Roots and Branches

A Legacy of Multicultural Music for Children

By Patricia Shehan Campbell,
Ellen McCullough-Brabson
and Judith Cook Tucker

Click to listen!

Click to listen!

ISBN 0-937203-55-6 Book/Audio CD SET $29.95

A unique book and audio sampler whose roots circle the globe.A collection of 38 musical memories - songs and singing games-- contributed by singers from 23 distinct cultures. Here is an "around-the-world" collection that offers you more than just a shallow encounter. These refreshingly unfamiliar gems of childhood include hand game songs, game chants, circle dances, lullabies, work songs, and songs for listening.

Each contributor has reached deeply into their musical roots, sharing cherished memories to nurture the many branches of their family and community trees. These proud culture bearers keep the flame of their heritage bright, while living and working within the American mosaic.

These are the roots that anchor us to generations of tradition, these are the branches that intertwine to create a strong network of support, intercultural understanding and mutual respect. This is their legacy to us and our children of all ages, but particularly 3-12.

The Collection includes:

• Selections from Brazil, Cajun, China, England, Eritrea, France, India, Korea, Japan, Puerto Rico, Malaysia, Mozambique, New Mexico, Israel, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kiowa/Comanche, Navajo, Russia, Iran, Ireland, Ecuador, and African-American traditions
• Overview of each culture
• Mini-biography and photograph of each contributor
• Background notes on each song, game directions for each game
• Original language, pronunciation, translation for each song
• Copy-OK musical transcriptions
• Copy-OK Maps showing the country of origin for each song
• Copy -OK Facts and Figures data on easy to read charts for each culture area

The Audio CD or Cassette includes:

• Every selection in the well-loved version of the contributors, sung in the original language, a cappella by them or accompanied by musicians from the culture
• Contributor/Performers include Janice Allen (Georgia Sea Islands), Bayou Seco (Cajun), Sam-Ang Sam (Cambodian), Katya Ponomareva (Russia) and many more

About the Authors

Patricia Shehan Campbell, Ph.D.Patricia Shehan Campbell is Professor of Music at the University of Washington. She received her Ph.D. in music education with a concentration in ethnomusicology from Kent State University, where she studied South Indian mridangam and Karnatic vocal techniques with Ramnad V. Raghavan, played in the Thai Ensemble and studied Laotian kaen with Terry Miller and Jarernchai Conpairot. She has served on the faculties of Washington University in St. Louis, and Butler University in Indianapolis, where she was chair of the department of music education. While in St. Louis, she took part in an NEA-funded project resulting in Silk Sarongs and City Streets, a study of Laotian resettlement in the U.S.

Her interest in world music has taken her as lecturer and researcher to Bulgaria, Hungary, China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, India and Australia. She is a consultant on music in early and middle childhood, world music education, and Dalcroze (eurhythmics, improvisation, and solfege). She is author of numerous publications that blend ethnomusicological and educational issues, including Lessons from the World, Music in Childhood, Sounds of the World: "Music of Eastern Europe," and "Music of Southeast Asia." She is the co-author of Multicultural Perspectives in Music Education (MENC) with William Anderson, and three other World Music Press publications: Silent Temples, Songful Hearts: Traditional Music of Cambodia with Sam-Ang Sam, The Lion's Roar: Chinese Luogu Percussion Ensembles with Han Kuo-Huang, and From Rice Paddies and Temple Yards: Traditional Music of Vietnam, with Phong Nguyen.

Pat has been chair of the Society for Ethnomusicology's Education Committee, and board member of the International Society for Music Education(ISME), The College Music society, and the Journal of Research in Music Education. She is an active member of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, the Organization of American Kodaly Educators and the Dalcroze Society.

Ellen McCullough-Brabson, DMAEllen McCullough Brabson is Professor of Music Education at the University of New Mexico. she received her Bachelor of Music degree from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and MM and DMA degrees from the University of Arizona. She has taken postdoctoral courses in ethnomusicology at the University of Washington where she studied Yoruba drumming and Indonesian gamelan. She has taught elementary general music in the Cincinnati, Tucson and Albuquerque school districts.

An active workshop clinician, Ellen has presented sessions on multicultural music for ISME, the MENC, AOSA, and numerous state and local teacher in-service days. She has taught summer multicultural music education workshops at several universities. Her published articles are on topics including world musics, Appalachian music, the dulcimer, and musical instruments from around the world. She was a contributing author to the MENC publications Writings in Early Childhood and Multicultural Perspectives in Music Education. Ellen is currently completing a project on Navajo Songs with Marilyn Hood.

Judith Cook Tucker, MAJudith Cook Tucker received her BA from New York University (Journalism and Anthropology), and MA in Liberal Studies, Wesleyan University, with a concentration in World Music for the classroom. Founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of World Music Press, she is also co-author with Abraham Kobena Adzenyah and Dumisani Maraire of Let Your Voice Be Heard! Songs from Ghana and Zimbabwe, and the composer of several songs for youth choirs. (For more complete bio, see separate Publisher Bio page.)

"What a find! This book alone is enough to diversity an entire music, ESL or social studies curriculum! I have been searching for a collection like this for a long time. What makes it so wonderful is that instead of just a pocket full of songs out of context, you've given us cultural and historical background and a bio of the contributors. My K-5 music classes pick up the songs and games really quickly, and the social studies teacher in my school finds the background and the charts very handy, so we can plan a unit together." -Barbara Maisonpierre, Music Educator, The Wooster School, Danbury CT