1:1 Djembe/West African Drumming Lessons With Mr. T
Class experience
Beginner - Advanced Level
Welcome to Mr. T's Djembe Academy private djembe lessons! This course will help develop your skills to be a "djembefola", or a djembe musician. I have been teaching West African percussion for 13 years and have worked with master drummers from West Africa. Students will learn what it takes to become a djembe "master". In this course, you will learn the basic skills necessary for djembe, traditional West African Malinke rhythms, the history behind the drum and rhythms, as well as how to...
This class is taught in English.
Students will learn the skills and rhythms necessary to become a djembe "master". Students will learn numerous different rhythms and skills on the djembe including the sounds played, how to read djembe music, and how to start and stop the music, and traditional Malinke rhythms.
I am a certified music teacher in North Carolina. I attend music school at the University of North Florida and have my masters degree in educational leadership. I have been teaching music to people for over 20 years. I have been playing and teaching West African drumming for over 13 years to people of all ages, children to adults. Every year I teach over 1000 students (5 years old and up) in the school systems as well as hundreds of adults in the community. I have spent these years researching the history behind the rhythms and learning how to play the West African Rhythms. In these 12 years, I have also held drum circles at my school and community where people learn the basics to African drumming, the history behind the drums, and traditional West African rhythms. It is one of the core units that I teach to my students at school, from 5 years old and up. Currently, I am studying under master drummer Bolokada Conde. These students and I have performed at parades and other events. Most recently, besides teaching West African drumming at my school, I have held drumming events at numerous schools and other locations in my city where the general public can learn how fun it is to drum!
Homework Offered
Students will be required to practice their drum and interpret djembe music. We will work on a skill or rhythm each week and students will be expected to master that before the following week's class.1 - 2 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
Students will be assessed in class and will perform the rhythms or skills that were taught.Grades Offered
No official grades, but students will be given a certificate of completion when they complete the different levels of the curriculum.
A drum! Some blank paper or a notebook if you want to write down any of the rhythms, but Mr. T will share all materials over Outschool with you to save if you want!
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Students will have access to videos that I created that teach the rhythms being taught in class. The links will be listed on Outschool and will take students to my music business YouTube channel where I store the videos. This is so that students can continue to learn in between classes and also have a reference to the rhythms and skills learned in class in case they forget as they practice in between classes. All videos have been approved as safe for kids through YouTube. An account for YouTube is not required to view the videos.
All materials will be provided through Outschool and have been compiled by Mr. T.
Mr. Troina, or Mr. T, has been a musician for over 30 years, starting with piano when he was 3 years old in 1988. In 2003, he studied piano under Dr. Gary Smart at the University of North Florida where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Music...
1-on-1 Lessons
$30
per sessionMeets on demand
30 min
Completed by 5 learners
Live video meetings
Ages 7-18