PERCUSSION THINGS
as part of the Zora Neale Hurston Festival Dallas
Saturday, January 10, 2026, at 5:30 PM
Oak Cliff Cultural Center
Get ready for high-energy, family focused, interactive fun with Percussion Things! Using stories, drumming and family-friendly sketch comedy, Len Barnett and Cathy Whiteman share stories and rhythms from cultures around the world in a program full of hands-on participation and LOTS OF FUN!
Percussion Things (PT) is a consortium of professional artists – drummers, musicians, dancers and spoken word artists/storytellers – who seek to engage audiences in the transformative process of learning about culture through music and the performing arts. Percussion Things was founded by Len Barnett in 1995 to promote the understanding and enjoyment of drums and drumming from cultures around the world. The group expanded to embrace collaboration with other performing artists, creating an inter-disciplinary approach to cultural exploration. In 2018, Len Barnett expanded the mission of Percussion Things and founded the Modern Cajon Jazz Ensemble (MCJE) to introduce percussion-driven jazz to Dallas audiences. Drumming is central to all PT/MCJE programs; from community-building drum circles to percussion-driven jazz concerts to spoken word and storytelling with percussion to ignite the imagination of audiences – young and old alike.
Len Barnett is a Memphis-born, Dallas-based jazz percussionist with extensive experience performing around the world. Touring experience includes North American Tour (1995), two European tours, including Iceland (1977, 1985) and Brazil (1985). Len has performed with such jazz and gospel luminaries as Cab Calloway, CeCe Winans, Kirk Franklin, Peter White, Patti Austin, Kirk Whalum, Tom Braxton, the Rippingtons, Roy Hargrove, Al Di Meola, Wayman Tisdale, BeBe Winans, Trin-I-Tee 5:7, Israel Horton, Philip Bailey and Jeff Lorber.
He served as staff percussionist for Brookhaven College for 29 years and currently freelances as staff percussionist at Booker T. Washington School for the Visual and Performing Arts. Len has accompanied summer intensive classes for the nationally acclaimed Dallas Black Dance Theater since 2017. Len performs around the Metroplex, notably at Dallas Museum of Art, Love Field Airport and at jazz festivals, schools and libraries throughout the state. In addition, he has conducted drum circles and drumming and dance workshops for over 20 years, notably for Big Thought, TITAS, Dallas Black Dance Theatre (Alvin Ailey Dance Workshop), Dallas Summer Musicals (“The Lion King”) and Dallas Children’s Theater.
Catherine Whiteman is a storyteller across a variety of genres: spoken word, video, stage, song and written word. She has performed throughout the state of Texas as an actor | storyteller | arts-in-education performer for over thirty years. Catherine has appeared in a variety of roles on Dallas-Fort Worth stages, most recently in Intimate Apparel (Ms. Dickson) at Theatre Three, RAGE by Janelle Grey as part of the Dallas Theater Center’s Elevator Project and Dot with Soul Rep Theatre Company. She has also appeared in locally produced commercials and television programs, such as “The Deep End,” “Walker – Texas Ranger,” “Logan’s War: Bound by Honor” and “Sons of Thunder.”
Please email questions to andrea.tosten@dallas.gov