Dr. Janice Haworth, professor of music and chair of the Bemidji State University Department of Music, is leading a new summer program on campus, “Bemidji Global Grooves,” beginning in June.

This summer workshop, which will focus on the traditional music of the West African country of Guinea, will be held in four sessions that can be attended individually, beginning June 1. The sessions are scheduled for June 1, June 15, July 6 and July 27 and will be held from 9 a.m. until noon in the Thompson Recital Hall of BSU’s Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex.

The workshops carry a fee of $29 each, or $22 each for seniors 65 and older. Participants wishing to attend all four workshops can do so for $100, a $16 discount over the individual session price. Seniors can attend all four workshops for $75.

Early bird registration is available until May 6. Interested participants can register for individual workshops for $25 each or participate in all four for $85. Seniors can attend individual sessions for $18 each of $60 for all four.

There is a maximum of 35 participants in each workshop, and workshop participants must be at least 10 years old. Children ages 10-14 must have parental supervision. Photo IDs will be required to obtain a senior discount.

Registration is available online.

Workshop schedule
Although each weekly workshop will present a different aspect of Guinea’s musical culture, the workshops will be separate. They will be hosted by Haworth, who spent two years living and teaching in Guinea as a Fullbright scholar, and Dr. Janet Moen,
an adjunct instructor in sociology, who spent time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ethiopia.

Each week’s workshop includes stories and videos of musical examples from that region and hands-on opportunities to play drums and recreate the musical experiences. Haworth and Moen will also examine each region from a historical and cultural perspective, as music comes from people and their heritage, history and resources.

The weekly schedule of workshops is:

• June 1 – The Music and Culture of Coastal Guinea
• June 15 – The Arabic Influence in the Music of Middle Guinea
• July 6 – The Sounds and Styles of the Forest Region of Guinea
• July 27 – The Mali Empire Musical Traditions of High Guinea

For more information, contact Angie Gora, director of summer programming at Bemidji State University, (218) 755-2851.