Here I am (far left), playing in performance with Mukana Marimba, the African marimba band I joined in Olympia in late 2004. With a full set of seven marimbas—from medium-sized sopranos to a huge bass—we play lively melodies and intricate rhythms in the tradition of the Shona people of Zimbabwe, Africa—with other songs thrown in. I can’t tell you how much fun it is! There are a lot of African marimba bands in the U.S. Pacific Northwest because of a teacher from Zimbabwe called Dumi who lived in Washington state for many years. I saw my first African marimba band sometime in the 1980s, and I’ve been wanting to join one ever since!