Milwaukee City Wire

Manas Itene, drummer for the band Michael Franti and Spearhead, recently spent three days in Milwaukee teaching drumming to students and teachers at Neeskara School. His visit was part of a unique educational initiative aimed at incorporating music into the school curriculum.

During his stay, Itene taught hand drumming basics and several songs to classes from kindergarten through fifth grade. He also conducted a workshop for about ten music teachers from the district to help them integrate drumming into their lessons.

The residency concluded with a concert featuring Neeskara music teacher Meaghan Heinrich and approximately two dozen students performing on stage during an all-school assembly. The performance included a song that Itene had taught the entire school, which prompted children in the audience to sing along: “I don’t want to be nobody else—I just want to be myself.”

“You’re perfect just the way you are,” Itene told students after they learned the song.

Itene's presence at Neeskara was made possible by Heinrich, who has been a full-time music teacher there since 2022. She learned about Itene through Lisa Schnell, an early childhood instructor for deaf and hard-of-hearing students at Neeskara. Schnell believed that drumming would resonate well with these students due to its percussive nature and vibrations.

Heinrich secured funding for Itene’s visit through a grant from Summerfest Foundation Inc.’s Let the Music Play program, supplemented by school fundraisers such as bake sales.

Principal Erick L. Owens emphasized the importance of arts education at Neeskara: “It’s important for our students to have all the activities by specialties.” Owens noted that studies show students who receive instruction in music, art, and physical education perform better academically overall.

Itene began teaching drumming during the pandemic when live performances were halted. He transitioned from online lessons to conducting clinics on cruise ships before bringing his expertise into schools upon suggestion from a traveler he met.

Reflecting on his time at Neeskara, Heinrich said: “Manas was truly a rock star to my students.” She prepared them by showing videos of his performances beforehand so they could recognize him when he arrived in person.

In class sessions with Itene, children learned how to drum using their hands while counting beats. Students took turns playing large African drums while others used smaller instruments like maracas provided by Heinrich.

“His style of making music is immediately accessible," Heinrich observed. "It was incredibly empowering."

For Itene himself—who started drumming at age eight—teaching young learners holds personal significance: “To see the expression of these kids is just so much fun... It's not how good you are; it's how you feel.”