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The Fundamentals of Puerto Rican Folkloric Music: la Bomba y la Plena

This workshop, taught in both Spanish and English, provides educators with a fundamental understanding of Afro-Puerto Rican dance and drum culture through the rich musical heritage of Bomba y Plena. Educators will engage with Bomba y Plena’s history and culture and gain insight into how it is used to nourish resistance, healing, and community celebrations. […]

Cajón (box drums): Heartbeat of Africa in Peru and The Americas Workshop

This program is designed for participants to experience the rhythmical magic of the cajón (box drum) and become acquainted with its fascinating history. Participants will learn to play the most popular rhythms of Afro-Peruvian music using the cajón as well as other typical percussion instruments of Afro-Peruvian music, like the quijada (jawbone) and the cajita […]

Afro-Puerto Rican Folkloric Music: la Bomba y la Plena

Segunda Quimbamba is a cultural gem based in Jersey City. Led by Master Drummer Juan Cartagena and Master Dancer Nanette Hernández, the band performs and teaches Afro-Puerto Rican folkloric music La Bomba and La Plena, honoring their ancestors and heritage through practicing this preservation. The call-and-response music creates a collaborative artistic space in Bomba for […]

Intro to Capoeira

Developed in Brazil by enslaved Africans during the 16th century, the martial art of Capoeira, disguised as a dance and including acrobatics, music, and the Portuguese language, was used as a means to resist oppression in the relentless struggle for freedom. This program, led by Leigh Robertson gives students the opportunity to participate in all […]

Boom Buckets Around the World!

Students discover the art of drumming! Participants have a blast playing everyday objects like buckets and garbage cans while they develop essential aural musical skills and learn how to read basic musical notation. Along their journey students experience music from different world cultures, participate in ensemble playing, and have the opportunity to perform in an […]

The Amazing Junk Jam

Are you ready to jam? Environmental sustainability and social responsibility take center stage in The Junk Jam Band’s high-energy educational program featuring found objects and homemade instruments. Everyone gets involved, as students create and layer sounds, using looping technology to create songs. Learning that junk can be used in so many ways has never been […]

Afro-Cuban Percussion

Students play a variety of percussion instruments from Latin American countries while learning about culture and history through stories and demonstrations. By learning historical context, students understand the meaning of the music beyond the basic rhythms and melodies. Students comprehend musical tools such as dynamics, pulse, call and response, breaks, and instruments through hands-on experiences. […]

Dances and Culture of Mexico

This delightful program with Mexico Beyond Mariachi showcases the vast cultural expressions of our neighbor to the south, Mexico. Students are immersed in the culture and history of Mexico through the disciplines of music and dance from various regions of this diverse country. Maps, hats, skirts, and other artifacts are used as teaching aids. A […]

Japanese Festival Drums

The music of Taikoza personifies power, grace, pulse, and driving rhythm. After decades of training in Japan, Marco Lienhard leads this electrifying aural and visual performance which captures the vitality and culture of life in Japan. Highlighted by the thunderous rhythms of ancestral Japanese Taiko drums and the sounds of bamboo flutes, this festive experience draws from […]