Take Students on an Intercultural Journey
Engage students with the sights and sounds of Africa! Through hands-on drumming workshops, assembly programs and multimedia presentations, ThisWorldMusic brings the joy and power of African drumming and culture to schools nationwide.
Take your students on a fun, exciting intercultural journey with TWM Founder/Director and Jeremy Cohen, a cultural interlocutor who blends his experience as a classroom teacher, conservatory-trained musician and African adventurer to offer insight into the unique shared music and history between the U.S. and Ghana.
- Precision drum, bell and shaker technique for a round, full ensemble sound
- Recitation of “drum language” using spoken syllables that help improve language skills and develop aural memory
- Stepping and sticking exercises that use full-body kinesthetic learning to develop off-beat timing and greater comfort with polyrhythms
- Traditional Ewe songs from Ghana that help students connect with a different culture through its native language
- Integration with core curriculum that uses music, dance and multimedia presentations to help bring other curricular areas to life
ThisWorldMusic teaches discipline and musicality in a structured, contagiously energetic program.”
African Drumming for Today’s Classroom
African drumming offers a fresh approach to music education, one that is versatile, affordable and rigorous…and kids love it!
It’s versatile
From simple shaker patterns to breathtakingly complex lead drum phrases, differentiated learning is built-in. Easily tailor your drumming curriculum to fit any age group — from 3rd grade through high school — or ability level, from special education to honors music classes.
It’s affordable
In addition to the relatively low cost of the instruments, African drumming is affordable simply due to how it’s taught. With vocalization and movement being so central to any lesson, even a handful of instruments can be shared amongst an entire class.
It’s rigorous
This is no free-form, “do as you please” drum circle. The music, like the curriculum itself, is highly structured, requiring each member of the ensemble to play from memory a distinct, constantly evolving part. These parts overlap and intertwine to form a complex rhythmic whole, a fascinating composite that the group, in response to rhythmic cues played by the lead drummer, takes through an elegant series of variations, creating a balanced, well-formed piece of music.
…and kids love it!
They love African drumming because it’s exciting, because it grooves, and because it’s a great physical release. And with their interest in learning music sparked, a whole new world of possibilities opens up.
To learn more, check out our in-depth Drumming FAQ.