SBCS is starting an Afro-American Music Club. Here are the items we are looking for, see underneath for a longer explanation of the club's mission:
- Cowbells
- Triangles
- Tambourines
- Spoons (instrument)
Recycled items to make own percussion instrument:
Tin Cans/Boxes
Wooden Boxes
Used drumsticks
Buckets
Pots/Pans
Club Mission:
The overall mission with this club is to teach the kids at SBCS about their culture’s music history, so that they can apply what they learned to their present/futures. This will be carried out in 3 major steps: 1) Teaching the history; 2) Bridging the gap; and 3)Sankofa (Return and fetch it).
The first 2-3 weeks will be dedicated to learning about Afro-American music history and the fundamentals of rhythm. This will include activities such as polyrhythmic clapping exercises/jam sessions, hambone lessons, getting acclimated with traditional AA instruments, etc.
In Weeks 4-6, we will focus on learning about how traditional Afro-American music forms evolved into the modern forms we enjoy today (Bridging the gap). During this period, the kids will be doing a lot of compare/contrast activities based on a series of videos showing both traditional and modern AA music.
The last few weeks will be centered around not just learning about the connection between the past and present in AA music history, but also demonstrating this connection through their own artistic expression (Sankofa). The Adinkra symbol Sankofa represents pulling from the past to enrich the present/future. Music, especially in Afro-American culture, is no exception to this concept. The session will culminate by helping the kids to write their own song using what they learned and created over the course of the semester. At this point, they will also be completing their drum-set projects as well.