Music

Ever since I have been at Penn State, I have had the oppurtunity to play as part of Nommo, the university's African dance performance group.  I had my first experience with African drumming, Djembé in particular, while an undergraduate at the University of Maryland in a class taught by Djimo Kouyate.  Since being here at Penn State the majority of my learning can be credited to Chuck Greb, founder of Boté Foté african drumworks here in State College, PA.  

While at Penn State I became friends with a belly dancer and instructor, Alexa Krepps.  She is also musically inclined and both instructed and encouraged me to play some middle eastern rhythms.  At this point I have accompanied her in a number of performances and we are currently in the process of setting up a middle eastern music group here in State College.  I had the chance to take workshops with Raquy Danziger and Carmine Guida at Rakkasah East in fall 2007.  

I've been a part of various orchestras and string quartets over the years playing violin and viola.  There were times when I got to travel with it.  Once I went to England with an orchestra where we had the chance to play in the Salisbury cathedral.  There was also a music festival in Morelia, Mexico that I went to with my high-school string quartet.  Now the cellist, Loren Westbrook-Fritts is rocking out to megadeath on the cello at Primitivity.  Also, one of the violinsts I used to play with, Olivia, is now the violinist in a South African all-female electronic string quartet, Electro-Muse.