7 - Fulbright Senior Scholar award to Ghana, West Africa
Career Phase Four (1993-1994)
I spent one whole year in Ghana. I affiliated with the Ghana Dance Ensemble and studied private gyil (xylophone) and drumming lessons with Bernard Woma and Francis Kofi. The experiences were many. I have returned four times since that year. The research is waiting for me to organize!
When I returned to the USA, I immediately presented at a USIA conference and was able to include my teacher in that conference. Many musicians and professors learn in context and take away without giving support or credence to their teachers. I have dedicated this aspect of my career to the support and inclusion of a person from the culture. While I have learned many aspects about their musics, there is no doubt in my mind that it isn’t really about the music; it is about the people. We dig deeper to the people through art and literature but in the final analysis, we must understand the people.