🎶🌍🥁 Students in Preston Prince’s music class at Sand Hill-Venable Elementary recently took a journey across the world without ever leaving the classroom.
Through a Buncombe County Schools Foundation grant, students welcomed LEAF Global Arts culture keeper Adama Dembele, a 33rd generation musician from Ivory Coast, West Africa, who has shared his expertise with LEAF for more than 12 years. The visit immersed students in West African musical traditions, giving them the opportunity to play drums, learn traditional dances, and sing songs rooted in African culture.
“The purpose of Adama's visit was to provide the students with a multicultural experience where they learned how to play African drums, participate in traditional African dances, and sing music that is indigenous to west Africa,” Prince said. “It gives them the opportunity to learn from someone who comes with a lifetime of experience in traditional and cultural art forms.”
Dembele introduced students to instruments like the djembe and balafon, while also teaching them the “language” of drumming- how rhythms signal when to start, stop, and change patterns.
“This is just like a cultural exchange… for you to actually know more about this, where I'm from, about Africa,” Dembele told students.
Beyond learning rhythms, students gained a deeper understanding of global cultures and the role music plays in communication and community. Experiences like this not only enrich music education but also broaden students’ perspectives, helping them connect with cultures around the world through the universal language of music.
