On Friday 20th January, we were joined by Olu Olaseinde of the River Niger Orchestra who ran an African drumming workshop for Hope music students. River Niger’s workshops and performances explore World cultures through the specialist delivery of music, visual arts, storytelling and drama. By offering new learning opportunities through world arts and culture they aim to inspire people’s creative potential.

During the workshop, students learnt about the origins and history of African drumming, different variations of African music and the artists involved, and about the instruments themselves. They had the opportunity to listen to different types of African music then learn rhythms and beats which they played alongside the extremely knowledgeable workshop leaders. Students were encouraged to explore the drumming style and create their own rhythms, and these were then combined with African singing and dance. The session proved to be very interesting, enjoyable and educational, and Liverpool Hope hope to welcome the River Niger Orchestra back again soon.