SESSION 5:
Saturday, June 11, 10-11:30 a.m. at All Souls Church
16th and Harvards Sts NW, Harvard entrance, in the dining room.
NEW INFORMATION: We will be starting our GROUP LESSON at 10:30 a.m. from now on - however, those seeking extra instruction or wanting to get caught up from missed sessions, I will be there starting at 10 a.m. Please come early if you'd like extra help.
Report on Session 4:
Ku Ku, We're NOT kuku!
Last week, we started off with some drumming - continuing to learn the African rhythm, "Ku Ku," whose first two parts can be memorized by saying these 2 phrases:
1. Ku - Ku, I'm not kuku!
2. Oh yes you are!
The hand positions for both are as follows:
1. Bass -- Bass, tone tone tone-tone
2. Slap-Bass tone tone
Poetic Voices
Last week our members received a journal, and laid down their first words inside it with the Relay Writing Project. In this project, there were 5 writing prompts written on 5 cards, and each card was placed at a different location in the room.
The prompts were as follows:
1. Describe a member of your immediate or extended family using lots of detail
2. Describe your worst enemy using only POSITIVE words and images (note: if you don't have any enemies, think carefully - your enemy might not be a person)
3. Describe what gives you the most JOY, and try to make it rhyme and bounce to a rhythm in your head
4. Explain what happened the last time you got angry, using at least 3 colors
5. Talk about how you feel when engaged in a creative activity, in 5 lines (a line could be anywhere from one word to one sentence)
Each YWDEP member was given a number and sent to that post to write for 5 minutes using the prompt. After 5 minutes, the girls switched to the next prompt, and so on until each member had written about each prompt. The results were fantastic! I would like to ask those who participated to please PUBLISH your work here on the blog - by using the COMMENT section below! I was truly thrilled and amazed at the words of our young women. Those who couldn't make the session, please complete the project on your own using the prompts above - and share with us at the next session!
Session 5: WE DRUM!!
We're getting the rhythms down WELL, but need to spend a little more time practicing - the more we improve the basics, the better our rhythms will sound. So in the coming Session 5, please prepare to DRUM - i'll bring ice packs for our hands - young women should wear pants or WIDE skirts, remove all rings and bracelets, and (DARE I SAY IT!) try trimming back those nails just a bit! ANYthing extra on your hands or wrists can get in the way of technique, so keep that in mind, and I'll see you at.....
SESSION 5:
Saturday, June 11, 10-11:30 a.m. at All Souls Church - 16th and Harvards Sts NW, Harvard entrance, in the dining room.
NEW INFORMATION: We will be starting our GROUP LESSON at 10:30 a.m. from now on - however, those seeking extra instruction or wanting to get caught up from missed sessions, I will be there starting at 10 a.m. Please come early if you'd like extra help.
IN RHYTHM!!
Kristen Arant
202-213-7810
kristen@youngwomendrum.org
www.youngwomendrum.org
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The Young Women’s Drumming Empowerment Project seeks to empower a core group of young women by guiding them in a process of learning how to play hand drums and percussion, along with expressing their opinions and telling their stories. The girls work with local artists to build a strong collection of rhythms, songs & spoken word. The 12-week project culminates with 3 final performances featuring the work of the project participants. Project updates and developments are listed below.
