Students at the Old Hammondtown School in Mattapoisett were treated to a special presentation on Tuesday focusing on drum music from Ghana, Africa. Music educator Ian Gendreau, who has been playing percussion since he was young, travels to schools around Massachusetts with a variety of African rhythm instruments, teaching students about the music of an ancient nation no larger than the size of Oregon.
Mr. Gendreau was first exposed to African music late in high school. Later, while pursuing his undergrad studies in music in Buffalo, he became interested in teaching.
“When I was in college, I got involved with some people who did African music and Caribbean music. But they were all teaching artists, doing residencies, workshops, and assembly programs. So I really got the bug for teaching and sharing stuff with kids,” he said. Today he teaches at Tufts University in Medford, as well as Bristol Community College in Attleboro.
So for one hour, sixth graders at Old Hammondtown School put down the pencils and picked up African kpanlogo (hand drum), gankogui (duel-tone bell), and atoke (single-tone bell), and learned hands-on some of the basic rhythmic patterns found in the music of Ghana. Most of the drums were made in Africa, but a few were made in the United States by natives of Ghana.
He began with a brief geography lesson, informing the students of Ghana’s location on the west coast of Africa, and kept them enamored with his explanations of the carvings on the drums, and how different animal skin – used for the drumheads – can offer different tones depending on the drum.
Then it was playtime.
The students carefully but excitedly gathered around the circle of fragile instruments, eager to play. Mr. Gendreau worked individually with each group based on instrument, explaining the role they would play in the rhythmic structures they were going to build together. Once the kids locked in with each other, their pensive expressions gave way to confident smiles as they realized they were making music as a community. The students had opportunities to play each instrument and learn two different songs.
The presentation was organized by Debra Nettles and the Mattapoisett PTA. Martha Loer, assistant to Nettles, was there for the performance and understands the importance of programs like these in expanding students’ worldviews.
“The hands-on interaction the kids get with the drums is something they’ll never forget and it can only broaden their awareness of other cultures in the world,” she said.
Mr. Gendreau is careful to illustrate to the students that these drums and this music only represents a very small part of an enormously dynamic and culturally rich continent.
“I love the joy of teaching this stuff, as well as correcting a lot of the popular misconceptions of what Africa is like. Ghana is one element of a much bigger picture,” he said.
By Eric Tripoli