The Lakota Music Project

Many American symphony orchestras make efforts at what is sometimes called outreach. I have always hated that word, because it is one-directional. In my life of work with orchestras I did what I could to encourage a change to “community engagement,” which more accurately describes what should be the intent––a two-way relationship, rather than the condescending approach of “big, wonderful, generous we will reach out to you and give you something that we know you will love.” Some engagement projects have turned out to be little more than tokenism (e.g., when an orchestra programs a gospel concert on Martin Luther King’s birthday), but others have led to a greater integration of the orchestra with a much wider representation of its community. One of the most thoughtful and successful of these has been the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra’s Lakota Music Project. It was created and shaped between 2005 and 2008, and from the very beginning it involved representatives from the orchestra and from the Lakota and Dakota native tribes, who remain an important presence in South Dakota. The project has addressed the troubled history of racial tension, with the stated goal to be “a practical demonstration between white and American Indian musicians to advance cultural understanding.” The project continues to serve as a model for American orchestras. It features a Lakota drumming and vocal group called the Creekside Singers, the Dakota cedar flutist Bryan Akipa, and musicians from the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra. Together they perform music of their heritages as well as music commissioned specifically for the project. This CD makes clear the depth of the project’s accomplishments. Each work has something unique and valuable to say to all of us. Composer Brent Michael Davids was born in 1959 in Madison, Wisconsin, and is a member of the Stockbridge Munsee Community, a Native American tribe. Black Hills Olowan is a colorful, energetic work honoring the relationship between the Lakota people and the Black Hills. A Lakota song, “Heart Butte Special,” is incorporated into an orchestral tapestry. The work also features drumming and singing from the Creekside Singers, whose interaction with the SDSO musicians drives the music forward. Principal oboist Jeffrey Paul has always been deeply interested in the traditional folk music of various cultures. He is therefore a natural to be the composers of Wind on a Clear Lake, which was written specifically for Bryan Akipa, a 2016 National Heritage Fellow of the National Endowment for the Arts and a Dakota flute maker. On his website Akipa explains the instrument: “Instead of a sharper-edged embouchure-hole at one end, Dakota flutes have round openings on both sides, and no reed. Two air channels are created by a vertical bridge in the interior part of the saddle. This manipulates the air jet produced by the player, creating sound. The saddle is usually affixed with leather cord and can be adjusted to fine tune the sound of the instrument. Every culture has flutes, but [Native American] flutes are the only flutes in the world that use this method.” The sound is rich, darker than classical flutes, and perfect for projecting the atmosphere described by Paul as one of “deep spirituality.” After the energetic drive of Black Hills Olowan, the calm beauty of Wind on a Clear Lake is a perfect contrast. Paul’s other work on the program, Desert Wind, makes imaginative use of the colors available from the combination of two cellos, guitar, and the Creekside Singers. The major work on the program is the half-hour Victory Songs, composed by the best-known classical Native American composer, Jerod Impichch¬aachaaha’ Tate (b. 1968) and eloquently sung by bass-baritone Stephen Bryant. In these six songs Impichch¬aachaaha’ Tate’s imaginative way of mixing voice and orchestra is very effective. Each song celebrates a Lakota warrior, including Red Cloud, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull. One serious shortcoming of this disc is that the producers did not include texts and translations. Such dramatic, powerful songs cry out for the words to be understood, so their absence is a shame. . Theodore Wiprud’s arrangement of Amazing Grace begins with Bryan Akipa’s Dakota flute, which is hauntingly beautiful. It turns out that this is a traditional song for Lakota drumming groups as well as for so many other cultures. It makes a wonderfully appropriate conclusion. Wiprud writes, “Perhaps this work captures what we’re doing here––finding common ground as equals between two long musical traditions.” The program notes are well written and helpful, though they could have been more extensive given the unusual nature of this project. The title listing on the jacket indicates a total of five tracks, but Victory Songs takes six tracks so the disc actually has ten. Do not let my complaints about some production issues discourage you from exploring this remarkable recording. It introduces a wonderful and very different world of music, one I enjoyed immensely. This release demonstrates that projects of this nature can, when approached with intellectual rigor and truly open minds, result in innovative and attractive music. Henry Fogel Five stars: A stimulating combination of Native American musicians with a symphony orchestra