Intro to West African Drums & Songs 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.
Intro to West African Rhythms is a fun, accessible class for learning the basics of West African music, focusing on drum pieces and songs from Ghana and Nigeria. Repeating simple patterns will teach us the basics of African rhythm structure and how different parts come together to create a polyrhythmic whole. We will learn drum parts for at least 4 rhythms and discuss their social and cultural significance. I draw on stories from my African music teachers and my studies in Africa.
In this class, students will:
- Learn hand drum technique,
- Engage in polyrhythmic ear training
- Gain a cross-cultural understanding of how music and life are interconnected in the West African context.
Drums are provided. Students can use their own hand drums, but buying one for this class is unnecessary, as drums can be lent out between classes.
This is an adult class open to students aged 13 and up.
Questions? please reach out! angela@louisvillefolkschool.org