Hello folks,

Today marks just a week and a day before the St. Michael's in Ghana group begins our journey to Ghana, West Africa, traveling from EWR (Newark, NJ) to ACC (Kotoko International Airport, Accra.)  My name is Josselyne Price; the students and alumni who are on this trip have all been a part of my advanced performance ensemble, called Akoma.  We are all traveling to the southeastern corner of Ghana in order to study the drumming, dance and song traditions of the Ewe people, specifically with the Agbeli family, who have been teaching this music for generations now.  Along with the music, students will have the chance to learn batiking, kente weaving, cooking, or any number of local traditions they may be interested in.  We'll visit markets, attend ceremonies, and find time to connect with the amazing people at the Dagbe Cultural Institute and Arts Center, where I first began my own journey in Ghana 25 years ago.

Personally, I'm excited to share this wonderful and inspiring place with these particular people, so they have a chance to meet my teachers, learn the culture and traditions deeply, and get to see why music and dance are such an important part of Ghanaian culture and life.  But I also know the heart connections they will make, and the friends and memories they will make that will stay with them for life.

Internet is always a bit unpredictable during travel - more so in Ghana, but we'll be doing our best to post photos and updates as often as possible.   (The background photo for this blog, by the way, as well as the posted photo feature many of the Dagbe Cultural Institute teachers and staff, who will be taking care of us as we study in the Volta Region.)  Stay tuned as we near our July 25th departure!

Josselyne