The Saratoga Orchestra is bringing upbeat sounds from over 7,000 miles away, inviting Whidbey islanders to learn or sit down and enjoy the show.

The second edition of “Percussion on the Rock” presents “World Music with a Twist,” a workshop where participants learn to play music from different cultures.

This year, the focus is on Ghanaian music, which Percussionist and Saratoga Orchestra member Erica Montgomery described as upbeat and multi-layered.

Students will learn basic and advanced Ghanaian drumming and xylophone pieces and worldly percussion ensemble pieces, with parts assigned based on the participant’s skills and interests.

The workshop takes place between July 24 and July 27 at the Oak Harbor Methodist Church, located at 1050 SE Ireland St.

The event offers students of different skill levels, like advanced high school percussion students and active or retired percussionists the opportunity to learn a new skill that was not taught in school, according to Montgomery.

“Broaden your musical horizon,” said Montgomery, who will host and teach the workshop along with fellow percussionist and orchestra member Brandon Nelson and two guest teachers, Patrick Roulet and James Culley.

Roulet is a percussion professor at Western Washington University who traveled to Ghana to study the Gyil, a Ghanaian xylophone, and drumming. Culley is a timpanist and percussionist who has performed in the Cincinnati Symphony, the Cincinnati Opera Orchestra, the West Virginia Symphony and other ensembles.

The workshop includes lectures, listening and discussion sessions, rehearsing and performing two traditional Ghanaian drumming ensembles and two traditional Ghanaian xylophone pieces as part of the D-Pod Drum Circle, a “musical pod” inspired by the local whales.

Community members, even those with no experience, can also join a community drum circle at 5 p.m. on July 25 at the pop-up plaza stage at Pioneer Way and Dock Street in Oak Harbor. All that is needed to participate in this jam session is a chair, while the Saratoga Orchestra will bring drums and shakers for those who can’t bring their own.

Those who simply enjoy the pleasure of listening to live music can watch the World Music with a Twist finale concert at 1 p.m. on July 27, which will take place at the Methodist Church. The event is free but donations are welcome.

If viewers find the music doesn’t suit their palate, they might still enjoy the players’ movements, Montgomery said.

Montgomery said Percussion on the Rock was born in Langley in 2021 and is making a return after a hiatus. The location changed to Oak Harbor because it’s easier to find temporary housing for participants and guest faculty.

This year the workshop has attracted students pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree, high school students and auditors from premier bands, Montgomery said.

For more information about costs and activities, visit sowhidbey.com/percussion-on-the-rock.