BoumBoum have been working in schools for over eighteen years, from early years through primary, secondary and further education, and working either to the music curriculum, or to complement it and link to other curriculum subjects.

At the simplest level, drumming workshops are effective in:

• developing communication skills, focus, concentration

• enabling deep relaxation - the playing of the ostinati rhythms has been proven to take the brain into alpha state, just as meditation does

• developing social skills, as Malinke drumming requires interaction and tight coordination with other players

• empowerment - people feel good after playing together effectively - a fantastic  outcome for those who are normally shy or disengaged from their peers

• accessing the musicality in all who play - it's often the children who are deemed least musical who respond well to the challenges of this form of music

For pre-schoolers and infants, our workshops include traditional storytelling, rhythm and song, exploring a range of traditional West African instruments, and often working together with children and their parents.

For primaries, we work with all of those, but also  introduce 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. We also work with language as the root of rhythm, and help children to develop their own beats through speech - particularly effective when working with those with special needs.

Secondary pupils can have a purely West African take on the workshops, linking to the GCSE music curriculum, and exploring polyrhythm, traditional Malinke rhythms in their cultural context, different dynamics, and solo technique. But we can also look at where African music has influenced modern Western music – from the blues through to current dance music. 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, and we are always happy to design new sessions according to a school's particular focus.

click here for link to Abene School in Senegal

BoumBoum's work in schools has grown steadily since Amanda Pickering brought it to Cornwall nine years ago, and our team is now expanding to meet demand.  We can offer specific workshops on West African rhythm and culture, or combined workshops looking at the survival of the culture and music and how the diaspora reflects African traditions in Western culture. 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; and following Amanda's involvement in the Paul Hamlyn Trust's Musical Bridges, Transforming Transition project, are actively leading rhythm-related transition projects for Yr 6s and Yr 7s in West Cornwall.

''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 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.''   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