WEST POINT, N.Y. (Feb. 23, 2011) -- Thayer Hall rocked with the thunderous beat of African drums and clavel rhythm as the West Point Band and the History Department presented a musical lecture on African music and its influence on the musical styles of jazz, rock, hip-hop, calypso and Cuban music.
The Feb. 16 lecture was part of an ongoing series of musical lectures that emphasize the role of music in history and its impact on societies throughout history.
Mixing history and musicianship, Staff Sgt. Jeff Prosperie deftly moved between the roles of musician and narrator, while Staff Sgts. Brandon Nelson, J. Andrew Porter, William Cuthbert and Alexis Cole provided expert support with percussion, bass and vocals.
The band's enthusiasm proved contagious and fired up students with the link between popular bands of today, such as the Black Eyed Peas, and West African beats that stretched back to the slave trade.
Students of the lecture expressed surprise at the impact of African influences on today's music and society. The main audience of the lecture were cadets taking the HI108 Regional Studies in World History-Africa Stem, who enjoyed the interaction with the band and joined in the music and dancing at the end of the presentation.
"The best lecture I've been to," Class of 2014 Cadet Robert Panchisin said, enthusiastically endorsing the lecture. "Cadets will get a lot out of it."
Maj. John Ringquist, the history instructor who sponsored the event, echoed his cadet's comments.
"We in the Department of History encourage active inquiry and musical lectures appeal to a wide range of learners," Ringquist said. "Besides, it's fun and everyone gets to expand their horizons while learning more about the world outside of a textbook. The band gave a great performance and really put the whole program together."
The History Department's next African-themed lecture will be conducted May 2. Erin Weir, a senior advocate for Peacekeeping at Refugees International, will speak about the relationship between non-governmental organizations, refugees, humanitarian crises and the military.
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