Our Teachers
Teacher Bios
Jay Beck
.•West African Drumming
Jay Beck is an accomplished and seasoned percussionist, drum-maker, and educator who has been performing, teaching, touring and recording for over twelve years. He began studying djembe in highschool under Senegalese friends in Buffalo, NY, moved to Detroit and studied Afro-Cuban drumming while in college for cross-cultural studies. After spending a summer in Africa, he attended many sessions and master classes led by the legendary Malinke djembefola Mamady Keita. He has led workshops, cultural assemblies, and ethnic music classes in every venue from elementary schools to universities and large music festivals. He has performed with numerous groups including Madison Greene, Woodspeak, Miranda Stone, The Factorye, Phillybloco, and Psalters. He believes the drum is a mighty *weapon with two edges–one that heals and ones that cuts away. The drum was given to us by God so we can fight the spiritual forces of darkness on earth and in the heavenly realms.
Dawn Mehan 
•West African Dance
Dawn began studying West African Dance after being inspired by a performance by N’Bonye Drum and Dance Ensemble. She started learning traditional dances from Djian Tie, Master Dancer from The Ivory Coast and lived with Male’ Fainke, a member of The Griot society and master djembe player from Mali. She started performing and later joined N’Bonye Dance and Drum Ensemble. This year, she began teaching West African dance to ‘at risk’ youth as part of E.M.T.A.H, Educational mentoring through the arts and Humanities.
Mike Stevens 
•Brazilian Samba
Mike Stevens, Founder of Unidos da Filadelfia, a Philly-based Samba school, is a percussionist in the Brazilian super-group Alo-Brasil, and musical director of Phillybloco, Mike is a talented drummer and teacher who has been performing in various groups around Philadephia for several years as well as studying under the masters in Brazil. He started the school and the ensemble to further education about Brazil and it’s rich culture.
Brittney Lewis (Blew)
•Storytelling
Brittney Lewis “blew” will be teaching the storytime hour and storytelling collaborative workshop. She has been acting for about 7 years, trained at University of the Arts for two of those. She is fascinated by people and their stories. For the past two years she has been geared more toward the world of folktales and traditional storytelling. Folktales have been orally passed on for many generations, before organized education, before technology. The village was the central place for learning where they would use their environment to educate the young and old with wisdom and understanding of the peoples history. Stories united the people. Now, looking back on these stories in our American Empire, we have the opportunity to embrace the wisdom of our ancestors, encouraging our imagination to lead us. The exposure of other cultures help us understand the beauty of God through his people as well as present a different way of seeing, of thinking.