Community African Drumming group starts winter term on January 10, 2023

La Grande, Oregon. Art Center East’s Community African Drumming group begins Winter
Term 2023 classes on January 10. Join the group to explore the drumming rhythms of traditional
West African music. No experience is required and drums are provided. The group is open to
community members ages 12 and older, and meets every Tuesday from January 10 – March 14, 2023. The group meets from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. on the EOU campus in Loso Hall Room 123.
ACE Outreach Coordinator Moira Madden says, “This fun and welcoming group is a great way
to learn how to play the djembe (a goblet-shaped drum played with bare hands) or refine your
djembe skills! I encourage people to register soon for this popular class as it is filling up
quickly.”

The Community African Drumming instructor is Celine Burke. She holds an EOU Bachelor of
Music degree with a focus on percussion performance and is a long-time member of the group.
Speaking about African drumming, Burke comments, “I love that each person plays a short
rhythm that interconnects with the short rhythms other group members are playing. This fun
interconnection creates something larger than each drummer can play alone.”
Register online at artcentereast.org/calendar, via phone at 541-624-2800, or at ACE (1006 Penn
Avenue) during business hours (Wednesday – Friday 12:00 -5:00 p.m. and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. –
2:00 p.m.). Winter Term Community African Drumming registration fee is $45 for current ACE
members and $55 for non-members.Youth scholarships are available for community members
ages 18 and younger. Visit artcentereast.org/ace-youth-scholarship for information about the
reduced-cost opportunity.

Community African Drumming is part of ACE’s vital and longstanding Community Music
Program that also includes private music lessons for children, teens, and adults taught by
experienced music educators. ACE continues its strong commitment to bringing the joy of music
to community members of all ages in group and individual settings.
Browse the Winter Quarter 2023 ACE Class Schedule and learn more about ACE classes,
exhibits, and events at artcentereast.org. Art Center East is located at 1006 Penn Avenue in La
Grande. Regular business hours are Wednesday through Friday from 12:00 – 5:00 p.m., and
Saturdays 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Exhibits can also be viewed online at artcentereast.org thanks to
a partnership with John J. Howard Real Estate in La Grande. Galleries are open to the public and
admission is always free.

About Art Center East: Founded in 1977 as Eastern Oregon Regional Arts Council, Art Center
East is a member-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit arts services organization providing arts learning
opportunities and experiences for rural students in its ten-county service area in Eastern Oregon,
as well as art classes, art exhibits in its three galleries, and cultural events in its historic Carnegie
Library building in La Grande. Art Center East also has a Community Music Program, which
hosts private music lessons for children, teens, and adults, and a Community African Drumming
group. The Community Music Program is a partnership between Art Center East and Eastern
Oregon University.

Art Center East programs are supported by members and funded with donations and grants from
local sponsors as well as regional and statewide foundations such as the Oregon Arts
Commission and the Oregon Cultural Trust, among others. For more information, please visit
artcentereast.org.