To the beat of my heart

Go on a cross-continent safari without leaving the Ann Arbor Downtown Library. Musician Donna Novack will be bringing Harpbeat!, a live harp performance program, to guide children from preschool to grade 5 on a musical journey that starts in Africa, crosses the Middle Passage to the West Indies, and then climbs aboard the Underground Railroad. She’ll also be bringing some percussion instruments for kids to try out. “I developed this program with a friend from South Africa, where people use whatever resources they have on hand to make percussion in- struments,” says Novack. “Kids can see that, when it comes to making music, your imagina- tion can invent all kinds of cool music.” The show incorporates Swahili, Zulu, and sign lan- guage to help kids learn about African musical heritage and how it revolutionized Ameri- can sounds. Wear your dancin’ shoes; the journey stops in Mo- town! Thursday, February 21 from 10-11am. Free. Downtown branch of Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave. 734-327-4200. www.aadl.org.

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