Because of its exciting use of rhythm and its variety, African music is an excellent musical culture for study. Seventh and eighth grade students, with no prior musical training, learned to play African instruments and dance the Adowa, a traditional dance of the Ashanti people of Ghana. (RM)

Describes activities in a secondary music class in which students communicate with talking drums. Maintains that the class project was developed during a teaching unit on the musical practices of the Ashanti ethnic group in Ghana. Includes instructions for making talking drums and four examples of orchestrating name rhythms for drums. (CFR)