by KENDALL CRAIG
May our circle remain unbroken.
In remembrance of our forefathers and foremothers, we proudly reclaim our language, our legacy, and our art form of West African drumming. This year at Friendship Blow-Pierce Junior Academy in Washington, DC, our group of educators was able to successfully engage our young scholars with West African drumming as an elective alongside their other general education courses. It was the first year for this experiment and the experience has been priceless. I am currently collecting data and interviewing scholars in order to draw conclusions on something that cannot and should not be concluded.
Our purpose is to initiate a therapeutic environment of regeneration and healing. We intend to mitigate generations of trauma and pain experienced by our inner-city youth and their families. We are not deterred nor disheartened by the obstacles and challenges that have been put before us. We are confident in our own innate ability and creative genius gifted to us by our Creator.
May our circle remain unbroken.
As a teaching tool, we have created the acronym, DRUM: Discipline, Rhythm, Unity, and Music. I am proud to say that nearly all of our young scholars from ages three to fourteen can recite and explain our four core principles.
The “D” stands for discipline. Our space is generally devoid of traditional behavior trackers and charts that constantly remind us of severe consequences and harsh punishments. We allow scholars to self-regulate, self-correct, and hold other percussionists accountable for their behaviors. In our space, we discuss the purpose of reclaiming drumming as an extension of a deep and rich cultural heritage. We discuss the importance of establishing and maintaining our circle of trust within and without the confines of our school building. Building positive self-images and self-efficacy is essential to what we do here.
We have established three different ensembles based on proficiency, skill, maturity, and fluency and we do not differentiate instruction based on age. We have thirteen-year-olds in the first band and we have seven-year-olds in more advanced bands. All bands practice and perform together. Once a week, the third band and first band practice for an hour and a half with little to no supervision. This takes months of explicit guidance and encouragement. With great patience and adequate buy-in from our scholars, we sustain a creative, engaging, and deceptively intense environment of instrumentalists. Most of our scholars express their appreciation for this level of autonomy and eventually demonstrate ownership of the space.
May our circle remain unbroken.
The “R” stands for rhythm. One of the hallmarks of West African music is its polyrhythmic syncopations. We make use of these rhythms in order to reinforce our group solidarity. We structure our circle of trust in a way that enhances our collective strengths. Through our relentless pursuit of synchronicity, we emphasize the importance of each instrumentalist. Our “Rolling Rhythms” technique highlights every single participant and affords them the opportunity to demonstrate their unique contribution to our all-encompassing rhythm.
May our circle remain unbroken.
Next is the “U” which stands for unity. Many of our young scholars are in the same ensemble with individuals from rival neighborhoods. We have designed drum circle games, chants, and team-building exercises to eradicate lingering tensions. Games like “Orbit” start off with the Djembefola (lead drummer) striking out a simple drum pattern on the djembe. Next, the drum pattern is mimicked one at a time by each drummer until it cycles back to the lead drummer. This game, much like our other ones, emphasize us not just “U,” the individual. We work tirelessly to maintain our circle of trust.
May our circle remain unbroken.
Finally, The “M” stands for music. In his song, “Trench Town,” the great Bob Marley once asked us a pivotal question: “Can we free the people with music?” In our space, we strive to challenge one another to live above the plethora of negative influences around us. The songs and chants that we sing have been handed down to us from countless generations of African griots, songwriters, poets, and performers. The ancient African melodies, language, rhythms, and symbols have found a new life within our ever-growing circle of trust.
May our circle remain unbroken.