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African Ensemble
John Dorsey, Director
Mark Stone, Associate Director
OPEN TO ALL EMU STUDENTS
The African Ensemble is a group dedicated to the study and performance of the music and drumming of Africa using authentic instruments. The course objectives are:
1.) to provide for a learning environment in which to broaden the student's general, technical, historical and practical knowledge of music of other traditions and societies;
2.) to enrich the cultural aspects and appreciation of the students involved, as well as the university and community, and;
3.) to further develop professional educators and performers who have a diversified background, so that they will be better prepared for whatever opportunities arise in the field of professional music, music education or music therapy.
Past semesters have included the study of the music, drumming and traditions of the Ewe people of southeastern Ghana, dalari drumming from the Dagara people of northern Ghana and the study of the embaire, a large xylophone from Uganda.
The EMU African Ensemble was first established in 2001 and is currently offered in Winter semesters only as a Special Topics course. It is open to all EMU students, though an audition may be required, but only if enrollment exceeds capacity (12).
MARK STONE, Associate Director of the EMU African Ensemble, holds degrees in percussion performance from the University of Michigan and West Virginia University. In 1992, as an exchange student between the U of M and the University of Ghana, he traveled throughout Ghana to study its rich musical traditions. In 1996, he returned to Africa to study the musical traditions of Uganda as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. During a recent research trip to Trinidad, Mark performed throughout the carnival festivities as a member of one of the country’s leading steel drum ensembles. Mark also performs regularly in NYC with the innovative jazz ensemble, Imaginary Homeland. As a member of the contemporary music ensemble, Tonk, he has performed at major New Music festivals in the U.S. and Europe. Mark currently teaches courses in music history and directs the African Ensemble and Steel Band at Oakland University. Along with Aminou Ibrahim, Miguel Gutierrez, and Issa Sall, Mark is part of the Biakuye Unity Ensemble.
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