The Percussion Lady & Alafia Heading

The Percussion Lady

Program Descriptions

Preschool through PreKindergarten
(30 to 45 minutes)

Rhythm Fun (& More!):

Come sing a song, play a drum, and have some movement fun—a magical time for everyone!

Children’s Percussion & Movement Playshop:

Come march in a parade of drums, bells, shakers, and scrapers and move to the beat you create!

School Age - First through Fifth grade
(45 to 60 minutes)

Sounds of South America:

Get a feel for South America with an introduction to its music and learn the basic “3/2” clave pattern.

Music of the Middle East:

Play the doumbek (Middle Eastern hand drum) and learn several basic Middle Eastern patterns.

Introduction to African Rhythms:

Participate in an African welcome song, “Fanga,” and become an ensemble of percussion players, singers, and dancers.

Primordial Percussion Groove:

Students recreate the rhythmic sounds of early man and participate in a "cave person combo."

Family/Community - Great for ages 2 to 92!
(45 to 60 minutes)

Community Drum Circle

Experience the magic and excitement of playing world percussion (drums, bells, shakers, and scrapers) instruments in a community setting. All instruments are provided. (This program can be customized as a team-building event for adult audiences and tailored for student/school groups.)

Rhythms with “The Percussion Lady”

Create a rhythms band with your voice and movements, learn about the different parts of an actual rhythms band, and perhaps play a percussion instrument. A fun time for all!

Paws & Claws: Crazy Critters of the Bush and Jungle

Explore your wild side and sense of adventure! Experience tales, rhythms, movement, and a song about exotic animals and bugs. All instruments are provided. Come ready to prowl, slither, and roar!

Spark Your Imaginations, Ignite Your Creativity—Rhythm Fun for Everyone!

Experience a magical time filled with song, stories, and rock out in a rhythm band. All instruments are provided. Come ready to express yourselves!

Alafia

Our Story

Helen and Sondra

Once upon a time, in a former life, I imagine that Sondra Singer and I lived in an African village. We were drummers, storytellers, and very good friends. In this lifetime, we became performing partners in 1999 while playing with the African drum troupe, Oyoyo. We both realized an affinity for culturally-based rhythms, stories, and songs and struck out on our own under the moniker of Alafia (which means peace). Much of our current programming centers on the themes of peace, building bridges, African and Middle Eastern culture, and actively engaging their audiences—which have ranged in age from 2 to 92!

Our Programs

Our programming is appropriate for children from preschool/ kindergarten through 6th grade and can be customized to fit a particular theme and/or age level. Performances generally run 45 – 60 minutes. In addition, we are happy to customize our programming for community groups, conferences, and special events.

Program Descriptions

Celebrating Our Similarities: Building a Bridge of Peace and Understanding—Through Rhythm, Story, Singing & Dance:

In this interactive program, we both tell stories and sing and can also lead Dances of Universal Peace. (see www.dancesofuniversalpeace.org for more information). This program, which started having a Middle Eastern theme, actually has a number of modules, which we can fit to meet a particular customer's needs. (For example, in 2005 we developed a building bridges program for the holidays: “Chanukah & Kwanzaa: December’s Other Holidays.”)

Let's Make Noise:

This is a fun, interactive, and educational program. The first part features Sondra telling her original interactive story, "Joy Madison Carter Makes Noise." For the second part, I facilitate a rhythms band—with the students not only creating rhythmic sounds with their bodies and voices, but also being invited on stage to play with us on the supplied percussion instruments. Of course, throughout this second part we demonstrate playing of the instruments and can mention fun cultural facts about each. The program culminates joyously with everyone learning an African welcome song and dance from Nigeria, "Fanga."

A Tour of Africa in Story, Rhythm, & Song:

This is an involving rhythmic program featuring a variety of performance pieces from the African continent. Currently, it includes stories, percussion, songs, and dance from Ghana, Congo, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria. To create a full-bodied, authentic experience of an African cultural program, we include a third percussionist.

Community Drum Circle:*

Experience the magic and excitement of playing world percussion (drums, bells, shakers, and scrapers) instruments in a community setting. All instruments are provided. (This program can be customized for large student/school groups.)

Tales of the Earth, Songs of Peace:**

This program incorporates ethnic folktales, songs, and Dances of Universal Peace with the theme of environmental responsibility and awareness. Tales include "The People Who Hugged the Trees," a story from India, about a girl who lives in a poor village at the edge of a great desert and her love of the trees that protect the village; also "The Screen of Frogs," a folktale from Japan about a selfish, wealthy lad and his transformation to caring protector of the land and animals. Also included in this program are participatory songs. Where space/time are available, there can be Dances of Universal Peace that help us to connect more deeply to the earth. This modular program can be customized with appropriate elements.

* I usually facilitate these circles solo; however, if the group is large enough, Sondra co-facilitates.

** Sondra usually performs this program solo, but I can join her as an Alafia option.