AFRICAN DRUMMING & DRUM-MAKING RESIDENCIES

Percussionist and educator Steve Ferraris challenges, cajoles, entices and delights children with rhythm exercises, drumming, songs and movement. Using Djembe drums, Afro-Cuban conga drums and the African xylophone (Balafon), Steve involves children in the beauty and challenge of polyrhythmic percussion music.

Experience A Residency Firsthand!

View a video excerpt of The Rootsystem Drummers and Kimball Union Academy students in a live concert performance!

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Children of all ages have a fascination with drumming that opens them up to learning many valuable lessons beyond the basics of drum music. Cultural diversity, the history of cultural migrations to North America and the physics of percussive sounds are subjects that are closely related to drumming and are incorporated in the drumming sessions. Other important skills that children often gain through drumming are increased attention span and ability to focus.

Steve's residencies also impart community values like teamwork and group consciousness while at the same time individual self-esteem thrives with participation in this type of collective music-making. Since 1985 Steve has performed and taught drumming for audiences of all ages both nationally and internationally.

All instruments are provided by the Artist.

DRUM-MAKING RESIDENCIES

Drum-making is an ancient art form practiced by indigenous cultures throughout the world. In this residency each child gets to make their own African- style drum using traditional West African drum-making techniques and materials, including a real goat skin for the drum head.

The instrument-making residencies include rhythm exercises to prepare the children for learning to play their new instruments once they are completed. (Contact Steve for more details)

SHEKERE (African Gourd Shaker) MAKING RESIDENCIES

The shekere, or African gourd shaker, is a beautiful and fascinating instrument to make and to play. Children will learn the history of the instrument while they use traditional techniques to make their own individualized instrument out of authentic calabash gourds and a variety of colorful beads.

WHY SHOULD KIDS LEARN DRUMMING?

Rhythm is universal, rhythm is basic, rhythm is fun. We all possess rhythm in our hearts, literally! Engaging students in instrument-making and rhythm exercises effectively "levels the playing field" in a classroom setting. Percussion instruments and rhythm activities can "open a door" to a different kind of learning, kinesthetic learning, which can provide the motivation for learning other "academic" subjects as they are related to drumming. Math, history and cultural geography are a few examples of subjects that can be incorporated into drumming/rhythm lessons. However, The best way to understand why drumming is a valuable activity for children is to hear what they say about it.

"I was touched by the way Africans do patterns." Lauren, 6th grader "I appreciate and will never forget this wonderful experience" Jason, 5th grader "I've never had so much fun making things (drums)". Samantha, 6th grader "The ceremony helped most of the 6th grade get to know each other better". Lacey, 6th grader "You can be sure I will carry on the tradition. The voice of the goat will be beautiful forever". Carolyn, 6th grader "We learned many great things; how to dance, how to make drums the correct way, how to stretch drum skins and a number of other things". A. J., 6th grader