Last year I had the opportunity for a multiple-visit arts residency in a school in Toronto’s west end. This school values academics, arts, sports and citizenship EQUALLY and it shows in everything they do. It was a very rewarding experience for me, one that involved giving workshops in drumming and dance, helping them choreograph the opening for their Lion King production, performances for the school with both my mentor Kwasi Dunyo and my Ottawa based kids in Baobab Youth, and consulting on an Adinkra art project with the visual art department. A wonderful immersion experience for all of us, with a ripple effect that carried on on many directions, as arts projects should! A year later, the kids at that school were asked to write about any experience they have had at the school that left an impression on them. One of them wrote this beautiful account of being involved in the Ghanaian arts. Thanks to music teacher, Shanda Lee for sending this on to me! So special to get this feedback. I love when the student says:
“I feel like I can somehow hear the drum like words.”
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