The Native Americans way of Music

Before Christopher Columbus step foot on the New World, natives how had migrated down from Asia through Alaska had settled the "new" land. With them they brought their way of life and one of the biggest aspects of their way was their music. Music was vital to their culture and it was closely tied to myth and religion. The majority of tribes music was an essential ingredient in regards to their ceremonies such as rite of passage and worship. It was believed that spirits transferred knowledge and special power to humans by teaching them song. Songs could be used in almost any part of life from curing the sick or asking the spirits for help in providing water or food.  Music is woven into the fabric of Native culture in any area of the country whether it be the natives from the Plains or the Great Basin.                                                                                            1.


Of course where there is music there are ethnomusicologist to study it, and such study of Native music began in the late nineteenth century when sound recording was available to document. There are different forms in which this music is archival, some have written books while other have posted it on to a website. Author Kip Lornell published a book entitled Exploring American Folk Music in which he talks about Native American Music, there is also a web page on Wikipedia on the subject. Both of these forms of documentation cover broad areas of the Native music such as describing hat the music is "...closely tied to myth and religion" (Lornell 211) and that it "...is traditionally said to originate from deities or spirits" (Wikipedia Par. 5). They both go on to talk about how Native use vocables "...or lexically meaningless syllables, are a common part of many kinds Native American songs" (Wikipedia Par 4) an that they "..consist of short syllables like he, wi, or yo" (Lornell 215).
2.

But of course there are significant difference between the two documents, The Wikipedia has a different perception of the role of sexes in songs, it describes men's songs invoke power, the women's songs draw power away from opposing stick ball team" (Wikipedia Par 7). In contrast Lornell describes that "... woman sometimes take leadership roles" but that "...men generally take a leadership position" (Lornell 215). Wikipedia claims that woman had a specific role in songs while Lorenell proclaims that woman occasionally took leadership roles. Lornell goes in grave detail that "people who sing and dance receive this music from the supernatural, as opposed to creating it themselves these impulses come from dream" (Lornell 213). The Wikipedia article merely describes the Natives songs are based on spirits and religious belief. He also details that "...forced migration of tribes permanently altered their musical" (Lornell 210) where as the wiki-article fails to mention it at all. I would consider the Lornell book to be a better form of authentically due to the fact that hard evidence and extensive research that is provided by Lornell.            3.

One of the more well know enthnimusicologists that study Native music was Frances Densmore. She collected of the  music Teton Sioux in South Dakota by means of recording devices to make a vocal documented record. She also took notes and analyzed the patterns, techniques, and styles that she found within the music. I become an enthnomusicologist for the day  and asked people what songs they could sing from memory. I just wrote down there answers while she recorded and mad e her subjects sing to her. She held an attitude of "the singer must never be allowed to think that he is in charge of the work" (Slobin 68). She would only record the best singer and she would depose of recordings that she did not deem worthy to be held on record. She let controlled what she recorded, she did not let the music speak for itself.
Native American music is a pure form of folk music. It is of the people and it is about there beliefs and ways of life. It is the basis of what folk music is, about people and their way of life.
Here is a link to a video f the oldest video of Native Drumming it includes Ghost Dance and dances of the Sioux: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igmpvrRQIkI

1.http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DYvNAHByKPM/0.jpg
2.http://bastienzara.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/a0316v.jpg?w=368&h=289
3.https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8VtHWQLGav5VK7LDRCUqPitQMNICxr3ZKu1de_HRBvzf0iLqsdQdeS_OtWR3mrVWZazCHjBI352dWEODkvf1uJxY_2rc8paVuILnrrxha6xnC4mjh_2gfR4NCnoYlNPLZpDpefhNDy0DO/s320/Drums.bmp