A very special thank you goes to my younger sister, Missy: you've been my number one fan since I answered my music call. To my dear daughters, Kamva (Vava) and Inako, thank you for allowing yourselves to share me with my demanding obligations.
INTRODUCTION
- Conceptual Framework
- Social constructivism as a theory
- Social constructivism as an interpretive tool
- Problem Statement
- Purpose Statement
- Research Objectives and Questions
- Location of the study
- Delimitation of the study
- Research Design and methodology
- Ethical considerations
- Outline of Chapters
According to him, "the emergence of the idea of African musicology is the result of the ideological as well as the political reawakening mainly by African scholars with a musicological. The researcher's choice of this analytical technique helped illuminate the concepts underlying the most important aspect of IAM performance – the social context.
LITERATURE REVIEW & THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
- The IAM performance envisaged assessor
- Analysing IAM social structure for assessment purposes
- Music Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS)
- Theoretical and conceptual framework
- Social constructivism as theory
- Social constructivism as an interpretive tool
- Chapter summary
DeVilliers' concern with where the teachers come from - that is, 'the source of their training'. The researcher strongly agrees with Hellberg's (2014) suggestion that “the curriculum must be allowed to complete a full secondary and tertiary cycle in order to make informed decisions regarding issues and changes” (p. 240).
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY
- Research design
- Location of the study
- Population of the study
- Sample and sampling procedure
- Participants’ biographies
- Data collection methods and instruments
- Reliability and validity of data collection and instruments
- Data analysis and presentation
- Primary data: Interview transcriptions
- Secondary data: IAM excerpts
- Ethical considerations
Therefore, three teachers were purposefully selected in addition to the DoE official, who was considered from the start because, according to the Department of Basic Education's (DBE) exam guide: "the final practical exam is assessed by a panel of at least two examiners. , consisting of a moderator (subject supervisor) and an instrumental specialist (teacher)”. As explained by Mohajan (2018), “the qualitative research data is descriptive in the form of interview notes, observational records and documents, and data is analyzed inductively ... the data sources are real situations, natural, non-manipulated settings” (p. 7).
PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS
Primary data presentation and analysis
- The narrative: Teachers’ experiences
- IAM assessors
- IAM content
- Resources
A textual description was then written down - the story of what participants experienced, including verbatim excerpts. Mapaya (2016) argues that “the tendency of universities to always relate or equate sound with notational patterns is a defining feature of formal university music education” (p. 56). The researcher agrees with Mapaya (2016), who further argues that "the academic urge to subject music to musical notation poses a challenge because it forces it out of its performative nature".
However, "until we know something about how the music was composed, trying to identify the important segments of that music will be difficult... The key to finding these segments lies in the culture". Herbst, de Wet & Rijsdijk (2005, p. 273) also highlighted this issue of teacher training in rare skills: "...the revised national curriculum requires certain skills, but there are not enough opportunities for teacher training".
Secondary data presentation and analysis
- Indlamu/Ingoma song-dance
- Umvumo
- Amahubo songs
- Isicathamiya
- Maskandi
Therefore, the following chapter develops specific guidelines for IAM performance and evaluation. Nzewi (2007) argues that “the responsive style of melodic construction is very common and widespread in African indigenous cultures. The leader's call is a melodic statement, . and the group's answer is four- . part harmonic imitation statement. . meter, simple quatrain .. leader) and the last part (as . soli).
The leader begins the song by having an imbongi character (Praise the poet) before spurring the group on with an assertion that "warriors are calling!". A Model for the Study of African Music: Journal of the International Library of African Music.
Further discussion of findings
Chapter summary
It is clear from all the highlighted challenges discussed in this report of findings that due to the prior knowledge of the students and the influences of the social background, teachers were willing to teach IAM, but a lack of content knowledge and experience was their biggest barrier . As long as there is a document that clearly states what IAM performance is and what to look for when assessing it, they can start teaching it. Some students don't even need to be taught to perform an IAM piece because it's part of their lives.
The acknowledgment by the participants of where the problem lies and how to tackle it was encouraging.
Indlamu/Ingoma song-dance
- Introduction
- Song #1 example and analysis
- Song #2 example and analysis
- Indlamu/Ingoma song-dance performance and assessment guidelines
The Indlamu/Ingoma song dance is characterized by high leg kicking and foot stamping (Joseph 1983: 66). The changing positions of the dancers create a story that the audience can even read the name of the group through this kind of dance. They repeat this until the leader blows the whistle when they place their shields on the edge of the stage or dance area.
The learner is expected to be the best in performing the dance (choreography), and leading (calling) the song-dance music. Some members of the performance team may imitate or imitate real sounds (crepitation) to enhance the text's meaning, or perform a virtuosic solo performance to engage an imaginary opponent in a battlefield (ukugiya for men ukugqiza for women).
Umvumo song-dance
- Introduction
- Song #1 example and analysis
- Song #2 example and analysis
- Comparing the two Umvumo song structures
- Umvumo song-dance performance and assessment guidelines
Overall Performance: The whole performance must portray the meaning of the lyrics - these are identified while the performers are singing, through body movements such as facial expressions, articulation of movements; and non-verbal meaning during the performance of the choreography. In the emotional intensity of the continuous call-and-response interaction between the leader and the rest of the cast, both in the vocal and instrumental sections. The leader dances rhythmically to the group's response as they articulate their last two syllables (elimzwe-zwe) of the sentence by stomping twice.
Roles of the leader: Responsible for directing each step of the song dance; Sings the cry of the song; Overall Performance: The entire performance should convey the lyrics meaning - these are identified as the performers sing, through body gestures such as facial expression, articulation of movements; and non-verbal meaning during the performance of the choreography.
Amahubo songs
- Introduction
- Song #1 example and analysis
- Song #2 example and analysis
- Amahubo songs performance and assessment guidelines
Group's roles: In charge of the entire response (chorus, dance routine, izaga or vocal techniques); responsible for pronouncing the soloists' praise (ukuhasha); The group's clapping maintains the rhythm. They are performed under the supervision of the Zulu King's programs of ceremonial office, where only certain royal elders are allowed to attend. Mbuso Khoza, the founder of African Heritage Ensemble, is one of the musicians who is exemplary in that respect.
On stage, they form a straight line or an arc with the leader in front of the choir. Group roles: responsible for response (harmony); Performs the ihubo movement and adds ululation or even random gestures like ukugiya.
Isicathamiya
- Introduction
- Song #1 example and analysis
- Song #2 example and analysis
- Isicathamiya performance and assessment guidelines
Overall Performance: The entire performance should reflect the lyrics meaning - these are identified as the performers sing, through body gestures such as facial expression, articulation of movements. SECTION A: Call-and-response between leaders (of the Ladysmith Black Mambazo and of The Soil) and group. SECTION B: Call-and-response between leaders (of The Soil) and group in which the leaders alternately exchange their calls in the form of verses they sing over the groups'.
Group's roles: Responsible for response (harmony); Add vocal techniques such as ululation and crepitation NB: In modernized isicathamiya, one or two of the group's members are responsible for beatboxing to maintain rhythm. Overall performance: The entire performance must depict the text meaning - this is identified while the performers are singing, through body gestures such as facial expression, movements' articulation; and performing the tip-toing.
Maskandi
- Introduction
- Song #1 example and analysis
- Song #2 example and analysis
- Song #3 example and analysis
- Comparing men and women Maskandi songs’ structures
- Maskandi performance and assessment guidelines
Section B: Instruments, Then Tune - immediately follows as an overlapping instrumental call-and-response between the acoustic guitar and the other instruments (bass, concertina, and drum kit). Instrumental call-and-response between acoustic guitar and other accompanying instruments (bass guitar, drum kit and concertina). Section B: Verse and Chorus - the leader sings the verse in unison with the melody played by the top strings of the acoustic guitar, and the last phrase of the verse is a call (Wemfana mus'ulokhu khuluma kanje, mus'ulokhu khuluma kanje Hey boy, stop talking like that, stop talking like that!) to the group who reply in unison (Ungayikhona? Ungayikhona yin'inkunzi kabhejane Can you do it? Can you manage the bull/rhino? Nginophondo luny'ekhanda, ngokuhlaba mfana ngokuphakamisela phezulu I have one horn on my head I will stab you boy I will rise to death) that is a question and an answer, which complements the leader's verse.
The call and response is between the induna and the array in which the induna call is in the form of a statement and arrays. Call and response is between the induna and the group in which the induna recites the izaga in a question form and the group responds in a response form.
Chapter summary
Women's Roles: Sing the Call; Ululate during men's izaga; Add random gestures such as waving (ukugqiza). Male roles: Sing the answer; perform Izaga; Add vocal techniques such as crepitation or whistling; Add random gestures such as waving (ukugiya). Overall performance: The leader and the group must interpret the meaning of the lyrics of the song through both body gestures and facial expressions - this means that the performance involves emotion.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
What challenges do teachers face when executing IAM performance assessment?
Do teachers/examiners understand IAM performance culture and principles?
- Recommendations
What kind of competences can be envisaged for IAM performance examiners?
- Recommendations
- Recommendation for further study
Chapter summary
Music Education in South African Schools after apartheid: Teachers' Perceptions of Western and African Music. Indigenous and traditional music in the school classroom: a re-evaluation of the South African Indigenous African Music (IAM) curriculum. The status of Indigenous African Music in the South African curriculum with special reference to isiZulu.
I am working on a dissertation study entitled: Evaluating Indigenous African Music (IAM) performance assessment: The role of teachers during grade 12 external practical examination. I am working on a dissertation study entitled Evaluating Indigenous African Music (IAM) performance assessment: The role of teachers during grade 12 external practical examination.
Approval letter from the Department of Education (DoE)
Ethics Approval letter from University of KwaZulu-Natal
Information letter and consent form to teachers (Translated)
Information letter and consent form to the DBE Official (Translated)
Interview schedule 1 (Translated)
What challenges have you encountered during your teaching or assessment of the students at your school. If not, in your opinion, what do you think needs to be done to overcome the challenges. How have you sought help to overcome the obstacles you encountered in the past.
Do you find the resources such as textbooks or the Department of Education's guidelines useful enough to equip yourself as an educator.
IAM excepts (Nguqu transcriptions)
- Imbizo: Phuzekhemisi
- Inkunzi kabhejane: Phuzekhemisi
- Uyamaz’uZulu: African Heritage Ensemble
- Uzithulele: African Heritage ensemble
- Homeless: Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Other Maskandi artists and groups
Other isicathamiya groups
