Lao

Music of Northeast Thailand: Mawlum Singing for High School Choir

Summary: Students are introduced to Lao mawlum singing through listening,
analyzing, improvising, and performing Hua Ngawk Yawk Sao, a contemporary
composition from the one thousand year old Mawlum singing tradition. Students
will engage in the music through exploration of rhythm, tonality, harmony, and
discussion of Thai music culture.
Suggested Grade Levels: 9-12
Applicable Course(s): Choir; Music Appreciation; World Music
Co-curricular areas: Social Studies
Country: Thailand
Region: Southeast Asia
Genre: Mawlum
Instruments: Voice
Language: Thai/ Lao
Prerequisites: Able to read music

Material:
Recording of Lum Glawn, from album: Thailand- Lao Music of the Northeast-
http://lyrichord.com/THAILAND-LAOMUSIC-5.aspx
Recording of Hua Ngawk Yawk Sao, by The Flower of Isan-
www.acerecords.co.uk,
Picture and video of the kaen- http://dohn121.hubpages.com/hub/Khene-
The-Mouth-Organ-of-Laos,
Map of Thailand- http://www.mapofthailand.org/,
Map of Southeast Asia
Video of Thai dancing- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhNoTzhzYHg

Objectives:
Listening for pulse, repeated rhythms, and tonality
Learning about culture, history, people, and music of Northeastern Thailand
Vocally improvising over a drone
Performing Hua Ngawk Yawk Sao

Lesson Segments:
1: Rhythm
2: Thai music culture
3: Mawlum- Improvise and Perform Hua Ngawk Yawk Sao

Rhythm and Tonality

1. Lum Glawn A (0.50-1:25 sec.)
a. Listen, feel the pulse, and move your arms to the music
b. Listen again and pay attention to the rhythmic accents in the voice. Illustrate
these accents in your arm gestures.

c. Write on board: 4 beats, 8 subdivisions. Have a student come up and

underline the accented notes.
I. Identify/describe meter
II. Identify rhythmic accents
d. Listen again: pay attention to the accompaniment
e. Tap a repeating rhythm pattern that you hear
I. Discuss rhythm: Are people hearing the same rhythm over and over
again? Do you hear straight or dotted note rhythms?
II. Identify/describe instrument: Kaen- show video and pictures from
http://dohn121.hubpages.com/hub/Khene-The-Mouth-Organ-of-
Laos

Assessment: Students are able to identify meter, rhythmic patterns, and distinguish
between straight and dotted rhythms.

Culture (Powerpoint presentation)

1. When you think of Thailand what comes to mind? Discuss.
a. Show map of Southeast Asia
b. Show map of Thailand- http://www.mapofthailand.org/
c. Identify regions: South, Central, North, North-East
2. People
a. Demographics
b. Government
c. Religion
d. Festivals
e. Thai boxing
3. When you think of Thai music, what comes to mind? Discuss.
a. Video of Thai Piphat orchestra (Siam Society)-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhNoTzhzYHg
I. (Start at 0:40 sec.) Listen, watch, and choose an instrument to
emulate and follow along rhythmically
II. After 30 seconds, switch to a different instrument
III. Stop the video and have students continue to beat the rhythms
a cappella
b. Video of Thai dancing in Isan style
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUQaVDJMEX4
I. Natasin- classical Thai dance
II. Raban phun muang- regional Thai dance: Northeast (Isan
style), North (Lanna style), and South (Nora style)
c. Luktung- Child of the Fields
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDeqqGFkU6g
I. What does this music remind you of?
II. Most popular style of music

III. Musical origins: central and northeastern Thailand (Lao

instruments often used), international influences (jazz, pop,
American country,)

4. Northeast Thailand: Mawlum Singing
a. Setting the stage
I. Lao influence
II. Village life
b. Genres of mawlum singing
I. Lum pun (folktales sung by one singer)
II. Lum glawn (specific poetic form sung by male and female)

Assessment: Students are attentive and engaged in discussion

Improvise and Perform

1. Listen to Hua Ngawk Yawk Sao (30-58)
a. Hum one note heard throughout
b. Half of class hum drone and half hum along with melody
2. Write pentatonic scale on board
a. Have students identify the intervals
b. Practice singing a pentatonic scale
3. Split class into groups of 3 or 4 (use practice rooms or spread out in
classroom)
a. 2 students sing a 1-5 drone while other student improvises (no
words) using the pentatonic scale and the rhythms learned in
previous lesson.
b. Switch until all students have practiced all parts.
4. Hand out sheet music for Hua Ngawk Yawk Sao
a. Sight Read
i. Clap beat and speak rhythm
ii. Sing on a neutral syllable
iii. Speak through text rhythmically
iv. Sing with text

Assessment: Students are able to improvise mawlum singing over a drone. Students
are able to sight read and perform Hua Ngawk Yawk Sao.