The Sankofa Drum and Dance Ensemble: Motivations for student participation in a school world music ensemble

Abstract

The Sankofa Drum and Dance Ensemble is a world music ensemble at the elementary level that focuses on Ghanaian music in the Ewe tradition. The ensemble consists of students in grades 4 through grade 8 and is one of the few world music ensembles in the school board. This article will examine the qualitative data from the interviews of nine students participating in the ensemble at the time of study (2007), exploring both their motivations for joining and for remaining in the Sankofa Drum and Dance Ensemble. Motivations will be examined categorically, considering the different musical, psychological and social motivations the students cite as their reasons for ensemble participation. The data concludes that there are many musical, psychological, and social reasons for ensemble participation and offers implications for music education.

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