NORWAY – Children attending the Child Health Center’s Norway Developmental Therapy Preschool had the opportunity to hear the sound and rhythm of Andrea Antognoni, known as the “Drum Lady.”

Antognoni is a member of Inanna: Sisters in Rhythm, a Maine-based percussion and vocal group that explores the heritage and rhythms of West Africa. The children were heard the sounds and music of percussion instruments such as the djembe, doundounba, kenekni, balafon and rainsticks as well as the drums.

Antogoni also gave the children a chance to experience the drums themselves, filling the classroom with sounds of laughter as they tried to mimic Antognoni’s sounds on these ancient instruments.

The Drum Lady’s visit to the preschool was part the school’s curriculum, which includes ongoing exploration of various cultural heritages, in the community and around the world.

The Child Health Center is a nonprofit organization striving to improve the lives of children and their families throughout Oxford, Androscoggin, southern Franklin and northern Cumberland counties. For more information on the preschool or other programs offered by the Child Health Center, call 743-7035.