Today’s lesson focused around the four areas of organology
(the scientific study of musical instruments). I learned a lot about the
various subcategories including aerophones, cordophones, etc. I can already say
that my music vocabulary has started to expand since being here. Just being
able to use the word “beat” or “rhythm” in a sentence correctly feels like a
huge accomplishment. I really feel as if I am actually immersed into the music
culture here learning how to dance, sing, and play instruments.
For lunch I cooked up some pasta sauce to share with again
anyone who wanted it. It feels so good to have some time to cook again. Then
after lunch we had our host Urias come to our classroom and teach us about
history of Grenada and folk stories. He brought his daughter and the two of
them sang for everyone traditional songs that had some connection to Grenadian
history (involving slaves, loneliness, etc). Their voices were so beautiful. It
surprised me when I realized that great artists exist in this world like Urias
and his daughter that are not interested in fame. They sing just to sing and
have their people’s stories heard and kept alive for others to hear. They were
also interested in teaching us Grenada’s history including all of the invasions
and the history of the island. I can already see the significance of
understanding the country’s history because it is such an integral part of
their modern dance and song. So much music has African roots to it coming from
the slaves brought from Africa. Without understanding the context of the slave
songs, we will never truly be able to interpret the music.
Urias also is a playwright who shared one of his latest
stories with Chris and I. We each had to read a few lines from the beginning of
the play which he has still not completed. He showed us how he would integrate
local colloquial language into the dialogue to make it sound authentic, and
Chris and I both got an inside peak into how he goes about writing his plays.
He even asked our opinion about how we think the play should end. It was really
interesting to see his creative mind at work.
After Urias finished we had a few hours free time. We all finally
rested a bit but then a few of us decided to go into town. The weather was
beautiful today, cloudy with a nice ocean breeze as we walked ten minutes to
Grenville’s center for some food. Since we loved the food at one restaurant the
first time around, we decided to go back to the Melting Pot restaurant. When we
finished, Nathan and I went on a little adventure around the center to find
some of Grenada’s famous “Water’s Rum,” known to be the strongest rum which
will magically give you no hangover (in order to celebrate Chris’ 21st
birthday). We met this guy named Fish who led us to this tiny place that song
the liquor. While Nathan talked to the lady at the counter, I talked awhile
with one customer. She was a very sweet woman with a warm smile who was curious
about our visit to Grenada. She went on and on about how Grenada is the best
place to live in the whole world with the friendliest people (which I believe).
She told me how no one has a lot of money, but they know how to have fun. It
makes me think about life back in America. Here the simplest things make people
so happy and it is such a joy to see. It also makes me realize how we take
things for granted. A lot of times it’s as if we need to have money to do
things that make us happy, but here it’s just the presence of friends, family,
and music that satisfy a person’s quest for happiness.
Our next adventure was to take a taxi to the Tivoli
drummers. We were told that they move around quite often, so it was a mystery
in itself where we were being taken. Once we arrived, the location was in a
very rural area with narrow roads. There were about five drummers who
instructed us to sit down. We were given a brief history of the Tivoli drummers
and the music that they produce. I thought it was really interesting that they
practice and perfect their craft by doing spontaneous and freestyle sessions.
They will go out into the streets and perform to the rhythm of the day, which I
find to be so fascinating. 
After the short history lesson, we were then allowed to take
a drum and sit in the circle. The head drummer told us that in order to have
the privilege to play the drums, we had to give a solid effort to internalize
the music and feel the beat within us. We had to feel it from the inside in
order to translate it to our hands and motions. At first we learned a few basic
rhythms, like the heartbeat. We played these for awhile in order to get used to
the instruments (which actually really hurt your hands). Then, towards the end
of the three hour session we were given the opportunity to free style. It was
so amazing what happened. He would have one person start and then each of us would
just make up whatever beats that we wanted to join in. All of us would be
playing to create music. I had a blast. I’ve always wanted to try to play drums
and I loved how they gave us the freedom to listen to the beats and input in
our own creative way. Towards the end we were all so into it that there were multiple
breakout, spontaneous performances by people in our group. We were all so sad
to have to leave the session, but we had to pile into the back of the bus to
head back.
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