Field Trip to Guinea

Funded by Gerry Farrell Awards

Title: Field Trip to Guinea

Recipient: Stuart Ironside, guitarist.

Date: February, 2024

This is a report on my time spent in Conakry, Guinea as a recipient of the Gerry Farrell Travelling Scholarship. Through this scholarship, I was able to travel to Guinea for 16 days to spend dedicated time learning to play the Mande balafon (a type of xylophone) with master musician Fode Lassana Diabaté, studying both the music and the teaching methodology itself. This research trip was made with an effort to study how music is taught amongst the West African Mande, and how could be used in improving music education in the West. The knowledge and insight gained from this research have been pivotal in developing my understanding and opening up new research topics and avenues for exploration.