VOLTA - West African Music Ensemble
West African Drumming and Dance - MUS 235 and MUS 335
Intro African Drumming MUS 235 (for undergrad) &Intro African Drumming MUS 510 (for grad)
*Mus 235 & Mus 510 meet together then Mus 510 students have an extra short-project presentation to do apart from participating in the end-semester concert.
Advanced African Drumming MUS 335 (for undergrad) & Advanced African Drumming MUS 588 (for grad)
*Mus 335 and Mus 588 meet together then Mus 588 students have an extra short-project presentation to do apart from participating in the end-semester concert.
VOLTA, Stony Brook's West African Music ensemble, is made up of students from MUS 235 & 510 (Thursdays 4:45pm-6:30pm) and Music 335 & 588 (Thursday 6:30pm-8:15pm). The ensemble performs traditional drum and dance music from Ghana, West Africa. Students learn about the history and cultural context of each piece they will perform for the concert, and learn to play authentic instruments (drums, bells, and rattles) hand-made in Ghana. The end of semester concert features African guest artists. No audition required.
2026-2027 Concert Performances
All performances take place in the Staller Center Recital Hall at 7:30 PM. Admission is free.
Thursday, December 3, 2026
Thursday, April 29, 2027