To share an experience you’ve had with TRJE or any comments, please email info@trje.org.

Testimonials

LUCY’S PARENTS:

“Through TRJE, our daughter is mentored by a community who embrace love, respect, responsibility and art as means to individual truth and positive collective change. Our entire family has been welcomed within the circle of this community, and we count it as a blessing and an honor to know each and every member of TRJE.”

-Michael


“Our daughter has had the opportunity to be welcomed into a family of adult-caring, mentoring, guiding people who teach the importance of community and bonding, peace and kindness, respect and introspection, spirituality and creative necessity all within the circle of traditional jenbé drumming and dancing. We are not people of African descent (unless we consider the finds of Olduvai Gorge!), and our daughter is a willowy blond bouncy preteen whose family tradition carries stories of pioneers, factory workers, immigrants and boot-strap work ethics. She would have nothing to do with ballet or tap dance, jazz or modern, even through we tried to guide her in those directions because of her love of moving to all music. It was finally seeing African drumming and dance that captured her interest! She has formed friendships with other students both older and younger than herself, and we in turn have found a family of friends and inspirational people in the parents and teachers of TRJE.”

-Robin

ERICK’S FAMILY:

“Erick has always had great enthusiasm when it came to TRJE practices and performances. TRJE has impacted our family by involving us and by creating more bonding amongst family. Erick and us will truly miss the group when we move to North Carolina — however, he will take those values he learned about himself and his people with him.”

-Stephanie, Cedrick and Elexis (and Erick!)

BRENNA AND CHRISSY’S FAMILY:

“My family will be starting our second year with TRJE, and this is one of the most beautiful groups of people that I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with. My daughters are 15 and 9, and they love the time spent in TRJE and I love the parental involvement. This is not your typical dance class! TRJE is a family. My youngest daughter was in a dance class her first-grade year — it was so impersonal and so ‘assembly-line-like,’ she began to lose interest. I found myself sitting in a lobby with strangers. At TRJE, even the parents interact with the group, have input, and have a good time socializing with each other. Open arms and minds are what I walked into with TRJE. I think I have as much fun as my girls. To say ‘I love this group!’ doesn’t totally express how much the TRJE family means to me and my family.”

-Janet

NATHANIEL’S FAMILY:

“Since joining the TRJE family, we have seen a tremendous personal growth in our son. He is much more confident and outgoing. When it was our son’s turn to try out for the Ensemble, he was so scared that he ran down the hall. Ketu followed him, and sat and talked with him until he was comfortable enough to try out. Now our son has no problem speaking up for himself and reaching out to make new friends.


“TRJE has provided our son with aspects of education that public schools do not: music education, cultural awareness, and African history, not to mention the connection to our son’s African heritage as well as providing positive male role models for our son to look up to and form bonds that will help him through his life’s journey. From the first night we attended TRJE we have been accepted and welcomed into this life-changing family.”

-Amy and Tasha

ELLEN’S FAMILY:

“Through TRJE, our daughter Ellen has found an extended family, a network of supporters, and she has made dear friendships. I know we have a community of people who care for her and our family.


“At the memorial service held following my mother’s death, I shook hands with a long line of people as they left the church. As I thanked them for coming to the service and for the role they had played in her life, I was simultaneously distracted with concern about our daughter; she was shaking and tears covered her cheeks. Several members of the Ensemble staff attended the service and then sat with her. I felt at peace when I saw her being conforted. They stayed with her until I was done talking to every last person. Their care and support made a difficult day a little less painful. I am grateful for their sensitivity.


“I appreciate the global perspective of TRJE. It bridges social and historical aspects through music, bringing it into an entertaining, educational and fun art form that is a tangible full-bodied expression of life.


“Oh, and by the way, our daughter has learned a lot about music and dance.”

-Karen and FeyFey