School of Music presents African Drumming Ensemble

Dressed in colorful traditional African printed shirts and beating on drums, a collective group of students showed the audience another side of them at the African Drumming Ensemble this past Wednesday evening. The ensemble, put on by the School of Music, was held at Diers Recital Hall. An overwhelming amount of students filled the seats of the small music hall, and even more audience members lined the walls.

The students involved in the performances ranged in experience with the African drums. There was a beginner group, an intermediate group and an advanced group. As the performers chanted, clapped and beat on authentic African drums and other percussion instruments, audience members enthusiastically clapped along with them. The level of interaction the student performers had with the audience made the show much more enjoyable. Witnesses were encouraged to clap along and did so with pleasure.

Audience members were not only treated with the traditional African drumming rhythms but they also got to experience short and simple West African dances. While the performers danced, students in the audience cheered and smiled in encouragement.

"It was fantastic, the dancing that they did was really neat," said music education major Codee Spinner.

The performances ranged in style. The first group performed a rhythm titled "Funga," the Yoruba welcome song which originates in Nigeria. They also performed a piece titled "Lolo," the Malinke song of honor from Guinea. The group was led by Stacie Gronski, a student assistant instructor.

Other rhythms from Ghana, Guinea and the Ivory Coast were also performed. These performances were all inspired by the dances and drum rhythms of Africa. Many students were given the opportunity to visit West African countries and study the dances and music of the natives there. One such student is Sean Perham, a music education major.

"African drumming is like my favorite thing. I've been doing it since my freshman year. I actually went to Ghana this summer and studied there for a month at a music center," he said. "It was great."

Tiffany Nicely, the show's director, encourages all students to go to Africa. She, along with her students, traveled to Guinea and Ghana. "It was so great; you become so close to each other." This is Nicely's fourth year instructing the African Drumming Ensemble at Fredonia State which she says has been both exciting and challenging.

Freshman Nadia Sealy enjoyed watching the ensemble, as she pointed out, "I was tapping my feet the whole time." Like many other students who were in attendance, Sealy learned about the show through her teacher. "My music history professor told me this was going on and that it would be a good opportunity to learn more about the African unit we're learning."

The show gave students the opportunity to share the music of other cultures. While most of the performance was rehearsed, there were some impromptu moments; each student was given a solo where they were able to play whatever they wanted to on their drum. Each solo received praise from the audience members who were extremely supportive throughout the entire show.

Noelle Delorenzo, a childhood inclusive education major, has been involved with African Drumming for three years. "I took the Intermediate African drumming classes and I actually went to Ghana and learned the dances there." What was learned in Africa was then brought back to Fredonia where students could share their experiences through the art of music and dance.