African Music Series Volume 3: Sii Sii Sii

A Step by Step Guide to Learning, Teaching and Performing African Music

Sii Sii Sii is an original composition that was first commissioned for band and choir in 2004. Since then, it has grown into a piece with multiple possible arrangements based on the combination of ensembles that will perform (choir and band only, vocal parts with African drums, orchestra and band with or without vocal parts) and the performers themselves (elementary school students, college students, music teachers).

The language of the song is twi (from Ghana), and the lyrics come from an Akan children's choosing game recitation that is similar to the counting rhyme "eeny, meeny, miny, mo"; in English. When children play the Sii Sii Sii game, it involves the following selection process or process of elimination: All participants sit next to each other with legs stretched out, and the caller taps each foot according to the rhythm of the recitation. The foot that is tapped on the last syllable of the song is "out" and removed from the game. Depending on how much time there is to play, the child who wins or gets selected could be either the first one or the last one to get both legs out. For all ages.

Contents

• Introduction
• Introduction of Sii Sii Sii
• The Instruments
• The Book, the Music, and the DVD
• Pronunciation Guide
• Text & Meaning
• Individual Phrases
• Full Score
• Vocal Score
• Vocail and Drum Score
• Percussion Score
• Alto Recorder Score
• Notes from Other Directors