JOANNE A. JAMES    (also known as Joey) is a Brooklyn, NY born percussionist seasoned through countless parental retreats to the West Indies. Although her major is in Business, she chose the career study of “Caribbean music and its origins” and incorporated her daughter during her learnings. Joey has coordinated numerous performances throughout the Greater Hartford area and beyond for various Connecticut venues, utilizing information accumulated through travels, priceless teachings/lectures from elders, alongside numerous technique & methodology sessions from various composers/arrangers. She teaches rhythm classes for beginning percussionists and performs ancestral African, Brazilian and Caribbean music with several distinguished community organizations. She’s an active member in 4 groups: Nzinga’s Daughters, singing spiritual and freedom songs from the African Diaspora; The Artists’ Collective, a ‘safe haven’ for Hartford’s urban youth; Sankofa Kuumba, a consortium of performing and teaching artists, and Nick Mathis’ Afrikan American Jazz, present/promoting the rich diversity of women’s musical jazz contributions. Joey provides rhythms for countless churches, educational events and assists with Nzinga’s Watotoes, a positive youth program based in Plainville. She also manages Practicing Umoja (a percussive ensemble which performs a variety of Caribbean/African music while promoting youth talent, encouraging leadership and unity) which received an official citation from the City of Hartford for “phenomenal support and dedication to the community.”   Several CD’s in progress. Films/Musicals appearances: “Nutmeg TV”, "Forever and A Day", "Moesha Sets It Off - In Bedrock", "Anansi-The Dancing Spider". Audios: “Nick Mathis' Afrikan American Jazz”, “Birthchants” and "Sounds of Hartford." Drummer for 2000 OpSail and Amistad launch in Mystic. Opened for Luciano-Reggae Sunsplash 1996.   "I love to learn and share the many forms of music while offering a positive distraction to the negative entities which exists in our neighborhoods. I am proud of myself, my daughter – Alexie, and our accomplishments!"    P.O. Box 230926 Hartford, CT 06123-0926.