ABOUT THE WORKSHOP Adults, teens, or children accompanied by an adult We will prepare a gourd, paint or etch on the gourd, string the beaded skirt around it and learn one rhythm & song on the instrument. Beads, wooden, ceramic, and pony plastic beads will be used. Other objects like seashells may be woven in -however, if they are breakable the instrument may become more a work of art than a playable instrument. African shekeres may use nut shells, seashells or hard seeds in the design. Bead colors are an individual choice. If participants do not complete the instrument in one session it is possible to continue to work on it at home. About the Artist: Laurie Goux has been performing, choreographing, and producing since 1981. She is an alumna and former faculty member of Columbia College Dance Center where she taught Modern Dance as a part of the core curriculum. Laurie has performed and taught at the Augusta Festival at Davis & Elkins College since 2010, teaching Blues, West African, Afro-Brazilian, and Caribbean dance and lecturing on the African influence on Appalachian culture.