Hi,
My name is John Humes. I am a rising senior at St. Mike's double majoring in music and business. Ever since my sophomore year after I transferred to St. Mike's from Merrimack College, I have been completely blown away by the amount of opportunities for musicians on campus. I am involved with Turtle Underground, the on-campus music community that grew out of the famous St. Mike's North Campus venue of the same name, and have played lead guitar in St. Mole and Spunhouse. I first joined Akoma in my second semester sophomore year, jumping in with no background experience besides my love of drumming (albeit rock drumming). After a bit of a rough start I quickly became familiar with many of the rhythms, and now feel as if I have come a very long way. The rhythms and music styles we have learned have been quite informative in writing my own music. I could not be more excited for this opportunity to learn more about these styles from their sources, and also dive into the diverse aspects of Ghanaian culture. While this will not be my first foray into world travel (I went to El Salvador on a school trip my junior year of high school), I am delighted to expand my personal experience of different cultures and immerse myself in these indigenous styles of music. Until next time!