Percussion Music of the Globe: Europe, America, and the African Diaspora

Abstract

My three dissertation recitals contained two thematic narratives that encompassed the scope of my research, interests, and curriculum during my tenure at the University of Michigan. The first narrative was the juxtaposition of three geographic regions of music I have studied in an effort to clarify their distinctive musical characteristics and relationships. The three regions were Europe, America (The United States), and the African Diaspora (Ghana, Trinidad, and Brazil). Each of these regions was represented in their own recital respectively. The second narrative researched the performative concepts of presentation and recital format, exploring how the extra- musical elements of media, lighting, movement, environment, and historical/theoretical context influenced the performance experience. The first recital, Europe, was performed in the Duderstadt Multimedia Video Studio with lighting design, sound design, dance choreography, and multimedia projections. The second recital, America, was presented in McIntosh Recital Hall in the format of a traditional classical music recital with minimal multimedia effects. The third recital, Ghana, Trinidad, and Brazil: Musical Relationships Through the African Diaspora, was presented in a lecture format, providing the audience with extensive historical and theoretical context for the performances. The scope of this dissertation represents my primary discipline as a classical percussionist as well as my cognate research in performance studies and Afro-diasporic percussion styles.