CHAPTER 20 : AFRICAN TRADITIONAL MUSICAL ARTS EDUCATION: ONWUEKWE'S APPROACH TO TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND DANCE PEDAGOGY

Abstract

African traditional music and dance are widely practised in all communities and each community has music and dance that reflects the cultural practices and lifestyle of its people. The music and dance are usually communally owned and this is the reason why people from a particular community perform their music and dance with ease. African traditional music and dance cuts across all communities in Africa but for this article, we shall concern ourselves with Nigerian traditional music and dance. The method/s used in teaching Nigerian music and dance in the classroom usually speaks volumes of its success or failure. The subjects of the study are some students of the Music Department, University of Port Harcourt. Over time, students have been taught some rudiments of dance which is the foundation to dance practicals. Despite the effort of the instructor, some students still find it difficult to understand what was being taught let alone blend with other students during a dance performance. Data gathered from students through the observational method and interactive section revealed that there was a little gap between the instructor and the student's communication more so, the method applied by the instructor was also instrumental to some of the students' performances. Prof. Onwuekwe's approach was deployed and a whole lot of positive differences were recorded. The paper concludes by applying the right method to every teaching situation and having a rapport with the students to achieve the objective of the lesson within the shortest possible time.

Keywords: African tradition, Musical arts education, Onwuekwe's approach and Dance pedagogy.