In preparation for the Jan. 8 county competitions, about 1,400 Academic Decathlon (AcaDec) students from over 100 teams in the state attended the Latin American music concert at the Rabobank Arena Theater and Convention Center in Bakersfield, CA, Oct. 22.
The concert performed selections from An Introduction to the Music of Latin America, the official AcaDec CD for study with the music section of the competition. For the tests, AcaDec students must identify titles and composers of songs they hear as well as historical information about them.
?The purpose of the trip was to allow students to hear cultural music in a live setting,? AcaDec advisor Mick Fuller said. ?It was an opportunity that they would not have in a regular class.?
From the fifth row of the auditorium, campus students received a panoramic view of the music selections ranging from ancient Aztec music to Baroque.
The four performers of the Mayan song “Copal Offering to the Four Directions” by Xavier Quijas Yxayotl donned an array of traditional Latin American costumes adorned with five-foot long feather headdresses and sea shells to recreate the historical context.
They recited lyrics and a coyote howl for the audience to sing along to as well as demonstrate a dance with scented smoke. The performers played ancient instruments from Mexico which maintained a primordial beat throughout the selection.
?My favorite song was ?Copal Offering to the Four Directions? because the costumes were so bright and the performers used original ancient instruments,? Will Gonzales, ’11, said. ?It was exotic. All the other songs were boring.?
Despite her low expectations for the concert, junior Briana Strong enjoyed some of the songs and deemed them advantageous to the Jan. 8 competition.
?I thought the trip would be boring,? Strong said. ?However, some of the songs were interesting. It will help me remember the songs for the music part of the [AcaDec] test because I?ll be able to picture who sang the song and remember.?
Contrary to Strong, senior Molly Griffin, the only student who returned from the class last year, found little benefit from the trip compared to the concerts from previous years.
?I don?t think there was a purpose to go on the trip,? Griffin said. ?It didn?t help me. I?ve been to two other AcaDec performances for the other years I?ve been in AcaDec. This was wasn?t the best.?
Despite the students? views, Fuller believes the trip enhanced the cultural appreciation of the class.
?I think it helped the students to hear the music from the AcaDec CD performed live,? Fuller said. ?It gives them a better understanding of different styles of music. Some songs might have seemed boring but it?s important to appreciate the music, artistry and culture.?
AcaDec students will next attend a lecture on Latin American music at California State University, Fresno, Oct. 27.
For more information on AcaDec, visit the Feb. 7, 2008, article, AcaDec conquers Division II championship or e-mail Mick Fuller.
