Liberation Drum CirclesSpecial EventIn-Person
Friday, Apr 29, 2022
4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. EDT
at the Prospect Park Concert Grove Pavillion
This music-making workshop links polyrhythms from the West African diaspora with the critical and liberating influences of Paulo Freire, bell hooks, and Audre Lorde; American artists Janelle Monáe, Jidenna, and Rebel Diaz; and the Afro-Brazilian drumming projects Batalá NYC and Olodum. We’ll sing in circles and turn our bodies into drums as we improvise, take risks, and open up emotionally through song.
Martin Urbach
Academy Fellow Martin Urbach is a Latinx immigrant, educator, activist, and composer. At school, he creates “liberated spaces” where kids can fall in love with music and use music-making to promote social justice. He is a doctoral candidate in music education at Columbia University, holds a BA in jazz performance from the University of New Orleans, an MA in jazz arts from the Manhattan School of Music, and an Advanced Certificate in Music Education from Brooklyn College. He teaches music at Harvest Collegiate High School in New York City.