Heterosis: Hybrid teaching and learning methods in sabar drumming

Many American university percussion students in the early 21st Century are expected to have performance abilities in genres outside of the Western percussion tradition. With the increase in ethnomusicology programs and the active hiring of teachers with non-Western musical capabilities, many universities now offer multiple options for performance studies outside the Eurocentric practices found in most American programs.This paper discusses the issues faced by the author studying sabar drumming in the School of Music at Arizona State University and Guediawaye. Senegal. The author presents methods and materials that can heighten the educational experience for the students while faithfully disseminating the music and customs of Sabar. In addition to scholarly articles, many of the conclusions are drawn from conversations that took place in the field. The paper approaches ethnomusicological matters of teaching and learning from the perspective of a university music performance student.The author illustrates how hybrid teaching techniques used in the university for Western students can form a heterosis between traditional sabar pedagogical methods and the Western methods used in the university. Key ethnomusicological issues of musical transmission. practice, and the use and nature of special materials show that these hybrid pedagogical methods work to optimize student learning, prepare performance students for eventual study in the field, and help to bridge various cultural gaps through a shared musical knowledge between teacher and student.