Dear EarthBeat Music Family,

This Sunday’s Drum Circle for Bolokada & Friends Village Project at the Village of Victory Hall is the final donation-based EarthBeat Music Drum Circle of 2025. It is for all ages and all experiences, and will benefit a 501c3 organization that offers support to the people of Morowaya, a small village in Guinea, West Africa, through fundraising and the promotion of cultural arts programs that are educational, interactive, and exemplify the traditional music, dance, and folklore of the Malinke people.

An important note from Carla Pomprowicz, organizing volunteer with Bolokada & Friends Village Project:

Dear Chelsie and the EarthBeat Music Community,

Thank you for offering to help us raise funds to finish the doctor’s house in Bolokada’s home village of Morowaya in Guinea, West Africa. The governing body of the Morowaya prefecture has asked us to build a house for the doctor so he can live closer to the clinic. They have chosen an adjacent parcel of land for this purpose.  We privately raised $3000 to start the building but are coming up a little short of funds for completion. We need approximately $2000 more to finish.

The Bolokada and Friends Village Project Inc is a bonafide 501(c)3. We have chosen many projects over the years that have been successfully completed. Visit our website to see all the work we’ve done in the Morowaya village. See below for photos of the house we’d like to finish.

Respectfully, Carla Pomprowicz and Bolokada Conde

So, I say, without hesitation: let’s pull together $2000 to finish the doctor’s house!

You may donate directly to Bolokada & Friends VP by clicking the button below. Please put a note in the “instructions” or “notes” field that you are donating “from the EarthBeat Music community” so that Carla can keep track of our running total. You may also bring cash to any of the workshops or events next week.

Then we celebrate the final week of music and arts at EarthBeat Music’s 12+ year home in Schuylerville through various “Farewell to 90 Broad Street” Week Events and Workshops, marking our last(ing) moments of drumming, strumming, singing and practicing gratitude - and laughing, hugging and perhaps shedding some tears - in this amazing space.

December 15 | Winter Songs Uke Jam {FULL!}
December 15 | WomenSing for Peace Winter Sing {10 spaces}
December 16 | All Levels Djembe Jam with Wayne {6 spaces}
December 18 | December Grateful Gathering {8 spaces}
December 18 | Brazilian Samba and Djembes Jam {1 space}
December 19 | Starlight Lanterns Workshop {8 spaces}
See the photo below for what participants will be creating!

December 21 | Winter Solstice Celebration {5 spaces}
The “Farewell to 90 Broad Street Week” culminating program. Bring your lantern or make a luminary when you arrive to light up the studio on the longest night of the year. We will frame drum and sing to welcome in the first day of Winter. We invite you to bring a nourishing dish to share in our potluck. Drum in Joy drummer Shelly Walsh will show her slideshow about her travels with Bolokada in January 2025. We will end our evening with a short lantern walk!

Registration is open for the following options for cultivating empathic and resilient communities through musical expression in the New Year! Click on the links for the details and to complete registration. Please reach out if you have any questions about the Resilient Strummers and/or Resilient Drummers series!

JANUARY
January 6 | Frame Drumming for the Absolute Beginner 4 Week Series @ Saratoga Springs Public Library begins {FULL!}
January 12 | Resilient Strummers All Levels 6 Week Ukulele Series via Zoom begins
January 13 | January Grateful Gathering @ 9 Miles East
January 14 | Resilient Drummers All Levels 6 Week Djembe Series via Zoom begins

FEBRUARY
February 10 | February Grateful Gathering @ 9 Miles East
February 22 | Resilient Strummers + Drummers Finale @ Village of Victory Hall (Details TBA)

WomenSing for Peace pop ups still need to be added to the calendar for January and February, and stay tuned for a few other special community events!

Love Chelsie