Andean music

Most people are familiar with the imagery associated with the Andes and Andean music: brightly coloured ponchos, rainsticks, llamas, Incan ruins, condors, and haunting panpipe melodies. You’ve probably seen the buskers on the street.

But Andean music hasn’t penetrated UK classrooms in the way that a number of other world musics have, which is a shame because in many ways it’s perfectly suited to classroom use: the music is lively and energetic, with catchy melodies that stick in your head; it’s an easy style to compose and perform in; and there are numerous cross-curricular links to be made.