Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate citizens share original works with Lakota Music Project

Thursday, September 14, 2017  

Citizens of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate are debuting their original compositions as part of the Lakota Music Project, The Associated Press reports.

Eight students and adults are taking part in the project, the South Dakota Symphony Orchestra said in a press release. Their works will be performed by professional musicians at a series of free concerts on Thursday and Friday in South Dakota.

“It invests in the students themselves, teaching them new skills and building their self-esteem, Delta David Gier, the symphony orchestra's musical director, said of the program. “Beyond the individual benefits, the building of bridges between our communities and the creation of cross-cultural understanding through close one-on-one learning is invaluable.”

The Lakota Music Project launched in 2009 with visits to three reservations, according to the symphony orchestra's website. The program was created to promote relationships between Indians and non-Indians in South Dakota.

The Sisseton Wahpeton group worked with composer-in-residence Jerod Tate, who is a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, to compose their works. The Dakota String Quartet will perform the compositions at the concerts.

Read More on the Story:
South Dakota Indian students will hear original works played (The Associated Press September 13, 2017)
Young composers have their music played at Crazy Horse Memorial (Black Hills Fox September 9, 2017)