The Maples Arabic Music Ensemble will celebrate its 25th anniversary Thursday, Oct. 29, with a reunion and community drum circle at Maples Elementary School in Dearborn.
The event begins at 7 p.m., with speakers expected around 7:45 p.m. and drumming at 8 p.m., according to a Dearborn Public Schools announcement.
Parents, alumni and other community members are invited. Organizers ask attendees to register online, especially former students planning to participate.
Scheduled speakers include Superintendent Mike Esseily, current ensemble teacher Liz Meyers and founding teacher and director Cathy Prowse.
Meyers is borrowing darbukas from other district schools, with organizers expecting more than 100 drums for current and former students. Participants will play part of the Abboud Solo.
“It’s a privilege to work with young people. They are always more capable than we imagine,” Meyers said in the announcement.
Prowse started the ensemble during the 2001-02 school year to encourage students to learn instruments through connections to the Arabic cultural traditions of many school families. The school’s ensemble page lists its founding year as 2002.
The district says more than 200 student drummers have participated in more than 400 performances, including appearances at schools, district events, the state capital and professional sporting events.
Their routines combine drumming with marching and seated performances on a carpet. The school says students may audition to join.
Esseily said the program “builds pride, excitement and confidence in these young students.”
