Drum Classes Stir Cultural Awareness

Each Saturday over the past few weeks, a small group of Pacoima youngsters have gathered to learn about the world--using the music of drums as their guide.

So far, only a handful of kids has attended the free music classes provided by percussionists Ernesto Salcedo and Jesus Torres at the Pacoima Youth Cultural Center.

But Torres and Salcedo, who received a grant from the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs to teach youths the art of drum playing, believe more people will come as word gets out.

There are marimbas, djimbe, congas, bongo drums and more, Salcedo said.

The drums, from the Andes, the West Indies, Mexico and Africa, are there to be handled, played and enjoyed, Salcedo said.

“This is not just a demonstration” class, Salcedo said. “Kids can come in and actually hit these different kinds of drums . . . It’s not like people just come in and make noise. We teach the fundamentals of music.”

Salcedo’s partner, Torres, is a percussion instructor at Los Angeles City College. Together, the pair impart basic drumming skills but also try to infuse in their students a deeper understanding of the world and how music links cultures together.

“What’s really exciting is that we can trace all the Latin American, Southwest, West African and other kinds of music--we can connect it to every cultural group there is,” Salcedo said, “French, Spanish, African, Native American . . . There is a multicultural mix that doesn’t leave anybody out. I make sure my students understand that.”

The classes are held from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays at the youth center, 11243 Glenoaks Blvd. Classes will continue for the next 10 weeks, Salcedo said.

For more information, call (818) 896-8878.