“Make Some Noise,” presented by the Whaling Museum and Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor, brought first- through fifth-grade students to the Baldwin Public Library on Friday to explore the West African roots of historical and modern music in celebration of Black History Month.
The interactive program introduced young participants to the cultural origins of music they may already recognize, while highlighting how traditions from West Africa shaped genres that developed in the United States.
“The most interesting thing that I learned was that one of the songs I thought originated from the Beatles was actually from the Isley Brothers,” library patron Jonequa Morrison said, referring to the song “Twist and Shout.”
The song’s connection to West African musical traditions can be traced to its call-and-response verse style — a form rooted in the spirituals of enslaved people and the sea chanteys of African and African American whalers.
Through demonstrations and discussion, students learned how these musical elements carried across generations and evolved into styles still heard today.
“It connects them to their history, and it’s also amazing that it’s right here in their community,” Morrison said of her children. “They can meet other people from their community, and it’s just a great way to teach them history.”
In addition to vocal traditions, the program explored instruments with origins in West Africa. Students were introduced to the shekere, a percussive shaker; the balafon, a xylophone-like instrument; and the ngoni, a stringed instrument considered an ancestor of the banjo.
“I learned how instruments evolved from how they looked back in time to how they look now,” Jaxen Morrison, a student who attended the program, said. “And I learned how they work and how to use them, and what sounds they make.”
The hands-on portion of the program allowed students to engage directly with music-making. Using metal wires, beads, shells and washi tape, participants created their own sistrums — ancient Egyptian percussion instruments characterized by a U-shaped frame with movable crossbars and rings.
Educators encouraged students to think about how instruments and musical traditions change over time while still maintaining connections to their origins. The activity reinforced the program’s broader goal of making history accessible through interactive learning.
For some students, the program sparked a continued interest in music and cultural history.
“It inspired me to think about more instruments and do more research about where they come from,” said Celine Fernandez, who attended the program.
Programs like “Make Some Noise” not only highlight the historical contributions of African and African American communities but also provide young learners with opportunities to explore those influences in a hands-on, engaging environment close to home.
