[Kingston, Jamaica, July 30, 2021]
On Thursday, July 29, 2021, a group of scholarship students led by Drum Mentor, Odane Thomas gave a presentation of traditional drumming to the students at the Earnest Institute for the Gifted, Hyperactive & Talented (E.I.G.H.T)
The occasion was the last day of the summer camp at E.I.G.H.T. and Odane Thomas was invited to do a presentation to enhance the institute’s summer program.
He had spoken to the students two days prior to this performance on the power of music and drumming. The owner Natasha Douglas, a former customer of Avant Academy of Music, remembering her son’s experience learning drumming with Odane, called him to share with her students.
His presentation was so effective that it was decided that a demonstration of drumming would be the next logical step. To do so, Odane recruited the assistance of students from the Music Production and Performance Scholarship Program to give the performance.
Setting up the drums in the classroom with the E.I.G.H.T. students and giving them rhythm sticks to participate. The ensemble took the children through a warm-up exercise and a drum pattern with improvisation. The children not only participated but in their creativity, got a little carried away with playing the sticks and the rhythm games.
On reflecting on the experience Odane said that, “It made me feel really good to see the scholarship students prepare and share with the students with such joy because I know from personal experience the value of giving back”.
Odane was in the first batch of persons to receive a scholarship from Avant Academy of Music and he has grown to not only be a staff member but is now training up another batch of scholarship students.
It is hoped that this will be one of many outreaches for Avant Academy of Music in pursuit of opportunities for the growth and development of other institutions and its own staff and students.
For additional information on Avant Academy of Music and the programs being offered at this time contact:
(876) 631-4216
info@avantacademyofmusic.com
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Avant Academy of Music is a social enterprise that is located in Kingston, Jamaica, and whose purpose is to make education as relevant and convenient as possible while creating social impact through coaching, certification, and connection. The music education company has won awards through the reality television competition, “The Innovators” and has been recognized through the Social Enterprise Boost Initiative funding by the USAID and managed by the Jamaica National (JN) Foundation.