Meet DRUM the Program’s Nonprofit Board

Directors

  • President: Elvie Schooley

  • Vice-President: Janice Schneiberg

  • Secretary: Amber Underwood

  • Treasurer: Tonya Smitherman

Members

  • John Schooley

  • Mike Gillett

  • Dr. Qshequilla Mitchell

  • Germaul Barnes

Educational Research and Development Committee

  • John Schooley

  • Javone Green

  • Elvie Schooley

  • Dr. Qshequilla Mitchell

Financial/ Fundraising Committee

  • Tonya Smitherman

  • Janice Schneiberg

  • Elvie Schooley

  • John Schooley

Advisory Board

  • Edmond Barry Johnson

  • Samantha Briggs

  • Ojeya Cruz Banks

Youth Advisory Board

  • Wylie Muhammad

  • Jordan Franklin

  • Khloe Booker

  • Kenzey Booker

Meet the Team

Meet our two main Instructors for DRUM The Program youth and adult programming.

A woman smiling with short dreadlocks, wearing a pink off-the-shoulder top and large earrings, standing against a plain green wall.

  • Elvie Schooley is a Licensed Master Social Worker. She was born and raised in Alabaster, Alabama. Elvie left her hometown in 1986 when she joined the US Navy. She returned to Alabama after thirty years launching a nonprofit to serve those who have been underserved in the arts.

    Elvie is the Executive Director of DRUM the Program which is a nonprofit organization serving Central Alabama. Their Mission is to provide an experience of West African drum and dance coupled with artistic and written self expression that prime students to develop social-emotional skills for improving self-management, and a sense of belonging.

    As the Executive Director of DRUM the Program Elvie is responsible for program development and implementation. Elvie facilitates all DRUM the Program activities in serving the community. She serves as dance instructor, educator, and guest speaker. Elvie also serves as the grant researcher and writer for the organization.


A man smiling and waving at the camera while sitting in front of drums, wearing a colorful patterned shirt and pants. Another person in the background holding a percussion stick, wearing a black shirt with a logo.

  • Abou Sylla is a master percussionist, musician, performer, and teacher of West African music. Abou has been performing professionally for over 25 years, and is now teaching and sharing the music, dance, and culture of West Africa throughout the United States and around the world.

    Abou was a member of Les Ballets Africains, the prestigious national dance company of Guinea. For six years he performed with them, playing not one, but five traditional West African instruments – the balafon, djembe, krin, doundoun and bote

    Abou shares his time between Montevallo, Alabama where he teaches In-School curriculum programming, and Austin, Texas where he is the Founder and Artistic Director of Bramaya African Drum and Dance troupe.