WEST AFRICAN DRUM ENSEMBLES by Jim Scheuer has 5 movements adapted and arranged for High School ensembles of 10 players. Based on authentic West African music from Ghana, these are open-form pieces that call for individual players to create their own rhythmic variations and allow for improvised solos and call-and-response interaction with a lead drummer. The works have been adapted to provide a legitimate World music experience to students who have received typical school music training in instrumental music programs, and to be playable in schools that may not have access to authentic instruments. With experimentation, you should be able to perform these pieces with instruments you already have and a little bit of scavenging for some readily available materials in your school woodshop or your kitchen. Instructions for building and adapting instruments for an authentic African sound are provided. Drums. Score. Grade: 4 Duration: 25:00 

Composer’s Notes are in the Resources tab.