Drum Dreaming

For this activity, you will need a friend or an adult, some paper and a pencil. Out loud, with help if you need it, read Margarita Engle’s “Drum Dream Girl,” a poem about a girl who is told she can’t do something, then proves everyone wrong. What kind of music do you hear in this story? Repeat the most musical moments out loud. Now close your eyes and be very quiet. What kind of music do you hear?

Now pick one sound you heard in the poem—for example, “drum” or “bongó” and begin to repeat it out loud over and over. Begin slowly, then speed up, until the sound transforms into a beat, and you have the beginnings of a song. Invite your friend to join in—a second instrument.

When you have tuned up the instrument you have created, and are comfortable with it, ask your partner to carry on while you take a pause. When it feels right, re-read the poem aloud to the beat. What else might your song need? Feel free to improvise with nearby objects or even your hands, feet, and mouth.

Now think: What’s something you dream of doing? Write the story of the day in the future when you live your dream.

BONUS: Perform another duet—this time, with the story you’ve written.