Perpetuating Nigerian Cultures in Musical Arts Education within the Threshold of Current Global Environment

Abstract

In the past, articulation of traditional musical arts offered the Nigerian child opportunity for demonstrating sense of belonging with his environment. Participation in traditional music unveiled to him, key aspects of socio-cultural expression and behavior that stimulated new levels of appreciation of his culture. The current trend in musical arts education has denied the child the great opportunity of acquiring basic local knowledge, attaining social, cultural, religious and cosmic awareness, which the western music practices, could not offer him. Our inadequacies in playing or singing our indigenous music and inability to identify the folk taxonomies of our traditional musical instruments are glaring. Research conducted in selected Primary Schools in Anambra State, Nigeria over a period of five years (2003 – 2008) has proved that the Nigerian child still has the capacity and ability to effectively perform the traditional music of his community with great enthusiasm and passion. This article suggests ways of reviving our musical roots by examining the society’s attitude towards traditional music, restructuring the music curricula and retraining the music educators. It posits that only such appropriate measures could refocus and strengthen our musical arts delivery and put us on the right track towards making a bold statement in the current global setting.