BoumBoum has long experience of working in infant, primary and secondary schools, either working within the music curriculum, or across it.  Music in West Africa reflects all aspects of life, and our workshops reflect all aspects of the curriculum - whether exploring rhythm in poetry, looking at Maasai age-sets and culture, or using music to develop maths skills.

For infants, workshops include storytelling, song, costume and dance, as well as the wonderful rhythms of West Africa. For primaries, we work with all of those, but also look more at the cultural context of the music – who are the Malinke people? Why do they play this music? and link it back to the children’s own experiences in their own cultures. 

Secondary pupils can have a purely West African take on the workshops, linking to the GCSE music curriculum where appropriate. But we also look at where African music has influenced modern Western music – from the  blues through to hip hop and nu soul. Recent workshops in secondaries in Cornwall have included creating new raps based on the African calling tradition, or composing new rhythms using traditional instruments and structures.

click here for link to Abene School in Senegal

BoumBoum's work in schools has grown steadily since Amanda Pickering brought it to Cornwall four years ago, and our team is now expanding to meet demand. From June 2007, BoumBoum will also be offering Brazilian samba rhythm workshops, under the leadership of Claire Simpson. Brazilian rhythms originated in West Africa, arriving with the influx of people forced into slavery. We can offer specific workshops on West African or Brazilian rhythm and culture, or combined workshops looking at the survival of the culture and music and how the diaspora reflects African traditions in modern Latin America. We are also working in primaries to offer PPA cover developing rhythmic and social/creative skills over weekly sessions, a new development which really enables younger children to gain musical confidence and cultural awareness while having fun.

We are also delighted to be joined by Roger Luxton, our early years specialist, working with rhythm and percussion skills with the youngest pupils, but who is also a skilled rock drummer offering extensive music industry experience in his work with secondary students wanting to develop a career in music.

Dance is absolutely integral to the African and Brazilian rhythmic traditions we work with, and Laetitia le Gall brings her passion for dance into our mix to complete the offer. Ticci is an experienced and able teacher, able to inspire individual and group performances from her students.

''Thank you so much for the workshop on Friday. It was absolutely spot–on. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed it and gained a great deal from it. We look forward to working with you again at a future date. ''  Penair Secondary School. Truro

''This last year (2008) has been a fantastic introduction to the world of African drumming. Through our specialist schools money we have been very fortunate to have you deliver high quality workshops using a wide range of authentic, high quality instruments and always with a genuine mixture of enjoyment and high expectation from the participants. I would unreservedly recommend any school to kick start something in their school through Boumboum. Many thanks again.''  Kevin Lane, Head of Music, Cape Cornwall Secondary School

"Thank you for the workshops last week, they were great.  The children are still 'buzzing' with excitement!" Nansloe Primary School, Helston