David Locke
Summary
David Locke is a drummer, ensemble director and ethnomusicologist whose work centers on West African music and dance. His performance and teaching have helped carry repertoires including Agbadza into North American ensemble and educational settings.[1]
Life and career
He studied at Wesleyan University, earning his doctorate in 1978, and began directing the African Music Ensemble at Tufts in 1979. He founded the Agbekor Drum and Dance Society. Collaborative study with Ghanaian musicians informed both his performing practice and his research.[2]
Music and style
His Agbadza work connects song shape, text setting, melodic movement, rhythmic pattern and the relationship between voice and drums. A 2019 presentation used active music-making alongside analysis, treating musical structure as something to experience in performance. His broader studies encompass Ewe and Dagomba traditions, with long-term learning from Alhaji Abubakari Lunna and work with Gideon Foli Alorwoyie.[3]
Works and performances
Drum Gahu, Drum Damba and Kpegisu combine documentation and instruction. His work with Alorwoyie on Agbadza provides another route into the connection between song and ensemble practice. These publications complement the live teaching and performing through which that knowledge has circulated.[3][2]
- ↑ Tufts University Department of Music: David Locke. Accessed 23 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Williams College: David Locke lecture biography and abstract, 17 April 2019. Accessed 23 October 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 World Damba Festival 2012: David Locke, working-group biography. Accessed 23 October 2026.
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Source: David Locke — https://wiki.muglobe.com/wiki/David_Locke