When the school day began, I walked through the main hallway and the only sounds that I could hear were the sweet goodbyes from parents along with laughter and excitement spilling out of each classroom. The Roy G. Biv striped ceiling even shone a little brighter as if it were illuminated. The two students that I usually hear crying, I did not hear. I peeked in the classroom window and Oliver was playing contently with a truck and Sara was dancing. I usually take Oliver for a “shuffle” around the building and yet today he was soothed and independent. I finished a few things on my computer and soon heard a tapping on the glass doors that led to the outside playground.
I witnessed Sara holding her speaker and all the toddlers were gathered around her to hear the music she was playing. I wanted to join the excitement and I brought a small djembe drum with me. I played along to the rhythm of the song that was coming out. I danced in a very animated and expressive way and two more kiddos came to join. A two year old girl kicked out her legs one by and one and another toddler boy spun around with hands lifted.
A boy, Stephen, was looking at the drum intently. He turned his head awkwardly to see the hole in the bottom of the drum. When I noticed what he was doing I played in such as a way that he could feel the reverberation of the drum and absorb the gentle puffs of air that came out with each tone, slap, and bass. His eyes then focused on the skin of the drum and he touched it gently. Following, I handed over the drum to Stephen. He wanted to turn it over a few times and observe it. After he became acquainted with the shape and structure of the drum he smiled and played the skin with his index and middle finger as he had watched me done. It is a very small drum so my hand does not fit, yet he was so thoughtful in his observation as he mimicked my same action.
In the distance, Nevaeh, an assistant teacher and two other students had found the large percussion instruments that are a permanent fixture on the playground. One drum has a plastic membrane with an attached mallet and next to it is a sturdy, metal xylophone. Nevaeh and her pupils joined in and all were participating in the simple heartbeat of the song.
I remember moments like this on the school yard in the fishing town of Abume while living in Ghana, West Africa. It starts with one kid and one rhythm and soon the entire compound finds themselves inside of the groove and smiling.
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