Native American Music Research Paper

Throughout history, a Multitude of Cultures has brought about tradition’s that have had an immense influence on the world. As these traditions migrate from country to country, we are able to get a taste of these people’s origination as well as their values through music. I chose to research and compare Native American and Middle Eastern Music because I felt I needed to find a deeper understanding of these two cultures, given their current impact on my life. Native Americans music traces all the way back to the first time they claimed land in America. Traditionally, their music was based around “spirit beings in the mythic past” (Victoria Lindsay Levine, Native American music, www.Britannica.com). At the time, America was populated
Percussion instruments were also popular in the Native American tribes. Some included rasps, bells as a use of clothing and clap-sticks. Flutes, whistles, and some stringed instruments were also commonly used. One instrument specific to the Apache tribe was the Apache violin, which is a single-string instrument made from the stalk of the agave plant. Compared to similar instruments in Western Culture, Native American Instruments were constructed with different materials. For example, the drums were constructed from wood with skinheads. In the video linked below, you can see how to drums were a detrimental instrument in the native American culture. It is said that for centuries the heartbeat of the Native American culture has reverberated through the beat of the drum. As you can see in the video, the drum circle, illustrates how playing the drum is about more than just the music it produces, it is an important part of the cultural heritage of many Native American tribes. The cool thing about the drums is the way they have transformed over the years. On another note, the next link provided demonstrates the use of the flute in the Native American Culture. As you can tell, it is not a noise we commonly hear in modern day music, but if you continue to listen, it is a very relaxing melody that is still used today during meditation sessions,
In other terms, this music is as old as the 5th and 7th century AD, giving it well over many thousand years. As you may hear in the link I have provided below on “Arabic Worship Songs”, you may hear the influence that vocals have on middle eastern music. It is predominantly used for worship purposes dating back to biblical days. You can also get the sense that this music is used as a form of prayer to a higher power in the Islamic culture. It is a very beautiful form of worship and I respect it immensely. In a second link below involving Middle Eastern Music, I have evaluated it in an entirely different manner. I wanted to pick a video that was completely different from what was considered the norm, but just as socially acceptable. As belly dancing is very prominent in certain middle eastern countries, I incorporated this video to give a taste of what instruments are popular around this area. As I mentioned above, they typically played woodwinds, percussions, and strings. If you listen to the background music you can hear the cymbals rattling together along with the use of some sort of woodwind. This makes it easy to tell the origination of the music