Expressing Culture: Teaching and Learning Music of Ghana, West Africa

In recent years, there has been much criticism of multiculturalism for its failure to address the power and privilege that keep the status quo in music education. Continued support and education is needed to grow preservice, practicing, and even veteran teachers’ skills in teaching and learning music genres from a broader range of music cultures. To that end, the purpose of this column is to examine the potential for bringing music from Ghana, West Africa, into the general music setting. A brief introduction to the music culture of Ghana is presented first, then a traditional song with teaching suggestions, followed by a list of suggested print and recorded resources