When I contacted Gordon Kay, I was just looking to do a story about the African drum classes he teaches at the Channing Murray Foundation. However, after finding out how involved he is in the local music scene (playing in not one but four local bands), it was clear I had found a really interesting subject to profile.

Right off the bat, I could tell that Kay is passionate about what he does. I was lucky enough to sit in on one of his African drum classes, where he gave his students a brief history of the music and taught them new drum patterns.

You can catch Gordon Kay around Champaign-Urbana drumming with Mhondoro, Fontamana, Beat Kitchen and Big Grove Zydeco.