Fall 2023 MECA
Continuing Education Courses
Overview
This course is designed to help all music educators learn the techniques and rhythms associated with several of the primary hand drums utilized in the music classroom. We will explore conga (Cuba), bongo (Cuba), djembe (West Africa) and timbau (Brazil). We will also discuss the Remo tubano drum and how it can be utilized as a versatile hand drum to represent many of these traditional instruments. Students will leave this course with an understanding of strong overall understanding of the tenets of hand drumming technique as well as the specific techniques necessary to achieve the characteristic sounds out of the the conga, bongo, djembe, timbau and tubao. Students will also explore traditional, non-traditional and modern rhythmic applications for these instruments.
* This course is offered at two course levels. Students enrolled in the MMEd program at VanderCook are eligible to enroll for the 500 course number. Students not enrolled in the MMEd program who wish to earn graduate credit as a MECA Continuing Education student should register for the four digit course number. The difference in credits earned and tuition cost is attributed to the difference in tuition rates for the MMEd and MECA Continuing Education programs. If you are unsure which section is best for you, please contact us directly at [email protected].
Requirements
Chat Session
Prerequisites
Required Text(s)
Recommended: Access to at least one hand drum. Access to several hand drums and percussion accessories is a bonus.
Recommended but not required: Michael Spiro “The Conga Drummers Guidebook”, Tam Tam Mandingue Djembe Academy “Curriculum for Traditional Djembe and Dunun, Book 1”
Learning Platform Information - Online Courses Only
Schoology is a learning management system that allows you to interact directly with your instructors, fellow students, and members of the greater VanderCook community.
The evening before your class begins, be on the lookout for an email from Schoology with log-in instructions. Once you receive credentials, visit www.online.vandercook.edu to login.
Some courses have specific online chat meeting times (please see course descriptions), while others have a flexible meeting schedule. You can expect all courses to meet together in a live online chat. If a live meeting time doesn’t work, you can work with your instructor to make other arrangements.
More information about Schoology can be found at www.schoology.com
Please see specific software/hardware requirements in the course description.
Online course grades are available within two weeks of the course(s) completion. If you need a transcript, please CLICK HERE to access the online transcript request form. For a faster turnaround time, please submit the transcript request to the registrar prior to the end of your course(s).
Instructor
