NEW! Summer 2009 Weekday Drum Camp & Saturday Drum Classes start the week of June 21! Register Now!

Hooked On Drums™
Bringing the Life-Changing Power of African Drums to Urban Youth

Hooked On Drums™ brings the upbeat, inspiring rhythms of African djembe drumming from the Malinke people in Guinea , West Africa to kids in urban Chicago. We offer Hooked On Drums classes and youth drum performances through the Chicago Park District, local schools and community organizations.

More than just a way to “blow off steam” or “keep kids off the street,” the program gets kids hooked on authentic, traditional music, allowing them to explore African heritage while sharpening their minds on a complex musical idiom. And the rhythms are irresistible!

The Hooked On Drums Studio at Kennicott Park in the Kenwood
neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago.

Hooked On Drums™ is also the name of our organization, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in Chicago that is deeply committed to using African music as a vehicle for fostering creativity, curiosity, discipline, self-confidence and well-being in youth—above all, inner-city, at risk youth of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Learn more about our Vision here.

Video: A Different Drum

Interested in Hooked On Drums Classes or Performances?
For our Youth Class Schedules & Registration, Click Here
For Adult Classes through Chicago Djembe Project, Click Here
For Classes or Performances at Your Organization, Send Us an Email