Cultural Literacy: Understanding Customs, Traditions, Culture, Music, and Dance

Introduction to Cultural Literacy
  • Engagement is Key: The speaker emphasizes that the learning experience's quality (e.g., boredom) is determined by the participant's engagement, not solely by the subject matter itself, especially when discussing cultural literacy.
  • Core Components of Cultural Literacy: Requires understanding and discussion of:
    • Culture
    • Tradition
    • Customs
Personal Background and Cultural Identity
  • Significance of Names: The speaker's names (e.g., Chief) are not merely labels but hold deep cultural and spiritual significance.
    • Sources of Names: Given by:
      • Spiritual healers and diviners
      • Leaders
      • Parents
      • Cultural custodians
  • Early Exposure to Master Drummers: The speaker's home served as a lodging for master drummers from various parts of the world when they visited the United States.
    • Impact: These masters became personal teachers, providing an immersive, authentic learning experience.
    • Role in College: The speaker worked as an accompanist (not a work-study student) for a dance company, finding it a "fantastic" and "amazing" experience, contrasting it with traditional academic roles.
    • Mickey Davidson's Class: Mentioned having three classes meeting on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
    • Mr. Adeglia's Intervention: An anecdote about a college professor, Mr. Adeglia, who, recognizing the speaker's experience in an introductory class, called the speaker into his office, broke protocol by closing the door, and encouraged them to speak about cultural practices.
Defining Key Cultural Terms
  • Customs:
    • Definition: Shared practices, rituals, beliefs, and practical actions within a community that are informed by its identity and structure society.
    • Characteristics: Shared practices, beliefs, and rituals.
    • Origin: Customs can be chosen by an individual or group, or one can be born into them.
  • Culture:
    • Scope: Encompasses rituals, language, values, and aesthetics.
    • Nature: Culture is a language in itself.
    • Individual vs. Collective: Can relate to an individual's way of life and also to broader societal structures.
  • Tradition:
    • Definition: The passing down of cultural elements, customs, and practices from one generation to the next.
    • Key Requirement: For something to be a tradition, it must be passed down "over time."
    • Example: If taking off shoes in a room is a consistent practice across multiple generations (e.g., "last year and the year before and the year before"), it transitions from being a custom to a tradition.
    • Another Example: Sitting in a circle for a specific talk becomes a tradition if it's consistently passed on over time.
Cultural Literacy and Art Forms
  • Connection to Art: The art form being learned (dance, music, etc.) is an integral part of the culture of the ethnic group from which it originates.
    • Examples of Ethnic Groups: Malinke, Akan, Susu, Ewe, Yoruba – these groups are structured and defined by their culture, which also acts as its custodian, guardian, and initiator.
  • Culturally Literate Community: A community that is "culturally literal" knows how to:
    • Read the messages embedded in their art.
    • Understand and make sense of the messages, language, and components of artistic expressions.
    • Recognize meaning, symbology, and communication within the art form.
  • Practicality of African Art: Because culturally literate communities understand the deeper meaning of their art, it is not merely something to be admired for its beauty but serves a practical purpose.
Redefining Music and Dance
  • Challenge for the Non-Culturally Literate: People who are not "culturally literate" often struggle to connect music and dance because, in certain environments, music and dance have been "codified" and separated as distinct, independent entities.
  • Dance as Kinetic Expression: Dance can be broadly defined as "the kinetic expression of energy," or "energy as it flows through a form and makes movement."
    • Application: In a symphony orchestra, the synchronized movement of bows is a form of dance.
    • Unison: An orchestra teacher might train the class to move in "unison," creating a "dance aspect" (kinetic expression) associated with the sound.
    • Movement + Music = Dance: Expressive movement synchronized with music is a manifestation of dance.
  • Spoken Word as Music:
    • Reversal of the Concept: Just as dance can be seen within music, spoken word, when rendered expressively with an artistic component, can be considered music. This inverts the previous concept to show the interconnectedness of artistic forms.