Workshop “West African Drum Band” (grades 5 and up)
Before the assembly, Fonziba trains a pre-selected core-group of up to thirty students to play her authentic W. African Jembe & Dun Dun drums. This group then performs with Fonziba for the entire school at the assembly. As the core-group learns African-style polyrhythms comprised of several rhythms played simultaneously, they will see how Africans combine self-expression with teamwork to create a village drum band. This workshop ideally lasts an hour and takes place in the gym or auditorium just prior to the assembly program.
Assembly “The Power of the Drum” (all grades)
Fonziba's assembly is super interactive and engages the entire student audience. The assembly starts with Fonziba playing a dazzling drum solo. She then leads the audience in an African call-and-response song which they sing along with her drumming. After the song, the core-group begins to drum and electrifies everyone with their thunderous rhythms. Fonziba then draws in the entire audience by teaching them a variety of amusing body percussions to play along with the drummers. She also teaches African dance steps to about twenty students and invites volunteers to come up and create free-style dance solos to the drumming. By the end of the show, everyone is moving and grooving to the tribal beat!
Documentary about Living & Drumming in West Africa (optional)
Fonziba can send her documentary DVD “Gifts from Mother Africa” for all classes to watch before she comes to your school. The documentary details her trip to West Africa, living and drumming with a traditional family of drummers, and it gives a good cultural background for the assembly program. Correlations with National Music Standards and 21st Century Skills
- Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. (National Music Standard #1)
- Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. (National Music Standard #2)
- Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and outside the arts. (National Music Standard #8)
- Understanding music in relation to culture. (National Music Standard #9)
- Communicate and work productively with others emphasizing collaboration and cultural awareness to produce quality work. (21st Century Employability Skills)
- Adjust to various roles and responsibilities and understand the need to be flexible to change. (21st Century Employability Skills)
Cost - $350 plus travel expenses (if necessary)
(Fonziba can tailor her programs to fit your school’s needs and budget.)
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