WVU Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy Course

05/29/2025

We are so lucky to have experts in their fields at WVU, like Chanler Bailey! Our steel pan sessions are always a favorite at the World Music Pedagogy course! Register by June 1st! go.wvu.edu/world-music.

For over 20 years, Chanler has been a craftsman for Mannette Instruments, guided by the late Dr. Mannette, and travels as a tuner and clinician. While a Percussion Performance major at West Virginia University, Chanler began playing steel drums as part of WVU's World Music Program, under the direction of Dr. Phil Faini. In 1992, as part of the World Music Center initiative, steel drum pioneer Dr. Ellie Mannette came to WVU and formed the University Tuning Project to pass on the steel drum art form. Chanler began his apprenticeship as a steel drum craftsman, tuner, and clinician at that time. He began teaching steel band at West Virginia University in 2021. Additionally, Chanler builds, tunes, and makes accessories for the steel drum.

05/25/2025

Only three more weeks until we gather for our 10th anniversary edition Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy Course. Join us in the West Virginia hills June 16-19 as we celebrate local and global music cutlure. Register by June 01! go.wvu.edu/world-music.

05/25/2025

Dr. Juliana Cantarelli Vita returns this summer to present two sessions: In Search of Roots and Routes & Music of Northeast Brazil. Register now and join us in June! go.wvu.edu/world-music.

Juliana Cantarelli Vita is an activist, musician, ethnomusicologist, and music educator based on the unceded ancestral lands of the Duwamish people, known as Seattle, Washington. Born and raised in Recife, Brazil, she has been an active part of the Smithsonian Folkways Certificate Course in World Music Pedagogy at West Virginia University, the University of Washington, and directed the course at University of Hartford’s Hartt School. As an active musician, she is the co-founder and director of Maracatu Baque Maré and performs regularly with her bands Som da Massa and Cria.

05/21/2025

We are lucky to have Dr. Mike Vercelli teaching two sessions this summer on the music of Ghana! Come drum, dance, and sing with us! Register now and join us in June! go.wvu.edu/world-music.

Dr. Vercelli is the director of the World Music Performance Center at West Virginia University. Michael holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Percussion Performance with a minor in Ethnomusicology from the University of Arizona. He has conducted long-term fieldwork on the xylophone traditions of Ghana and has studied in Brazil, Guinea, Uganda, Cuba, and Bali. At WVU, Dr. Vercelli directs summer study abroad courses to Ghana, Brazil, and Belize, focusing on music, dance and cultural immersion. Michael has given lectures, performances, and workshops across the United States, Mexico, Brazil, China, and Europe.

05/15/2025

Guest artists and long-time friends, Ginny Hawker and Val Mindel will collaborate for their workshop, "Appalachian Singing Traditions." Ginny Hawker was born to sing growing up in rural Virginia in a large musical family singing. Starting with unaccompanied unison singing in her father's church, Ginny learned to connect with groups of singers as she traveled throughout the region giving classes and workshops. Val Mindel is known for helping singers achieve that close, buzzy harmony that is a pillar of old-time and early-country harmony found in Appalachia. Together, Ginny and Val will lead us in song as we learn about singing styles and traditions of Appalachia. Register now and join us in June. go.wvu.edu/world-music.

05/05/2025

Join us in person July 16-19 as we celebrate local and global music culture with a wonderful line up of faculty and guests artists. Register now and save your seat for four days of music making and World Music Pedagogy practices and processes. go.wvu.edu/world-music

04/25/2025

Registration is open for WVU's 10th anniversary edition of its Smithsonian Folkways Certficate Course in World Music Pedagogy, June 16-19. Join us in person and engage in daily workshops featuring music traditions of Appalachia, West Africa, Northeast Brazil, Trinidad, and more. Principles and practices of World Music Pedagogy (WMP) will be at the center of demonstrations and conversations throughout the week with attention to culturally sensitive, diverse, and inclusive music curricula in K-12, university, and community music settings.

Join music educators, ethnomusicologists, and guest artists for this year’s in-person professional development course celebrating local and global culture. Participants will engage with music in daily workshops featuring music traditions of Appalachia, West Africa, Northeast Brazil, and Trinidad.

04/06/2025

WVU's gamelan, steel drum, and Ghanaian drum and dance ensembles performance this weekend was terrific.

03/12/2025

Save the date for our 10th anniversary Smithsonian Folkways Certificate Course in World Music Pedagogy. Join us in Morgantown for a four-day course, June 16-19, 2025. Registration open soon! https://creativeartsandmedia.wvu.edu/school-of-music/world-music-pedagogy

10/04/2023

https://www.facebook.com/100043464086624/posts/879108440214617/?mibextid=cr9u03

The question comes up in World Music Pedagogy practice: Who-should-teach-what-to-whom? It veers over to considerations of cultural appropriation, which then gives pause to teaching music from outside our own experience and training. But philosopher-author Kwame A. Appiah, born in London and raised in Ghana, offers this perspective: "Whatever the source of your ideas, if you are using them reverently, nothing could be more respectful than that." (2021) Worries about appropriation and authenticity have blocked many-a-teacher from sharing more of the world's music with students. Our stance in World Music Pedagogy is to select carefully the music to be taught, use sources that have been vetted (for example, much of the Folkways collection), and develop pedagogical experiences that repeatedly refer to the source recordings--and to the people and their cultural heritage and values. We stand with Mr. Appiah on striving for reverence and respect!

08/01/2023

Congrats, Katelyn Best! Reminds us of your wonderful presention during this summer’s course. https://www.facebook.com/100057641440365/posts/755848053013236/?mibextid=5eVWNK

Dip hop artists move across the stage, hands flying through the air, as audiences pulse to the rhythm of a blasting bass beat.

07/12/2023

Join us as we meet the students in the African music and dance ensemble at WVU. Mike Vercelli, director of the world music program, speaks on the importance ...