World Music

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Age range
3+ | PreK+

Take children on a multicultural musical journey that begins with easy to play rhythm instruments handmade by artisans in Africa, India, Central America, South America, and the South Pacific. The instruments were chosen for their distinct sound that helps create interesting music and encourages listening and playing together.

*Two kits available

Contents

  • 20 World Instruments
    • Fire-Burned Gourd Double Drum & Stick
      • Made in Peru
      • Double drum featuring goat skin hide on two sides. Gourd fire burn design is an ancient art form.
      • A round drum with yellow, orange, brown, and black designs burned into the sides with a stick resting on top
    • Damasas Paddle Drum & Stick
      • Made in Peru
      • Sturdy double-sided drum resembling a lollipop
      • A round, double-sided drum on a stick with a rainbow ribbon around the rim with a stick laying next to it
    • Den Den Drum
      • Made in India
      • A round, double-sided drum head on a stick with two beads on strings on opposite sides of the drum head
    • 2 Damaru Drums
      • Made in India
      • Two hourglass-shaped drums with red, yellow, and green stripes on the side
    • Small Caxixi (ka-SHI-shi) Shaker
      • Made in Ghana
      • Natural grass and dyed grass are woven together to form the sides and the bottom is formed with a piece of gourd. The stones within create interesting rhythms when shaken.
        • A shaker made of woven grasses with colorful blocks of green, orange, yellow, tan, and purple
    • Caxixi (ka-SHI-shi) Bottle Cap Shaker
      • Made in Ghana
      • The metal bottle caps in the caxixi shaker produce a jingle-type sound instead of the standard sandy seed sound. The caxixi is played by holding the handle in one hand and shaking, or by hitting against the other hand, like a tambourine.
      • A tan rattle-shaped shaker
    • Wingo Egg Shaker
      • Made in Peru
      • From the Wingo tree, this nut is cleaned, dried, and filled with beans. Each is hand-carved in the Shipibo tribe motif.
      • A brown egg-shaped shaker with tan designs patterned on it
    • Mini Gourd Shaker
      • Made in Peru
      • This all naturals gourd shaker is from a village famous for carved fire-burned designs.
      • A gourd shaker with a brown end with fire-burned designs and a yellow stem
    • 1 Pair of Maracas
      • Made in Mexico
      • A pair of red, tan, and green maracas with mountains, palm trees, and flying birds silhouettes
    • JuJu Nut Belt Shaker
      • Made in Ghana
      • Finely woven raffia and Juju nut rattles
      • Brown half-circle-shaped Juju nuts attached to a string of woven raffia
    • 1 Pair of Ankle Bells
      • Made in India
      • A pair of ankle bells made of 4 silver jingle bells attached to a red strap
    • Small Frog Rasp Scraper & Stick
      • Made in Indonesia
      • This carved frog is made from fast-growing jempinis wood in Bali. Stroke the spiny back with the stick's large end for the best sound.
      • A wooden scraper carved to look like a frog with a stick beside it
    • Gourd Guiro Scraper & Stick
      • The natural gourd guiro features ridges that are carved one-by-one by hand.
      • A scraper made from a gourd with ridges carved into it with a stick resting atop of it
    • Wooden Guiro Scraper & Stick
      • Made in Mexico
      • A guiro scraper made out of wood with ridges carved into it with red and green stripes on the ends
    • Rap Stick
      • Made in USA
      • A wooden stick with ridges carved in one end with a mallet next to it
    • 2 Coconut Clave Rhythm Sticks- 6"
      • Made in Indonesia
      • A pair of sustainably harvested medium-hardwood clave rhythm sticks from coconut palm tree farms
      • Two wooden cylindrical sticks
    • Chilean Rain Stick- 29"
      • Made in Chile
      • Northern Chile is home to the world's driest desert, where the rain stick is believed to originate. Rain Sticks are made from long, hollow cactus tubes that are dried in the sun.
      • A cylinder with a red ribbon around one end
    • Agogo Bell & Mallet
      • Made in India
      • Two triangular bells connected by a curved metal rod with a wooden mallet next to them
    • Chinese Gong & Mallet- 6"
      • Made in China
      • The 3-piece set includes a 6" gong, a 10" mallet, and a 10" stand.
      • A circular golden gong with a black rim hanging from a stand with a mallet resting on the stand
  • Instructional DVD explaining each instrument
  • Instruments and Music From Around the World set of 6 paperback books
    • Brass
    • Keyboards
    • Percussion
    • Strings
    • Voices
    • Woodwinds
  • Resource Binder

 

This Early Literacy Kit was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.