The goal of this sight is to provide teachers with the resources to expose their students to some types of Non-Western music. The cultures chosen here are ones that To Hit has gleaned a lot influence from. The information presented here is in no way a complete picture of these vast musical traditions but hopefully enough information and resources to expose students and provide them with direction for future exploration.
May I suggest "World Music Fridays" where there may be a departure from the normal rehearsal schedule to do a bit of world traveling. A small talk about some of the main concepts along with the recommended videos and discussion about what the students thought would be a great addition to a school music program. It may even spark a deeper interest in some of these cultures musical traditions.
A word about art appreciation-
Appreciating music (or any art) is like looking at the ocean.
You can look at a picture of the ocean
and think how beautiful it is
Just as someone can listen to a recording and
understanding nothing but that it sounds enjoyable
You can go to the ocen and see the vastness of it
feel the breaze and smell the salt
Just like someone can go to a live concert
and be engulfed by the sound
You can wade into the water
You can start to learn an instrument or sing
You can go out in a boat until
you can't see land
jump out and dive in the depths
This is like the masters
who embody their craft on a deep level
Any point on this spectrum is valid.
The picture of the ocean is beautiful
and music just for the sake of sounding cool
is worth listening too
