What is Ethnomusicology?
Having Scripture-based songs is a way for people to store God’s Word in their hearts as well as worship Him meaningfully. Developing community members to compose Scripture songs in their heart language using culturally appropriate music styles is therefore essential. Community leaders and cross-cultural missionaries together must then explore their vision for use of songs in their languages and their impact. We desire that it would lead to many talented people from each community being trained in different ways, to be poets, songwriters, composers, singers, musicians, stage singers etc. This will introduce singing ethnic songs in Churches to worship the Lord Jesus in a meaningful way. Worship leads to personal transformation which in turn leads to the Church impacting the community. We dream that every Church & Language Community will develop their own strategy for developing scripture-based songs for worshiping Jesus.
We conduct 4 days workshops and are usually organized where the community resides. The workshop helps to develop in the people a mindset to respect their own ethnic songs. It helps the participants to realize how much effect scriptural ethnic music can have on the community, especially for people to grow in the knowledge of the Lord. The participants will be trained in writing Scripture-based songs in a culturally appropriate way using their mother tongue. They will also be trained to check the Biblical accuracy of the songs and will learn to record songs and distribute them through relevant media. The learner will be doing self-generated research throughout the lessons about their own ethnic situation. By the end of the course, they will leave with ample knowledge about their own culture and curiosity to do further research.
Under this category, local people are taught how to write songs in their mother tongue and sing them. These songs are based on the Word of God. Once the songs are composed then help is provided to have them in the recorded form. The recorded form is distributed to the local people through an SD card, pen drive or by means of any other electronic device.
Click here for Sansi Songs.
ORIENTATION
Lessons in this part will orient community pastors and Christian leaders to create a VISION for developing a local EM team and learn about different responsibilities in developing this team. The value of first exploring their desires and needs for ethnic music is important. Therefore, until there is some shared vision and desire for the role of local music among local leaders, the EM facilitators should not move ahead with any EM program. In the meantime, they should focus on encouraging and praying for a vision to develop within the local community.
EXPLORATION
In some contexts, the EM facilitator needs to work with some leaders that are from a cross-cultural background. They may be church-planters working with para-church organizations such as those involved in church-planting, Bible Translation, Scripture Engagement, etc. The EM facilitator, along with these leaders, must find out EM needs and develop a way forward for its EM activities. Lessons in the Exploration section will give guidance to the EM facilitator and church & para-church organization leaders on how to start EM in their community. Using these modules, they may discuss various types of music, its importance, occasions when their music is used, etc. in their language. The roles of leaders and the EM facilitator in taking their EM Way forward will be clearly identified at this stage. The first two parts, ORIENTATION, and EXPLORATION may be organized either in a workshop setting or as face-to-face discussions.
INITIATION
Initiation is to be organized in a songwriting workshop and is usually organized where a community resides. This workshop will help to lay the foundation within the community for developing songs & music through acceptance & respect for their ethnic backgrounds and therefore, their songs. It helps the participants to realize how much impact Scripture-based ethnic sings and music can have on their community, especially for people to grow in the knowledge of the Lord. Participants will be trained in writing Scripture-based songs in a culturally appropriate way using their mother tongue. They will also be trained to check the Biblical accuracy of the songs and will learn to record songs and distribute them through relevant media. The learner will be doing self-generated research throughout the lessons about their own ethnic situation. By the end of this session, the participant will leave with ample knowledge about their own culture and curiosity to do further research.