School drumming workshops to create the real sound of West Africa in your school.
‘African Music Experience’ offers an exciting hands-on opportunity for children of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to experience the thrill and excitement of African hand drumming. Everyone in a class gets an authentic African drum to participate in an unforgettable group experience – an experience which provides an insight into the sounds, beats and energy of African village and tribal life.
Unbeatable Energy will:
- Teach simple multi-part rhythms
- Show the children how to make different sounds on African djembe drums
- Give them easy ways to feel and access the beat
- Teach them how to listen and follow groups and teams
- Create opportunities for them to express themselves through ‘drum rumbles’ and making their own improvised rhythms
- Bring a whole range of additional hand percussion providing timbre and pitch to the sound of the drums
- Incorporate songs, and rhythm games that provide valuable lessons in communication and team work through music.
As a result:
- Children gain a creative lift which gives them a great boost of confidence
- Children feel engaged and included in a collective mood of group celebration
- Their awareness of musical cultures and traditions is widened
- They further develop key musical skills in line with National curriculum guidelines
- Their experience can be linked to support others areas in the school curriculum such as Science and Physical Education
The workshops are a perfect activity for your school’s…
- Arts Week
- Enrichment day
- Black History Month
- Cultural Awareness Day
PLUS! – Staff can gain fresh ideas to support music lessons with their class.
Our team have a refreshing, vibrant and open style that puts young people at ease in the workshops. Having visited West Africa on a number of occasions to study Gambian, Guinean and Senegalese rhythm and dance we draw on these influences to make a session with Unbeatable Energy an unforgettable musical experience for everyone involved.
We utilise unique ways for the children to access and remember drum rhythms. We use word chants to communicate complex sequences and physical dance movements to help them feel rather than think the rhythms. We can also provide African stories which are a great way to stimulate the children’s imagination and give them an insight into West African tribal culture.
Customising our workshops for your school
Workshops are designed to suit all age groups. We will tailor the duration of each session to suit the needs of your pupils and your school timetable. We are able to work with large groups of children in our sessions subject to venue size. Your school can choose to work with smaller groups allowing opportunities for end of day performances. Assembly performances at the end of the day are a great opportunity to invite parents to view their child’s achievements and stimulate interest from other classes and teachers.
Organising and delivering the workshop for your school
Planning the day
When your school makes a booking, we contact you and help organise a timetable that works best for the classes taking part in the day. We advise you on what duration and content is suitable for each Key Stage, and make sure arrangements are made as simple and easy as possible. We find the most efficient way to do this is to have a short phone call, after which we put everything in a simple contract to complete the booking.
Arriving at your school
We arrive at your school in the morning about an hour prior to the first workshop. During this time we unload our van and set up a large circle of African drums for each class that participates during the day. Easy access to parking is appreciated.
Venue requirements
A large sized room is essential. We can use a large classroom though we may need to shift some of the furniture to create space for the workshop. Your school hall is normally the best choice. Don’t worry if your school needs to use the hall for school lunches. We factor this in when planning the timetable to ensure that it doesn’t hinder your children’s quality learning time and causes as little disruption as possible. We normally require 10 minutes to pack the drums away before lunch and 20 minutes to set up again after lunch. We sometimes enlist the help of willing children in setting up the circle after lunch and we ensure any young volunteers are well supervised. Of course, if you’re one of the lucky schools with a separate hall for lunches the drums can remain set up all day.
Other requirements
- PE mats or failing this, a carpeted room to ensure that the drums are protected if they should be knocked over.
- Chairs for a full class plus extra chairs for staff, the workshop leader and any assistants.
Health & safety
To protect the hands it is essential the children do not wear rings, bracelets or watches during the workshop. A fully qualified member of the teaching staff must also be present for the full duration of the workshop. Unbeatable Energy has a 100% safety record and is fully covered by Public Liability Insurance up to £2 million. All Unbeatable Energy staff have up to date CRB disclosures which they always present to the reception on arrival at a school.
Safeguarding children policy
Unbeatable Energy believes the welfare of the child in education is paramount. Please contact us if you would like to receive a copy of our Safegaurding Children Policy.
Risk Assessment
It is possible that there will be some discomfort in the hands as most children are unaccustomed to playing hand drums. If discomfort becomes an issue, soft beaters and percussion can be made available. If there are any children with relevant medical conditions, please inform us beforehand so we can accommodate their needs. In such cases the children and perhaps the parents should be informed in advance of the workshop. To minimise any danger from children accidentally hitting each other (especially when using drum sticks) we make sure children are well-spaced and supervised to ensure correct usage.
