David Asomaning partners Vivivi studios/ Highlife Institute to host ‘Codifying African Musical Structures project’

The Highlife Institute in collaboration with Vivivi Studios has started a project dubbed, “Codifying African Music Structures” with DM Sound Design, a music studio based in London, UK.

The project is led by Mr. David Asomaning, a British-Ghanaian who is also a Sound Engineer and currently in Ghana to interview stakeholders of Highlife music. David has a Master of Arts Degree in Music Education and on Monday, August 5, held a free Sound Engineering workshop themed, “How To Record the Drum (live and digitally)”.

"Codifying African Musical Structures," aims to celebrate and preserve the rich heritage of African music while promoting cross-cultural understanding, musical innovation, and inclusive education. 

This project aims to address this issue and promote a more inclusive and comprehensive music education by codifying African musical structures.

The project will take place in countries in Africa, starting with Ghana and Zambia for phase one.

African music has left an indelible mark on various music genres worldwide, including jazz, blues, gospel, rock and roll, and hip-hop. 

Despite its global significance, African music is often overlooked in mainstream education, perpetuating a narrow view of music.

By incorporating African musical structures into music education, the project aims to foster cultural appreciation, encourage musical innovation, enhance global collaboration, challenge Eurocentrism in music education, and preserve African cultural heritage.

Hence, the objective is to record various types of African drums using state-of-the-art equipment by collaborating with experienced percussionists and ethnomusicologists to ensure authenticity in the selection and performance of the drums. 

This will also involve creating sample packs and DAW plugins that incorporate African rhythm notation. 

Apart from David Asomaning, Robyn Phiri is a member of the team. She is an award winning Sound Designer/Audio Producer/Composer/Session Musician,

 She is a creative consultant and developer with a focus on creative community hubs, education, traditional knowledge and intellectual property.

The Codification of African Music Structures project is being carried out by Vivivi Music Studios, the Highlife Institute of which Prof. Yaw Owusu-Frempong and Dm Sounds led by David Asomaning.f