The Texas Tech University Mbira Ensemble is the first academic group of its kind in the state of Texas. Dedicated entirely to the rich thumb piano tradition of the Shona people of Zimbabwe, the Mbira Ensemble performs primarily using the 'mbira dzaVadzimu', or "mbira of the ancestors." With a repertoire of songs that dates back over 1000 years in Zimbabwe's history, students perform the most popular mbira tunes and learn basic playing techniques.
The mbira dzaVadzimu itself is an instrument that consists of a wooden soundboard to which about 22 to 28 metal keys are attached. Plucking the keys with the two thumbs and the right index finger produces an inherently sweet tone, likened by some to 'musical rain'. These tones are amplified by attached buzzers (usually bottle tops, shells, or tree nuts) as well as a large parabolic gourd resonator inside of which the mbira is wedged in order to amplify the sound.
Because the instrument functions well in a communal music-making environment, emphasis shall be placed on the difference between playing a lead part (kushaura) and a following/interlocking part (kutsinhira) so that the polyphonic complexity of mbira music becomes apparent over time. Other instruments, such as the essential hosho rattles and handclapping patterns, are also used in order to introduce members to the instrument's traditional performance context.