Musical Trip with Black Lodge Singers: Northern Plains Native American Music

"Black Lodge Drums Group" (Roberts)

 As I was thinking about where I should take this "musical trip" to, as in which country, what artist, etc. My Spotify was on shuffle and Old Blackfeet Song by Black Lodge Singers started to play. Then I thought to myself "wait, I come from a whole culture that has music involved both spiritually and for entertainment". This is what helped me land on focusing this trip to the Northern Plains in the United States of the famous Black Lodge Singers. Among this region are different tribes which all have their own unique culture, I am from the Blackfeet Nation. One thing we all have in common here on the plains is our love for the powwow trail and celebrating our culture through traditional songs and dancing. 

Every summer as a kid, I was most excited for my peoples huge powwow called "North American Indian Days" located in Browning, Montana. It was a time for my family to gather, enjoy food, the rodeo, and of course the main event; the singers and dancers that make this powwow whole. A powwow is a "large intertribal gatherings of Native American singers, dancers, and spectators that have become a ubiquitous part of musical and social life for many Native Americans living on reserves and in urban areas" (Scales 4). Now that you have a very basic idea of what a powwow is, allow me to deep dive into what is most important behind this blog; the music. 

The reason why powwow music is very different from other music is because there are only two components that make up the timbre; drum and vocals. This creates a very loud sound not only from the drums but within the vocals as well. Both of these sounds really push each other upwards to create this heavy, rich sound that complement each other nicely. It can be described as "tense, tight, and strained vocal style; Northern tribes prefer a high vocal range" (Burton 12). The beat can be a steady but this all depends on which type of song the drum group is asked to sing. If the group is asked to play some good ole 49er songs (round dance song-also the Love Song by Black Lodge Singers on this blog is considered a round dance song), it would be a three-quarter time signature. While you are at a powwow, you are definitely going to hear what sounds like a heartbeat coming from the arbor/dancing arena. This "heart beat" sound is coming from this huge powerful drum made out of "rawhide of deer, elk, or buffalo" (Nath). I have always been told that this is the heart beat of Mother Earth and it represents the sounds a baby would hear inside their mother's womb. 

I wanted to explore my favorite drum group called "Black Lodge Singers" who are actually 8 time Grammy Nominee's ("Grammy Awards"). These are the two examples I have added to this blog below. I really hope you enjoy them as much as I do. This drum group is led by "Kenny ScabbyRobe of the Blackfeet Nation" ("Black Lodge Singers"). ScabbyRobe is accompanied by his twelve sons as well in this  drum group ("Black Lodge Singers"). 

No matter where I am in the world, if I put on Black Lodge Singers, then I feel like I'm home. The sound of that drum beat really heals something inside of me. Maybe it is because I haven't lived on my peoples reservation in over 5 years and my heart longs for home. Whenever I hear Black Lodge Singers, I am immeditatley filled with pride because they carry our ancestors voices and I am privileged to be able to listen to it and share it with others. In my language we say Niitawatsipiikinitaki which means "I am lonesome for home". When I listen to Black Lodge Singers I am not only lonesome for home but I am grateful for where I am today and the people I come from. 

                      Love Song by Black Lodge Singers by Gewajega, 2 Apr. 2008, USA. 

SpongeBob SquarePants- Black Lodge Singers by proudnish, 27 Nov. 2008, USA.  

Work Cited

"Black Lodge Singers." Wikipedia/; The Free Encyclopedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 09 Sep. 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Lodge_Singers 

Burton, J. Bryan. Native Peoples of North America. Miami University. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026. http://staff.lib.muohio.edu/~millarj/music/486118c6e1dd4z.pdf

"Grammy Awards." Grammy, Accessed 17 Mar. 2026. https://www.grammy.com/artists/black-lodge/15791

Roberts, Chris, "Black Lodge Drum Group" (2006). Chris Roberts Kyiyo Powwow Photographs.11. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/roberts_photographs/11/ 

Scales, Christopher A, Recording Culture: Powwow Music. Duke University Press. 2012. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=S4abELwIj-YC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=native+american+powwow+music+&ots=RScERQMG2x&sig=TcuM8d3FfDsCelgTzCXdjVCMkMk#v=onepage&q=native%20american%20powwow%20music&f=false 

The Evolution of the Chinese Zither Instrument- The Guzheng

 

Point A: Traditional Chinese Guzheng Instrumental Music by Austin Guzheng Studio, 21 Dec. 2024, China. 

To give some background as to why I chose this instrument is because I am an anthropology major, striving to becoming a Cultural Anthropologist one day. I admire culture in general  because I have my own Indigenous cultural background as well. Instruments from a different country and cultural background seemed so interesting. This is why I have chose my topic on the traditional Chinese instrument, the Guzheng. I also play three different instrument's and this was one instrument I have always wanted to just to "try out" since I first learned what is was years ago. 

Modern day Guzheng

History of the Guzheng

I very much admire the long history of the Guzheng instrument. The evolution of the Guzheng "is a product from the 1960's" which evolved "from the 6th century BCE in China" ("The History of the Guzheng"). So this instrument has been used for thousands of years, that's so incredible. It is said that "since the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty, music has played a crucial role in traditional Chinese culture" ( Wu 44). It is very evident from this instrument that the culture lives on through art and music within the Chinese culture, till modern times it still is being appreciated. 

I am captivated by stories (because of Indigenous background), especially origin stories. The legend that comes with the guzheng is that the Yellow Emperor (born 2704 BCE) heard a woman playing a fifty string zither and he found it so beautiful he ordered it to be broken in half, creating a twenty-five string zither ("The History of the Guzheng"). Breaking the instrument in half has cultural significance that I am interested in knowing but I cannot seem to find any type of reasoning to it. 

Describing the Guzheng 

This is where the guzheng begins to evolve is when you start to find out what it is and what it is made of. In modern times, the sound board is "usually made of Paulownia wood" ("Choosing a Guzheng").  As a guitar player, I am particularly fond of strings, especially nylon. This instruments strings are "made of steel inside with nylon wrapped outside" ("Choosing a Guzheng").  The guzheng can have anywhere between fifteen to twenty-five strings ("History of Guzheng").  Before the 20th century, it was silk strings and bamboo sound boards, creating the guzheng ("History of Guzheng").  

It wasn't until 1961 when the shape of the guzheng changed how all guzheng makers made their instruments, it is the "s" shape ("History of Guzheng"). This is still used today and is adopted as the modern day guzheng. 

Timbre

The first musical element I would like to explore is the timbre of this instrument because it gives off a very unique sound. It is soft but can be loud as well. As we learned in this course, the instrument families create different timbres in music. I was very curious as to which family the Guzheng belonged to. I learned that this is called the "Zither Family". A zither instrument is "any stringed musical instrument whose strings are the same length as its soundboard" ("Zither"). As you can see above in the picture, it is a long board with strings that one plays by plucking the strings with their fingers. The sound the guzheng instrument makes is a very clear, thin yet heavy resonant sound with a melodic taste. In my research, I found out that even the make of the frame can affect the sound of the guzheng, such as "rosewood gives a sweet sound, sandal wood gives a bright sound, nanmu gives a solid sound" ("Choosing a Guzheng"). I want to hear this instrument live in person to experience the timbre.  

Chords

As someone who has been playing guitar for almost half my life, I can recognize chords. I was watching videos of people playing this instrument and what I noticed was the hand work and plucking, harmoniously. I could tell that chords are played on this instrument, it is how these sounds are made is what intrigues me. I was looking over a "How to Play Chords" videos for the guzheng instrument and the strings are played in a "do, re, mi" fashion. It looks very complicated, but I sure do enjoy a challenge. 

After my research on this very interesting instrument, I want to play it even more. It sounds so relaxing and soothing. This is the type of calm music I like because you don't need vocals on top of it to make it sound good. This brings me to my 'point B' video which the guzheng is featured right in the beginning (intro) of the song. It is accompanied by a bass/beat that doesn't over-power the beautiful sound of the guzheng. This research has profoundly altered my perspective on the guzheng instrument because it is over 2,000 years old and is still being used today. 

Point B: Who You Foolin' by Gunna, 22 Feb. 2019. USA. 

Work Cited 

Britannica Editors. "zither". Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Dec. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/art/zither. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026.

"Choosing a Guzheng." The Guzheng Shop, 2022, https://www.theguzhengshop.com/faqs/#:~:text=The%20soundboard%20and%20backboard%20of,nanmu%20gives%20a%20solid%20sound. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026. 

"History of Guzheng." Seattle Guzheng. https://www.seattleguzheng.com/history. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026

"The History of the Guzheng." Guzheng Alive. https://guzhengalive.com/guzheng-history Accessed 4 Mar. 2026. 

 

Wu, Zhiguo. "The Image Transmission and Cultural Heritage of Chinese Musical Instruments." Frontiers in Art Research, vol. 6, issue 1: 44-50, https://www.francis-press.com/uploads/papers/VMh7WTObGWA0y4bzDJTH4fNSY6sQjIyt0EXH49Yx.pdf. Accessed 3 Mar. 2026. 

Musical Analysis #2

 

While my boyfriend and I were taking a cruise, I had my Spotify shuffling through some new music and this song started to play. Right from the beginning from the piano intro, to the vocals, I was hooked. I turned it up and I had to yell over the song; "I think this might be one of my favorite songs!". Sure enough, 4 months later and I still have to listen to it every now and then. What made me feel so connected as an Indigenous person, was finding out that it was wrote and sung by Indigenous people. This song makes me feel one simple emotion and that's 'love'. You can feel the emotion in the singers voice and it's so powerful. It is also described as a song that "explores intimacy as a powerful form of healing--physical, emotional, and spiritual" ("Siibii Shares Soulful New Single"). I hope you enjoy this wonderful piece, Body to Body by Siibii & Aysanabee, wrote by Siibii & Aysanabee. 

Body to Body by Siibii & Aysanabee, 2025-Canada

Articulation

I absolutely love the articulation of this song because it is just so smooth. In the intro, there is a piano for about fifteen seconds and then the vocals come in. The soft vocals on top of this piano is connected in the most beautiful way. I truly believe it is because of the smooth vocals as that compliment the piano and the drums/snares that slowly come in. At around 01:27, the second persons vocal come into the song. The added vocals sustain the smoothness of the song that was established in the beginning. 

Dynamics

The dynamics of this song holds a steady volume of how soft it is, but it also has a very intense build when it comes to the chorus. I wouldn't say it gets "loud" but it does in the slightest way and moment before it goes back to its softness (both instrumental and vocal). I appreciate when songs can build itself up in this way without being too over bearing. After Aysanabee's verse, both Sibiu and Aysanabee sing the chorus together but this is where the dynamics begin to shift. At 02:33 the instruments starts to build up more and more, then both vocals are combined creating a loud dynamic. Then at 02:55, the dynamic goes back to being soft, softer than before with both vocals singing the chorus in a low tone with a faint piano to close them out. 

Melody & Lyrics

It is how the melody creates a nice lull and a somewhat slow waltz caused by the instrumental used in this piece. The lyrics of this song will make you fall in love and feel loved. As if the song is hugging you. My favorite line is "your love is medicine, each time I let you in. Your touch is healing me, your touch is all I need". To describe someone's love as "your medicine" is what I feel when I think of my boyfriend. I feel very connected to these lyrics because of how clever they are in a way of expressing love. These lyrics "emphasize tenderness and closeness as acts of empowerment" ("Siibii Shares Soulful New Single"). With lyrics and melodies like this, it is no wonder it has won awards in Canada. 

Harmonic Texture 

While listening to this song, I can't help but hum/sing along and it's because the harmonic texture is so rich. The harmonic texture is "elegant and moving, a ballad anthem that builds from shiver-inducing piano chords into a dramatic flood of warmth, wonder, and release" (Mosk). This is considered a "homophonic" texture because the vocals accompanies the instruments on this song without over powering each other. They work together rather than competing. You could even hear a low hum in the beginning of this song right behind the piano. 

Timbre 

The tone color of this piece is very beautiful because it is combined with different instruments and vocal pieces. The beginning has a piano, snare/drums, and a very faint electric guitar. I want to deep dive into the vocal timre of this song because there are two different vocals on this song. The first vocal (Siibii) has a higher pitched but yet so soft toned. The second vocals that come into the song is low and soft in a way. They are both very different but they fit together so well. It makes me feel like I am more than welcomed to join in and sing with them.  

Work Cited

Mosk, Mitch. "'Your Love Is Medicine': Siibii and Aysanabee Premiere "Body To Body," A Soul-Stirring Anthem of Sacred Intimacy, Healing, and Reclamation." Atwood Magazine, accessed 21 Feb. 2026. https://atwoodmagazine.com/bbsi-body-to-body-siibii-aysanabee-song-music-video-premiere/

"Siibii Shares Soulful New Single 'Body to Body' Ft. Aydanabee." The Rivr, accessed 19 Feb. 2026. siibii-shares-soulful-new-single-body-to-body-ft-aysanabee 

 "Rest" by Wicca Phase Springs Eternal: Musical Analysis #1

I was at my cousins house during quarantine in 2020  when he had his YouTube on shuffle and this song came on. This song caught my attention because during that time I was going through a really rough time in my personal life (I was going through an awful breakup). So, just like any heart broken person, I was finding myself resonating with music that I can "feel" something with rather than just listening to it. The song that makes me reminisce all that I have overcome is Rest by Wicca Phase Springs Eternal, written by Adam MciLwee (also goes by Adam Andrzejewski), (Jones).

Rest by Wicca Phase Springs Eternal- 2019, USA. 

Timbre 

After learning about what "timre" is, it is very clear the different vocal and instrumental timbre that is within this song. His music has been described as "the genre-shrugging project", and if you listen to more than just this song, you can understand why he is described in this way (Garland). Personally, I think his music has a sound mixed between indie-rock, hip-hop/rap, folk, and dark trap music. With the type of sound/genre this composer is described, allow me to analyze the timre. The beginning of this song you can hear the clear sound of solo picking of an acoustic guitar. Then ever so slightly you can barely hear him in the background getting ready to start the first verse. I mean it is so quiet, you have to listen carefully (0:07 in is where you can hear faint vocals). Then the first verse comes in and you could hear the vocal timre of the verse but with a lower octave in the background on top of the main vocals. At 0:33 seconds in, that is where the second instrumental timbre is presented. This instrument sounds to me like a snare and then followed by 808's (deep bass). Mixed vocals, acoustic guitar picking, and deep bass are all combined through out the song. When I first heard this, I was preparing for some sad acoustic guitar song but then was surprised when that bass hit. It is because of my love of different music that makes me appreciate this song because of the mixed genres within it. 

Dynamics 

To be able to understand the different dynamics within this song is to understand why his music was described as "vast body of work that's as consistently compelling as it is constantly changing" ("Wicca Phase Springs Eternal"). Just from this one song, you can hear the dynamics change within the first 35 seconds. When it begins with the acoustic guitar, this makes the song sound like it's going to be subtle. Then with the bass around 0:33 seconds, the dynamics change to being loud. Now all of the instruments and vocals changed the dynamics of this song to being loud and heavy, from being soft and folksy. It feels very upbeat with a melancholy sound.  

Melody and Lyrics

The melody of this piece flows very nicely with the lyrics. It is the lyrics that really makes me feel my emotions. When he says "will it help you feel better, knowing I'll stay clear?" and "how much love have I lent? Can you repay me soon?". While I was deep in my heart broken phase of life, I resonated with the lyrics completely because he was taking the words out of my mouth that I couldn't properly pronounce myself. This song really means a lot to me because of the emotional ties I have built with it because of the lyrics. 

Sources

Jones, Abby. "Wicca Phase Springs Eternal Announces Folk Album". Stereogum. 14 Jul. 2025. https://stereogum.com/2315313/wicca-phase-springs-eternal-announces-folk-album-featuring-ethel-cain-ryan-jewell-david-moore/news# 

Garland, Emma. "Inside the Highly Strange World of Wicca Phase Springs Eternal". VICE. 06 Sep. 2018. https://www.vice.com/en/article/inside-the-highly-strange-world-of-wicca-phase-springs-eternal/ 

"Wicca Phase Springs Eternal". Let's Go Publicity. https://letsgopublicity.com/2022/08/wicca-phase-springs-eternal/

     Okii, that means 'hello' in my Native language. My name is Terryn and I'm a proud enrolled member of the Blackfeet Tribe. I grew up on the Blackfeet reservation which is located in Browning, Montana. I have a 10 year old son who is my entire world. I currently work for an Urban Indian Organization as a Cultural Specialist because of my background with traditional knowledge, a role that has inspired me to return to school to pursue a degree in anthropology. I'm passionate about serving and uplifting my people in any way I can. In my free time, I enjoy golfing, reading and most importantly, listening to music. 

      This is an picture I took myself on the edge of Two Medicine Lake located in my people's traditional territory of Glacier National Park. 

    Music has always been a big part of my life. I listen to just about every single genre there is, but rap has always been my favorite. I grew up listening to country and classic rock with my dad. Then I would join in with my cousins while they were bumping rap and hip-hop. Over the years, I've also enjoyed creating music myself; I've played the trumpet, guitar, and piano, and I still like to pick up my guitar whenever I feel like expressing myself in other ways. There has always been something grounding and joyful about music whether it is listening or creating music. I also really love to experience music live. Concerts and live performances are where I feel most connected to the energy and emotion that the artist brings. My most recent concert was GreyDay 2025 at the Talking Stick Amphitheater in Phoenix, Arizona.