoire, but the truly challenging problems are far from being solved.

As a nation, we have done little to address the roots and solutions of racism. Burning an African American church is an action--an action based on a belief system of hatred and prejudice called racism. Thinking that racism is wrong will do nothing to stop it. Only positive actions can stop negative actions. This is the difference between non-racist thinking and anti-racist thinking---anti-racist thinking leads to action, doing something to end racism.

From 1983 to 1986 I worked with the Chicago Children Choir. Since 1956, they have been an extraordinary organization where children of diverse backgrounds sang music of many cultures, and sang it very well. If we, at the Chicago Children's Choir, had simply posted audition notices in the local papers, the chorus would have had a very different look---It would have been a mostly white children's chorus. The reason the CCC represented the true diversity of Chicago was because diversity was a major goal of the organization. This effort meant going into several schools outside of the Hyde Park area, which was a diverse middle class neighborhood encompassing the University of Chicago. Our staff became the music teachers in schools within African American, Latin American, and other neighborhoods. We trained third and fourth graders---taught them to read music---taught them the music of many cultures including the European classical music cultures. Top singers from these schools were invited to join our after school training choruses. This was a difficult step for many, because it meant crossing a great divide---a divide that was drawn on racial, cultural, and economic borders. Once the talented students realized that the environment at the CCC was not intimidating and that they would be measured by their amazing abilities alone, they joined a proud tradition.

This is an example of anti-racism at work. We, at the ACDA, need to make the effort to make our honor choruses represent the diversity of our country.

The Urban Harmony Movement

The following article was written by CASA staff about their exciting program in San Francisco. They are seeking volunteers to sponsor their program in other cities. They also seek financial support. Their address is: THE CONTEMPORARY A CAPPELLA SOCIETY OF AMERICA (CASA), 1850 Union Street
1441, San Francisco, CA 94123 (415 563-5224) e-mail: casa@casa.org (web: http://www.casa.org)

We need your help. We've started an exciting new nonprofit program called The Urban Harmony Movement. This program targets inner-city public high school students. The program is a part of The Contemporary A Cappella Society of America. CASA was established in San Francisco in 1990 to unite and support music educators, high school students, professional, amateur, collegiate a cappella groups, and a cappella enthusiasts. It is a membership organization run primarily by volunteers that serves the international a cappella community through programs such as the Ambassador Program, the A Cappella Summit, the Ultimate A Cappella Arranging Service and Music Exchange, the Contemporary A Cappella Newsletter (the CAN), and its newest program, the Urban Harmony Movement.

The program works as follows: The entire student body will be treated to an in-school concert that will feature a cappella performances by two exciting, young a cappella groups singing well known top-40 a cappella songs. Afterwards, the students will be invited to meet the groups and learn how to start their own. We have an opportunity to help bring music into inner-city schools like never before in the past 50 years. Recently, popular music has embraced the a cappella style, and groups like Boyz II Men and En Vogue have had massive radio hits with a cappella songs. With our program, we'll be able to entice students to learn and perform songs that they already know and love, and at the same time begin to develop musical skills that foster creativity, teamwork, camaraderie, and a tremendous sense of accomplishment and self respect. Only a cappella music can be learned and performed without expensive musical instruments or a full-time music educator. The secret lies in our parts tapes which allow the students to learn the songs entirely by ear (although sheet music will also be available). Once groups have been formed, they'll receive additional materials, coaching, performing opportunities, and support from CASA. We believe that this is our most important project to date. Not only will it provide kids, at risk and otherwise, with a music education, but will also serve the a cappella community in promoting the magic of our favorite musical form.

Expanded Consciousness
by Nick Page 8/19/98

We reach out with our ears. We reach out with our eyes. We reach out with our senses of touch, taste, and smell. All of these help to make us aware of the world around us. As a child gets older, it reaches out more and more with its senses. A small world becomes bigger and bigger. It's consciousness is expanding. As we grow older we either continue to expand our consciousness or we live with what we've got, satisfied that our awareness is the limit of our consciousness. But for those who continue to search, study, reflect, question, meditate, sing, feel, be, and connect, the end result is quite rewarding, even if we don't always get very far.

Expand your sense of self to include the entire universe. This is an expanded consciousness.

Expand your concept of creativity to include all of Creation. This is expanded consciousness.

Expand your concept of compassion to include the gifts of the stars and DNA. This is expanded consciousness.

Expand your idea of life or living systems to include the grand interdependent self-organizing event that began with the big bang, or whatever, and will continue until whenever. This is expanded consciousness.

Call this expanded consciousness Buddha consciousness or Christ consciousness or Creation consciousness. Or call it newborn baby consciousness - an understanding of all things and all actions that is impossible to put into words - a state of awe and wonder and perhaps a good dose of fear - an understanding that is felt, but felt by a self that is not a single isolated being, but a self that is a great interdependent event. This is expanded consciousness. This is thinking like the universe. Hindus have a phrase I like, "Nadha Brahma" referring to a harmony manifest in all things - referring to a state of being where one not only feels this harmony, but becomes this harmony. This is expanded consciousness.