Playing for peace in the world, playing for a sick friend, or playing with the hope that everyone does well on testing…but what do these have to do with drums? Well, they are all intentions, and drum circles come together with intention. Students in this session will set their own intentions while they learn three simple hand movements on the djembe or other percussive instruments sitting together in a circle. They will learn how to play the rhythms they feel while thinking of others. At the same time, they will practice staying musically in time/in count with the rest of the group. Drumming circles build community and keep communities strong. If these are intentions for your classroom, consider this session!
TEACHING ARTIST SESSION
The Drum Circle (PK-5)
Lee Ann Broussard
Lee Ann Broussard has had a 50 year career in the field of communications and public relations in the music and health care industry. Lee Ann is a graduate of Our Lady of Fatima High School who has studied Theology and holds two Criminal Justice degrees from ULL. Currently, Lee Ann is a member of the Recording Academy, aka National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences…aka the Grammys. In her first year as a Grammy member, Lee Ann was able to submit the music of and get recognition for local artist Erica Fox, who then became the first African American female in the area to be considered for a Grammy in the Rhythm & Blues category. Lee Ann is the leader of a drum troupe called TRINITY; the group leads city-wide drum circles at Moncus Park in Lafayette. Along with performing with TRINITY, Lee Ann creates drumming programs for the ULL Life Students (those who have learning, physical, or mental challenges), holds meditative “sound baths” at the Lafayette Salt Cave, and works with at-risk-youth in the Lafayette Public School System. Lee Ann has also provided drumming programs for the Boys and Girls Club in Vermilion Parish. While Lee Ann is passionate about music, her main purpose is to give every artist, no matter the age, an opportunity to reach their dreams and become successful in all that they set out to accomplish in the music industry and in life.
