Today we delightfully gave the first outdoor lesson 2017 for lesson group Roermond, at Jenny’s home in Neer. What a delight to be able to play balafon outside! We played ‘Senale Malin’ and ‘Koniya Ba’, among others, and thus prepared a bit for the performance next Sunday in Nederweert. Then we will be playing in Theaterboerderij Boeket. We’ve had quite a preparation for it. Ere are several guest players invited for it: Celinda with Didgeridoo and flute and for vocals, Eveline, Meta and Juliette for percussion, Miriam for vocals. We met a couple of times with the big group to make arrangements, but it wasn’t easy…. But today the first outdoor lesson; so not in the tipi but in the garden!!!

In the lesson group Roermond is the longest existing lesson group (which used to be in Venlo) and we also have a very extensive repertoire there. Anja goes with us to Burkina Faso every year and all the songs we get there, she naturally wants to play here too. So hard work for Carl and Jenny!

With this teaching group, it happens more often that the weather is just nice enough to play outside. Friday afternoons are apparently more often sunny and warm (than Saturdays, when I teach the other teaching groups). But with this group, we also play alternately at one or the other student’s home. At Carl’s or Anja’s, and they all have a garden that is also big enough to play outside…..