LATIN AMERICAN PERCUSSION
FOR DISTRICT 75

This residency provides a hands-on introduction to the musical traditions of South and Central America and fosters dialogue between teachers, students and parents about Latino and Latin American history, culture, and identity.
The curriculum is designed to help students towards achieving New York State learning benchmarks for music in a playful way.

Teaching artists employ both traditional Latin American instruments and homemade instruments to create a similar sound. Air-conditioning grates become guiros, flip-flops are used to play a marimba made out of cardboard tubes and a grocery cart. Students make gains in cultural and musical literacy, and are able to identify, discuss, and demonstrate Latin American music in a variety of styles, including cumbia, from Colombia; samba, from Brazil; cha-cha-cha, from Cuba, and bachata, from the Dominican Republic.

To prepare for a final performance, the class usually focuses on a single music style.