Sidnee McLeod

Dr. Veblen
Music 1800A
November 8th, 2015
Reading: Brisson
Brisson, J. (2015). Exoticism in multicultural choral repertoire: A comparison of Lydia Adams Mikmaq
Honour Song and Stephen Hatfields Nukapianguaq CME/MEC 56(4): 30-34
This article focused on the need for multiculturalism and diversity in the classroom. There is so
much diversity in the world, and we are starting to become a global community, so it is important that
students learn about each other, those who have different cultures or life styles, rather than just
western culture. The article talks about wanting to bring up an intercultural awareness in students by
using non-western musical material in the classroom. Brisson wants the students to have an
understanding of difference in a positive manner, of course, so that we can join people together and
make a community that is accepting of each other. Brisson begins to answer the question of how we can
incorporate the non-western musical material and make sure we do it correctly as to not be
disrespectful to the other cultures and give students a thorough and accurate understanding of them.
The article writes and compares the appropriateness between two pieces that were written to reference
non-western culture.
I was interested in hearing about the embodied learning. I think that it is so amazing that this
type of learning allows students to be immersed and experience the actual cultural of a group. They
were able to have Yanyuwa women teach students the Yanyuwa Ngardirdji dance, and even got them all
dressed up and painted to be prepared for the dance. I was also interested in how the students reacted
to this experience. I understand that they would feel uncomfortable by performing a dance from a
culture that they were not used to, but I was curious about the comment that the ochre did not look as

beautiful on their white skin as it did on the skin of the Yanyuwa women. There is nothing wrong with
eithers skin type, but these comments made me more aware and understanding of what is meant by
embodied learning. I thought it would just be implemented by being immersed in the culture, but it
also requires students to reflect and realize the differences between themselves and the other cultures,
and to be accepting of them. I only hope that it is not taken as a negative experience, just a different
one.
I was also surprised at how much of a difference there was between the two non-western
multicultural pieces. The difference was just in the result and the effect it could have on people. Both
composers had to have had good intention and a passion for writing the music, but it just goes to show,
surprisingly, how some of us still do not understand what cultural appropriation is and what it means to
pay homage to a culture and to be inspired by it, but also to respect it. I am glad that these pieces were
analyzed and that we keep bringing up the importance of researching a culture and respecting a
cultures values. That way, we can live together and understand each other without hating each other.
White Superiority is one of the most frustrating things that I can hear about, because I know it
is true, and a lot of us do not participate in it. A lot of us are all trying to make changes for the better,
but there are still people who forget to respect other cultures; that they are just as important as
Western culture. We should never alter music from different cultures because it sounds better or our
system is more advanced in terms of music. It is frustrating when we do this, malicious intent or not,
because it seems like we are not taking the time to learn about all of the complexities of the music of
every culture, we are just simplifying it so that we can fit it into a Westernized box. It is almost like we
do not want to understand the differences, just make them similar to our culture so that we do not have
to deal with the history and emotions of others. I used to be one of those people who did not
understand cultural appropriation, but I learned from an experience and had someone explain it to me. I

want to be able to seen as an accepting and respectful human being, and I want everyone, including my
students if I become a teacher, to learn about other cultures.
If I were to say anything to Brisson, it would be how young can we teach cultural appropriation
and how do we all become respectful?, because there are people of all ages who still do not
understand, and I want to be able to present it in a way so that both children and adults alike can grasp
the concept. It is a complex concept sometimes.