The djembe (pronounced jem-bay) is a West African hand drum. These drums have become very popular in North America – they are easy to play and have a powerful voice. The djembe is meant to be played in a group. Drumming in a group is great for listening, cooperating, and self expression. My program introduces students and teachers to the drums, gives some vocabulary, history, cultural context, as well as hands on skills, the satisfaction of playing music together and a lot of fun!
| Grade Suitability | 1-7 |
| Maximum Class Size | 10 (depends on number of djembes) |
| Time Required | One session of a half hour for each class. The more sessions, the more we can develop, possibly even working toward a performance if desired. |
| Material Required | Any djembes available at the school or in the community. I can bring 9. |
| Language of Instruction | English |
| Communities | All |
Originally from Northern Ontario, Andrea made her way to the Yukon in the early 90s after completing her Bachelor of Music in percussion performance at Wilfrid Laurier University, and studying jazz piano and Latin percussion at Humber College. As an in-demand band member/session player/side woman/collaborator, she has recorded and toured with many Northern acts including Kim Barlow, Inconnu, The Longest Night Ensemble, Nicole Edwards, Brenda Lee Katerenchuk, Major Funk and the Employment and Juno award winning Jerry Alfred and the Medicine Beat. She has composed and arranged music for various theatre, dance and choral groups and has worked with all ages and abilities as music director for many different shows. Andrea has worked in the Learning Through the Arts and Yukon Arts Edventures programs to teach curriculum through music and has travelled to every school in the Yukon through the Artist in the School Program.