For centuries, the Nigerian dundun, or "talking drum," has captivated drummers around the world for the distinctive way it captures the pitch and rhythms of native language. Now, a UT Arlington associate professor is using his research to raise its profile in the United States.
Michael Varner, associate professor of music and director of percussion studies, took faculty leave to study the dundun in West Africa four years ago. He collected over a thousand photos, video and audio of dundun performances and language examples. His research and reflections were recently published in the journal, Percussive Notes.
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