UNC Global Rhythms Ensemble teaches amateurs, experts

Music professor Juan Álamo’s students march to the beat of their own drums. They’re members of UNC Global Rhythms Ensemble, a group that aims to honor non-European musical traditions in higher education.

Álamo said the group was born out of the music school’s desire to incorporate a more globally-oriented curriculum.

Students, including junior and member Karen Cheng, said they appreciated this.

“A lot of the classes here are just classical American or European classes, but these are all just passed down, and they’re very folk-type music,” she said. “A lot of the pitches or the rhythms don’t follow a classical beat — it’s just kind of syncopated, and you have to follow it with your heart.”

The class also prides itself on its accessibility for non-music majors. Students don’t need to know how to read music, and much of the class instruction is based in following the rhythms Álamo plays.

Álamo said all are welcome.

“I teach them by ear. I play a rhythm and then they play it back. Sometimes they read stuff, but most of the time, they don’t need to because this music is passed down orally from one generation to another,” Álamo said. “And I’m trying to keep that tradition, of playing the music by ear and learning by ear in this communal environment so they play as a community.”

Junior Jackson Valentine, a music and political science double major who is mentored by Álamo, said the class is a viable option for all.

“There’s a guy and his girlfriend in there right now, and neither of them have ever played percussion. Their goal is to take one new class that they don’t know anything about every semester, and this is the one. So anyone can play, yeah,” Valentine said.

As a computer science major, Cheng said she agrees.

“I just wanted to do something different. It’s a class that doesn’t require a prerequisite, and I have kind of a music background,” she said. “Basically I didn’t want to do too many programming or math-type classes — just to use a different part of my brain.”

Performances involve dancing, singing and drumming, mirroring traditions the class draws from. By explaining the lyrics, Álamo helps students understand the songs’ context.

Valentine said despite his concentration in percussion, additional parts of the performance aren’t a stretch.

“I play the conga a lot, so I don’t really dance. We do a lot of background vocals called the ‘coro’ — which is ‘chorus’ in Spanish — and it’s not really hard singing,” he said.

Álamo said the concerts expose students to other musical experiences.

“It’s an excellent opportunity to come listen to and encounter music you don’t hear in your daily life routine on television or on any other classes that we offer. This is the only ensemble in the entire department that explores this culture.”

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