Choose one option and prepare a report of 3-4 pages in length of double-spaced type (minimum 600 words). Make certain to indicate which option you have chosen in the heading of your paper and follow the writing criteria and instructions for format.

Make an instrument using the plans offered in the Worlds of Music text or in David Reck's Music of the Whole Earth (on reserve in the Music Library, catalog # MT6.R273 M9). Bring it to class when this assignment is due (or arrange for a special date should you need more time). You should be prepared to speak for a few minutes about the process of construction and what you learned about the acoustic and aesthetic features of your instrument and those like it. Write a very short report describing the steps you took including: how you decided what instrument to build, here you found information on the instrument, the stages of construction, the issues you had to take into account when building, the tuning (if relevant), how your instrument compares to ones like it.

We have encountered discussions of the Pow Wow through several different perspectives: Bruno Nettl's discussion of the structure of the Pow Wow, David McAllester's discussions in your Worlds of Music text regarding the nature of the Grass Dance Song, and Jeanine Moret's exploration of the Pow Wow circuit in the film Song Journey (P98.P86 S64 1994 ). Using these resources to guide you, discuss how this tradition has developed to sustain old values as it struggles to accommodate new circumstances. Offer at least three examples representing each side.

 Option Three: Music and Healing

One of the topics that emerges from this week's examination of Native American music is the role of music in healing. This function of music is widely recognized around the world, but has been cultivated in different ways. As you review the week's assigned examples, consider: how does music heal? Find at least two other examples (preferably from different cultures) where music is assigned a healing role. (Relevant collections of recordings on reserve in the Music Library include Pat Moffit Cook: Shaman, Jhankri & Nele: Music Healers of Indigenous Cultures, catalog # YUMP 334.9, and Marina Roseman, Dream songs and healing sounds in the rainforests of Malaysia, Compact Disc 1302) Are the approaches the same in the cases you examined? (Consider also the conceptions underlying each approach, as well as the specific techniques used.) Which approach do you find most appealing and why?

Option Four: Music Healers

Interview someone who has used (or experienced) music in a healing setting. How did this person learn about the healing tradition using music? Which practices and styles most interest him or her and why? How do these examples compare with the ones discussed in class or in the assigned readings? In your answer think about who makes the music used in healing. For example, how would using a recording to supply music change Navajo practice?

Rent a video of the film Smoke Signals ; watch it paying close attention to the role music plays in the film. Don’t forget to watch the credits so you can identify the selections featured in the film. How does the music contribute to the impact of the film? How does the music in the film compare to the selections representing Native Americans that appear in your Worlds of Music text. Discuss at least three examples in detail.

The second largest reservation in the United States belongs to the Tohono O'odham nation. Like the Navajo, the O'odham enjoy music of many different types. Among the most visible to Tucson residents is the social dance music known as waila. Listen to some recordings of waila music and compare it to the examples of American Indian music featured in your text. How does waila represent a blend of contemporary and traditional perspectives? What do you find most interesting about waila performance?

You might enjoy reading Jim Grifith's chapter on waila in Musics of Muslticultural America (ML3477 .M88 1997) or my discussion of waila in "Movement Analysis as a Tool for Understanding Identity" (see electronic reserves) to give you more background on waila.