Lincoln High School Students Explore West African Drumming, Dance and Culture

As Lincoln Public Schools celebrates Music in Our Schools Month, a world music drumming class at Lincoln High School is bringing West African culture to the Midwest through drumming, singing and dancing. The class, organized by instructor Jill Oetken, puts kpanlogo and djembe drums in students' hands from day one, no prior experience required.

Oetken traveled to Ghana for three weeks two summers ago to study with master drummers and musicians in a West African village. That immersion shaped how she teaches. "Having actually lived that, it was, you know, all these points and these themes of this culture were driven home and you got to see it in practice," Oetken said.

One of the central contrasts she brought back to Lincoln is how differently music functions in daily life. In Western culture, musicians typically prepare for weeks or months before a culminating performance. In places like Ghana, music is woven into everyday community life. "There's no preparing and everything is done, not just in front of an audience for the special occasion, but it's just always done within the context of the community and for everyone to enjoy," Oetken said.

The world music drumming class at Lincoln High requires no prerequisites. Students pick up instruments and participate collectively, leaning on what they hear and see around them. That sink-or-swim-together approach is the point. "When you are unsure of a part or you're unsure about how something happens, you watch, you listen, and you do what you can in the moment," Oetken said.

In class, students like Mayiik Kuol, John Yahya, and Ta Ler Mu work through ensemble pieces on a collection of West African kpanlogo and djembe drums alongside other ethnic percussion instruments, building interlocking rhythms together. Oetken's goal goes beyond groove. "I hope that students walk away with an appreciation for using teamwork to work on something, to lean on each other, to help each other out, to know that, you know, you're always going to help your neighbor," Oetken said.

Oetken also started the West African Music Ensemble, an after-school club open to all ninth through 12th grade students across the district. Students interested in joining can contact her at Joetken@LPS.org.

For drummers who think of West African rhythm traditions as something reserved for advanced players or specialized programs, this class is a direct argument otherwise. The djembe doesn't wait for you to be ready; you learn by playing, and you play alongside everyone else.