Performance Practices
Although there are many differences between each tribe, many of these tribes share similarities with regard to their musical practices. For example, all of the tribes used drums as one of their most significant accompaniment instruments. Another similar characteristic of all tribes were singing, dancing and sometimes games. Singing and dancing were always performed together. More importantly, music and dancing were an important part of most ceremonial rituals. The information I have found by researching this topic, indicates that in some tribes there were similarities in instruments, such as, flutes, rattles (now obsolete), drums, bells, whistles, and dance genres. In some tribes, sleigh bells or hawk bells are used by the male dancers to place accents on the dance movements. Some tribes such as the Mississippi Choctaws use a non-traditional instrument known as the claves (this word means key in Spanish) or striking sticks. This instrument was used "to provide the accompaniment to certain songs" (Howard and Levine, 1990:20). Examples of the songs using this method are Double Header, Drunken-man, and the Stomp. All of the previously mentioned songs are performed by the Mississippi Choctaw.
One example of this is a set of dances known as the "house dances, the Choctaw version of the French quadrille or the Anglo-American square dance" (Howard and Levine, 1990:18). Within this dance music, the changes for the maneuver sets are implemented by "whooped weeeheea" (Howard and Levine, 1990:18). Based on my research findings, there is no accompaniment during the performance of this dance. The only music made is the singing or calls of the leader.
Another performance practice used by this tribe is that before the dancers enter the dance floor, they march in a procession to the area by the beating of a snare drum. The same method is used for exiting the performance area. This method is predominantly used by the Mississippi Choctaws.
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