HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Abby Hess is entering her fifth year as a music teacher at Freedom Elementary School in Hopkinsville, having spent part of her summer in a global music program in Africa to broaden her musical horizons and pass along new experiences to students.

“I was able to bring back a lot of things that my students can look at and play with and hopefully appreciate different cultures,” Hess told Christian County Now. “I think what every music teacher in our district is hoping for is that we give each student some way to show their voice.”

Nunya Music Academy, cultural experienecs

Funded by a partial scholarship from the Orff Institue and her additional earnings as a server, Hess was able to spend two and a half weeks in Dzodze,mGhana for Orff Afrique masterclasses. Led Dr. Kofi Gbolonyo in his home village, the courses invite educators to experience African music in its natural setting.

Hess shared that members of the village welcomed the incoming trainees with a ceremony and a large celebratory drum circle. Each day was filled with classes in various musical art forms including African dance, drumming, and xylophone. Aside from the immersive trainings, she spent her time exploring the culture and engaging with local children at the Nunya Music Academy.

This unique school was founded by Gbolonyo and provides a free music education kids in the village. The creation of the school and programming is run off of donations, taking over a decade to become established.

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Sharing global experiences with students

After her weeks in Africa, she travelled to Salzburg, Austria. There, she took Brazilian music, and a highly inclusive form of dance called DanceAbility. She also took classes on basic pedagogy, creation, and inclusion of special populations. This is not her first time using music as a vehicle to dive into other cultures, having previously visited Spain for a similar experience.

“I really like the international courses because you get to work with people from a lot of different countries, and it’s really interesting to hear stories about how education works in their area and what they do in their classrooms,” said Hess.

During the school year, she is able to engage students in music classes through a global lens. For the past two years at Freedom Elementary, Hess even runs a World Music Drumming Club, where she is able to pass along her training and exercise her international experience.

She summed up her time spent in Africa with an Ewe proverb that says, “Nunya adidoe, Asi metu ne o: Knowledge is like a baobab tree, no one person’s hands can embrace it.”

Hess is already planning for next summer’s trip, while also preparing for the upcoming school year. To find out how to donate to the Nunya Music Academy and forward music education in Ghana, visit the Nunya Academy website.

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