AFRICAN DRUMMERS HELP PCC DANCE TO “A DIFFERENT BEAT”
Last night in the Pettit Atrium, PCC students were blown away by the stylings of the Cape Cod African Dance and Drum Group as they performed an interactive musical experience that sought to bring African and American culture together.
As students walked into the Atrium, the Group was already performing a percussive number. “You could feel the vibrations from outside,” Rebecca Bryson explained. Although students often expect some form of audience participation when attending musical performances, the Cape Cod African Dance and Drum Group wasted no time in involving the crowd. Members of the Group immediately made their way through the aisles and began handing out tambourines, maracas, and other small percussion instruments to the audience.
Upon concluding their opening number, the Group leader Ms. Tara introduced the members of the ensemble and identified the different percussion instruments utilized by the players. She explained the importance of African culture on American music. “She talked about how African music influenced almost every genre of American music, rock ‘n’ roll, blues, R&B, hip-hop,” Sophie Nelson recalled. Tara also explained how European music merged with African music to create jazz.
The discussion was informative and entertaining, but brief, as the Group quickly began another musical piece. This time they invited PCC students up to the stage to play the drums with the ensemble. Between performances, Tara would invite the Group’s teacher Musa to the microphone to explain the different instruments and rhythms the Group was using in their performances.
The interactive nature of the performance continued throughout the night, as the Group invited more PCC students to the stage to learn traditional west African dances. At least thirty or forty students were given the opportunity to perform with the ensemble in front of their peers. The evening ended with the entire program forming a pseudo-conga line, singing and dancing to the beautiful sound of drums.
“This is definitely going to be the best Core Course of the summer,” Second year proctor Ms. Brainard proclaimed. “I know it’s the first one but it is going to be tough to beat.”
The Cape Cod African Dance and Drum Group helped PCC start off its summer by teaching us to dance, drum, and sing and to embrace celebration. They left us dancing for the rest of the night until we got back home to the dorms.
For more information, check out the Cape Cod African Dance and Drum Group online.
As students walked into the Atrium, the Group was already performing a percussive number. “You could feel the vibrations from outside,” Rebecca Bryson explained. Although students often expect some form of audience participation when attending musical performances, the Cape Cod African Dance and Drum Group wasted no time in involving the crowd. Members of the Group immediately made their way through the aisles and began handing out tambourines, maracas, and other small percussion instruments to the audience.
Upon concluding their opening number, the Group leader Ms. Tara introduced the members of the ensemble and identified the different percussion instruments utilized by the players. She explained the importance of African culture on American music. “She talked about how African music influenced almost every genre of American music, rock ‘n’ roll, blues, R&B, hip-hop,” Sophie Nelson recalled. Tara also explained how European music merged with African music to create jazz.
The discussion was informative and entertaining, but brief, as the Group quickly began another musical piece. This time they invited PCC students up to the stage to play the drums with the ensemble. Between performances, Tara would invite the Group’s teacher Musa to the microphone to explain the different instruments and rhythms the Group was using in their performances.
The interactive nature of the performance continued throughout the night, as the Group invited more PCC students to the stage to learn traditional west African dances. At least thirty or forty students were given the opportunity to perform with the ensemble in front of their peers. The evening ended with the entire program forming a pseudo-conga line, singing and dancing to the beautiful sound of drums.
“This is definitely going to be the best Core Course of the summer,” Second year proctor Ms. Brainard proclaimed. “I know it’s the first one but it is going to be tough to beat.”
The Cape Cod African Dance and Drum Group helped PCC start off its summer by teaching us to dance, drum, and sing and to embrace celebration. They left us dancing for the rest of the night until we got back home to the dorms.
For more information, check out the Cape Cod African Dance and Drum Group online.
Comments
Post a Comment