This 2023 summer study abroad course titled Urban & Rural music in Community: Participatory music-making in Ghana was taught at the West African Cultural Exchange Centre in Dagbamete, which is founded and directed by Kwasi Dunyo. This course immersed students in the vibrant musical culture and community life in Dagbamete, an Ewe village in the Volta Region of Ghana and also offered opportunities to explore the urban musical culture of Ghana’s capital city, Accra where students spent some time taking lessons and practical music making at the University of Ghana at Legon. The course was led and taught by Kathy Armstrong, M.Mus, MA, as well as guest lecturers and instructors based in Ghana.
It was an experience of a lifetime for 12 Carleton University students enrolled in the Institute of African Studies annual Study Abroad course, cross-listed this year with the music program’s experiential learning course, Urban and Rural Music in Community. The students say the 18-day adventure in Ghana has changed their worldview and they will never forget the experience.
More student testimonial and experience here.
