Intro to the African Xylophone (Gyil) with Angela Scharfenberger
This class will meet at Angela's studio in Germantown/Tyler Park. You will receive the street address via email a week before the first class.
Gyil is a gorgeous pentatonic instrument indigenous to northern Ghana and Burkina Faso. The patterns are cyclical, with emerging complex polyrhythms and interlocking polyrhythmic melodies. The sound of the gyil is truly mesmerizing! My first teacher was Sowah Mensah (who had his made in C pentatonic) (1994-1998). I also studied under Bernard Woma in Bloomington (2007 - 2011), at the Dagaara Music Center outside of Accra (2012), and with Aaron Bebe Sekura at the University of Ghana in Legon (2006).
Here's a video of the last time I hosted Bernard in Louisville. Bernard passed away in 2018 and has since been inducted into the Percussive Arts Society's Hall of Fame:
The class is limited to six students; progress will require a minimum of 1-3 hours of practice between classes. Students will be given an instrument to take home between classes.
Questions? please reach out! angela@louisvillefolkschool.org
This is an adult class open to students aged 13 and up.