| dc.description.abstract | There has been unsatisfactory integration of traditional music into education, despite
the fact that the Ministry of Education advocates its use, stating that education should
‘preserve South Africa’s cultural practice; develop an appreciation for the practice of
one’s culture; and develop a sense of respect for other people’s culture’. South Africa is
in need of a music education philosophy that is culturally embedded, cognisant of the
societal context in which it is to function, and informed by South African ideas and
philosophy of life. This study entails sourcing the Ethnomusicological and
Anthropological focus in musicology for purposes of providing a better understanding
on music and identity, and how ‘informal learning’ can inform ‘formal learning’.
Simultaneously it aims to play a role in broadening, deepening and enriching the
dimensions of Music Education, in the sense that the process of teaching and learning
indigenous music in the classroom situation is surprisingly underestimated. The
underlying intent of the study was a) to investigate the modes of transmission in the
teaching and learning process of indigenous Pedi music; and b) to determine how the
Musical Arts have an impact on cultural identity, morals and value systems within the
Pedi community. The operational ground of the study is the Pedi society, its music and
the various traditional music and dance groups that constitute its membership. The
study explored how social interaction in the Pedi society is a critical component of
situated learning, and involves a ‘community of practice’ which embodies certain
beliefs and behaviours. It described and discussed the whole spectrum of the
indigenous musical arts of the Pedi people within the context of history, education,
entertainment, cultural celebrations, religion and rituals, and explained how they are
transmitted without written transcriptions. Findings of this study show that in the Pedi
culture, musical development: transmission, teaching and learning is complex. Music
takes place in many contexts, and the teaching and learning of Pedi music employs
indigenous methods of transmission. With regard to how the Musical Arts of the Pedi
people impact on their cultural identity, the enquiry has revealed that the music gives
the activities identity and meaning on the one hand, while deriving identity and
meaning from the activities on the other hand.
My hope is that this thesis will contribute to the nationally significant question of
the integration of traditional music into education in the construction of the post-
apartheid society and its capacities in South Africa, and at the same time, offer a
uniquely Pedi perspective on the modes of transmission in the teaching and learning
process of indigenous Pedi music. | |
