The Reba E. Davis Memorial Drumming Circle isn’t like most regular drumming circles. The eclectic rhythms played on the tubano, djembes and talking drums are unique, so much so that by special invitation the group will perform at the Kansas Department of Education (KDE) conference Wednesday in Wichita. THE ELEMENTARY students will be leaving at 8 a.m. Wednesday and will perform at noon. They will play for roughly 30 to 40 minutes.
The drumming circle, made up of fourth- and fifth-grade Jefferson, Lincoln and McKinley students, are the first elementary students to be asked to play for the KDE board.
“As far back as the board members can remember, we are the first elementary group to be asked to perform. The board hasn’t had anyone from southeast Kansas either,” Karen Jesseph, elementary music teacher said. “Usually it is just college and high school students who play.”
The special drums were hard to come by, Jesseph said.
After seeing a group performing at a conference in Wichita in 2006, Jesseph said “I just had to have them.”
After 11 months of begging, the school district received a bequest which went to buying the drums. The donation came from a local woman, Reba E. Davis, and thus they found the name for the new drumming circle.
When the drumming circle first began there were 21 students in the drumming circle. Now five years later, they have 45 drummers.
“If we had more kids we would need more drums, and a bigger room,” Jesseph said.
“This is a pretty big deal for the students,” Jesseph said.
They will be playing a variety of music from African, Caribbean to American Folk pieces.
“There will be a lot of old call-and-response pieces,” Jesseph said.
In addition to the drums, some students will play guitar and recorders.
In the past, the drumming circle has played for local organizations, including churches, nursing homes, the farmers market and last year at Farm-City Days. The students are always looking for more places to play, Jesseph said.
Performance a big honor for elementary drummers
