Towson University World Music Ensemble
directed by N. Scott Robinson

The World Music Ensemble is open to any music major and meets every Wed. from 3:30-4:45 pm. This ensemble exposes students from different backgrounds within the Music Department to learning a variety of world music traditions in ways that differ from their own disciplines.  Students will learn basic techniques on a variety of percussion instruments and learn to sing traditional vocal pieces in weekly rehearsals usually performing in a concert context at least once during each semester.  Repertoire is taught through both oral tradition, notations, and alternative notation. Musical traditions this ensemble teaches vary from semester to semester drawing from Ugandan amadinda xylophone (East Africa), Trinidadian steel band (Caribbean), Shona mbira dza vadzimu and karimba from Zimbabwe (Southern Africa), Akan bells, drums, and rattles and songs from Ghana (West Africa), Bantu songs from Zaïre (Central Africa), South Indian solkattu (South Asia), Middle Eastern frame drumming (West Asia), and Brazilian samba (South America). For information about the ensemble, please contact N. Scott Robinson at nrobinson@towson.edu.

World Music Ensemble rehearsing with Trinidadian steel pans.

World Music Ensemble performing Ugandan amadinda xylophone music.