LINDA TILLERY:
Hands, Feet, Voice, Mind, Body
“Exercises in Coordinate Independence”
This class is designed for students who wish to learn how to sing/chant while clapping, stepping, playing a small percussion instrument or drum pattern. We’ll work with one or two songs (depending on the speed of the class). Students are encouraged to bring small percussion instruments such as: gonkogui, afuche, campana, pounding stick*, caxixi etc. You won’t be expected to sing like Renee Fleming, but students should be able to sing on pitch. Please feel free to bring a recording device.
1.) LEVEL 1 is designed for those who have little or no experience with coordinated independence. Class will move quickly so come prepared to work!
2.) LEVEL 2 is designed for students who have previous experience, playing an instrument while singing. Class will move quickly so come prepared to work!
3.) LEVEL 3 is designed for students with advanced skills. Expect to jump right into a fast paced, improvisational environment.
*Pounding stick – This is a four feet long, 1” thick dowel. These sticks are used to drive the rhythm in music from the Gullah Sea Islands. A dowel with these dimensions can be purchased at most hardware stores. They’re easy to decorate – paint, wood stain, beads, cowry shells and strips of cloth can be used to personalize your pounding stick.
NURUDAFINA PILI ABENA:
1.) BEGINNING: SAMBURA KUM BAM BA ~ I.
“Learn to say it, and play it”. Rhythms That Talk
Make basic sounds of drum and play basic Djembe Rhythms from the Casamance area of Senegal (Djola).
2.)INTERMEDIATE: SLAP THAT DRUM GIRL!!
Focus on real slaps: muffled, cupped, open on Djembe, Conga, Ashiko in order to play more exciting Afro rhythms – ALL WELCOME.
3.) SAMBURA KUM BAM BA ~ II.
West African Djembe rhythms and Caribbean rhythms on Djembe.
ALL INSTRUMENTS ARE WELCOME.
MABIBA BAEGNA:
Dunun is a family of 3 drums from West Africa. They are played for any occasion. They are the heart of Malinke music.
- BEGINNING: The student will learn the technique for the Dunun and the Bell, and a simple rhythm, timing and feel of the music.
- INTERMEDIATE ONE: The student will learn a complicated rhythm and timing.
- INTERMEDIATE TWO: The student will continue the same rhythms and practice the speed and relaxation.
- Students bring Dununs or congas, or sticks.
LORA CHIORAH-DYE:
Shona Singing and Drumming and Dancing.
- Beginning
- Intermediate
- Intermediate and advanced
AFIA WALKING TREE:
- INTERMEDIATE: Djembe Fevah™ - Advanced West African Djembe & Dunun
Course Prerequisite: Students must have completed beginning and intermediate courses in the basic knowledge and practice of foundational drumming techniques, hand placement, and have developed the stamina to hold rhythms in 4/4 and 6/8 time frames. Newbie and Beginning drummers are welcomed to Drum Our Souls Free Workshop. Excel in your Djembe playing with postures (sitting and standing), rhythm placement as it relates to 4/4 and 6/8 feel, introductions, accompaniments, and “Soulos.” Explore the lineage and role of the Djembe within the context of our culture, the orchestra, the dance, and in relation to the Dunun as we play traditional rhythms from Guinea and contemporary “Walking Tree” rhythms. Fine-tune specific hand techniques, rolls, flams and ambidextrous playing. Revitalize and connect to the power of drumming as we break through fears of playing from our authentic selves within the safety and collective holding of our community. Practice drumming techniques for dance classes and develop endurance, focus, intensity, sensitivity, posturing, dynamics, speed and expressive passion. Join us and move beyond personal fears and emotional barriers into a space of transformation with your Djembe and/or Dununs.
2) ALL LEVELS: Gourd Song Shekere
15 people limit. 8-10 shekeres available on a first come, first served basis. In this workshop you will learn the basic rhythmic technique of this exquisite instrument, shekere-lingo, as well as top and bottom-hand techniques. The Shekere is a wonderful accompaniment tool that is a great skill for budding musical enthusiasts to have in their repertoire, and for those who have already mastered other drums. Join us for this exciting gourd song feast!
3.) ALL LEVELS, ESP BEGINNERS
Drum Our Souls Free: Awaken Inner Rhythms of Soulful Release
Bring your drum or use ours. Through the vibrant healing force of drumming learn how to:
• Awaken Your Voice & Release Outmoded Thought Patterns
• Free yourself while activating your "Soulo" drum-song within the circle
• Experience Fun Drum Play and Community Connections.
Person-specific fine tuning of technique, posture, intentions, and how to come into depthful relationship with your drum. Afia will share journeys of the Ajuba lineage of drumming from her ancestral legacy, as well as her journeys to Guinea and Ghana.
JANET KOIKE: Big Drum – Big Fun!
All classes for ALL LEVELS. Original rhythms and arrangements on traditional drums. Experience playing the drum with your whole body.
(***note: in this class you will be standing for the class.)
1.) Taiko
2.) Taiko
3.) Taiko
MICHAELLE GOERLITZ:
- BEGINNING LEVEL: Stick Control. Students can bring practice pads. We’ll learn technique that can be applied to timbales, snare drum etc.
- ALL LEVELS: Northeastern Brazilian Zabumba, Pandeiro, Triangle, Caxixi. Rhythms: Coco, Baiao, Maracatu, Frevo
- ALL LEVELS: Batucada – Rio-style SAMBA! Bring Snare drums, Surdo, Agogo bells, Tamborims, Repiniques.
ELIZABETH SAYRE:
1.) BEGINNING BATA: Introduction to the Bata drum trio, hand technique, and some basic Toques (rhythms).
- ALL LEVELS BATA: Accommodating the students’ level of experience, we will study basics and variations in several Bata rhythms.
- INT./ADVANCED BATA: Building on students’ prior knowledge, we will look at basic ways of following a singer and/or making transitions between rhythms.
ADWOA KUDOTO:
- BEGINNER: Participants will learn basic drum patterns (30 min) and then Ghanian Drum Ensemble, which consists of 3 supporting drum patterns and the master drum in 4/4 rhythms.
- INTERMEDIATE: Participants will learn drum ensemble rhythms with both bare hands and sticks and traditional West African Ghanian songs, as well as some master drum cues that communicate with the dance.
- ADVANCED: Participants will learn to create solos to an ensemble as well as to play the master drum cues, together with the various supporting drums and songs – a great challenge!!
SUSU PAMPANIN:
1.) ALL LEVELS: Middle Eastern Rhythms and Technique Basics.
Beginners encouraged. Bring any type of hand drum.
2.) INTERMEDIATE LEVEL: Middle Eastern Rhythms and Technique.
Bring any type of hand drum.
3.) ALL
LEVELS: Jamming with Middle Eastern Rhythms, technique review, playing for dancers. Bring any type of hand drum.
VIRGINIA LOPEZ:
ALL CLASSES ALL LEVELS
- Guerreros: Elegua, Ogun, & Ochosi
- Songs to Oya
- Iyesa Songs
NYDIA ‘LIBERTY’ MATA:
1.) ALL LEVELS: “The Count, The Beat, The Melody”
In this workshop students will gain the understanding of how to use the melody and the count of a rhythmic pattern to facilitate learning where it falls. (Essential for beginning and intermediate students, and recommended for the advanced student who wants to gain insight into improvising from a different place than just off the cuff.)
2.) INT/ADV: “Traditional Afro-Caribbean Drumming”
Through the use of conga drums, clave, stick patterns and bell patterns students will learn the individual parts to traditional and folkloric Afro-Caribbean drumming.
3.) ALL LEVELS: “The Latin Percussion Workshop”
Whether it’s playing in a band, accompanying singer/songwriters or adding percussion to pre-recorded tracks, the art of layering percussion is essential to today’s percussionist. Pre-recorded music will be used in this workshop as students learn the technique of layering percussion (i.e. shaker, triangle and Latin Percussion) to add color, texture and dynamics to a piece of music. Participants are welcomed to bring CDs. Using conga drums, timbales, bongos, clave, cowbells, guiro and maracas we will also explore the relationship of the Latin Percussion family of instruments to each other as they are played in contemporary Cuban dance music. (Recommended for advanced and intermediate students though beginners are welcomed as well)
CAROLYN BRANDY:
1.) ALL LEVELS: Fundamentals of Rhythm.
This class is all about the placement of rhythmic accents over the beat, or time. Learn and feel the downbeat, upbeat, and syncopated accents in any 4/4 meter. Use your feet, hands and vocal cords to create layers of rhythm-those will be your instruments.
2.) BEGINNER: Step by Step Conga Drumming
Come and learn proper playing position, basic sounds and some simple, but fun, rhythms on this beautiful drum. Some drums available.
3.) INT/ADV: Afro-Cuban Conga Drum Ensemble
Come play, and sing, some of the beautiful drum songs from the island of Cuba. Bring Congas, Bells, Chekeres, Sticks and Claves, and Voices.
SUKI: Congolese Style Drumming
Let’s lift our spirits by delving into the roots of the many African influenced forms of music. We’ll reconnect our minds and hearts by practicing individual technique, and affirm community participation by working on playing in a group. We’ll explore traditional, social and contemporary rhythms from the rich, vast, musical cultures of Central Africa. Students can bring any drums (Ngoma, Conga, Djembe, Ashiko). We’ll also use bells, rattles, and sticks, and voices for singing too!
1.) ALL LEVELS
2.) ALL LEVELS
3.) ALL LEVELS
BASIC SKILLS DRUM CLASSES:
This year we are again focusing on our very beginning students.. The Basic Skills classes will give wome new to drumming focused attention to the basic technique and sounds that can be achieved on the drums. Often times the beginning classes that our faculty offer move more quickly than a new drummer can handle – also beginning students with some experience express a desire for those classes to move a little faster. With our Basic Skills classes we hope to give our new drummers time to move slowly and deliberately in order to have the best experience possible and to create a firm foundation for their continued drumming.
LALI MEJÍA
Basic Skills for Beginners - Afro-Venezuelan
Christine Sato
Basic Skils for Beginners – Taiko
SUE LUNDQUIST
Basic Skills for Beginners – Conga, Djembe
Tonya Lyles
Basic Skills for Beginners – West African
RANA HALPERN
Basic Skills for Beginners – Conga
Odilia:
Spirit Lodge: We honor everyone’s culture and beliefs here, and all are welcome to join together, in this sacred space to share, write, learn, or meditate.
You can also spend quality quiet time in the Spirit Lodge. Of the two lovely rooms, one will be dedicated primarily to an ancestral altar and a meditation space. All campers are invited to bring pictures of loved ones who have made their journey to the spirit world, and who you would like to honor or remember in the ancestral shrine space.
Some of the themes of this year’s Spirit Lodge will include the Yoruba Deity Oya, the Buffalo, the Wind, Breath, New Beginnings, the number Nine etc.
Discussions and/or workshops on various topics will be offered such as: different spiritual traditions, healing practices, the history of women’s drumming, and, a special empowering women through writing class entitled, “Writing As Ritual,” will be available.
Writing as Ritual: This special, empowering women through creative writing class, will begin with a series of group exercises designed to help participants feel safe working and sharing their work in a collective setting. Our work together will tap into the divine pool of collective voices, which are channeled from the ancestors and other spirits, through meditative and automatic writing techniques. This is a place to find and share our varied voices - through poetry, stories, and/or performance pieces. My goal is to help experienced and first time writers come away from our sessions with work that has been written and shared in a safe and fun environment.
Please bring a journal, or paper and a pen, and wear comfortable clothes.
AVA SQUARE-LEVIAS
West African Dance class: Come ready to move body, mind, and spirit with the dances & rhythms of Lamba and KuKu. This class celebrates the blessed union between dancer, drummer, and Spirit. We will get our creative, somatic "groove on" as we soar across the floor with KuKu; an initiation dance evolved and transformed in this modern popular version.
And, be ready to go a little bit "higher" with Lamba from Mali, a dance of praise, thanksgiving, and acknowledgement to the Djoli - inherent historian/storyteller.
Gentle warm-up, moving into flowing movement, then a well-paced workout.
All drum faculty, as well as advanced and intermediate students, are welcomed and invited to join in accompaniment. Thank you in advance.
Be prepared to open joyously in community to Spirit. A safe space to be, where spirit can MOVE freely!
(Please wear lightweight, workout apparel. A lapa is encouraged.)
Adwoa Tacheampong
Orisha Dance Class: Orisha Dance is an Afro-Cuban folkloric dance which honors and portrays the Afro-Cuban Orisha (deities). This dance form originated in West Africa, primarily in Nigeria and was brought to Cuba during the times of slavery. Many of the slaves brought into Cuba by Spanish colonist during the slave trade were Yoruba. The Yoruba tradition in Cuba became the Lucumi or Santeria tradition as slaves fought to hold onto their spiritual and cultural backgrounds.
We will honor and dance for Oya for whom this Born to Drum is dedicated as well as some of the other Orisha. The classes will be accompanied by live Bata Drumming. Students will learn to do the basic movements of Orisha dancing and will progress to more intense movement.
This class is open to dancers of all levels and no previous dance experience is necessary! Bring a wide skirt & and a happy heart!
Vicki Noble
Transformational Ritual Healing Circle: So much of the physical suffering we currently experience in our bodies can be seen as individual expressions of the suffering and devastation of the earth as a whole. Our physical sensitivities to toxins and pollutants,
biological sensitivities to earth changes (volcanoes, earthquakes, other weather phenomena and the basic daily stress we experience on so many levels has led to imbalance, agitation, lowered immune response, and chronic disease in the human and animal worlds. Vibrational healing can transform these negative outcomes.
This sacred hands-on healing ceremony invites participation of the whole community, providing an opportunity for unifying our energies, raising power for healing and transformation, and enjoying the ecstasy available to us through drumming, chanting, and focused healing power that we extend toward anyone present who is suffering from a physical ailment or dis-ease, as well as for the earth herself and all her inhabitants.
Please bring a mat or blanket or something else comfortable to lie on for the healing ritual.
Haley
STAGE PRODUCTION WORKSHOP: This workshop will focus on stage setup. Everything from vocabulary, reading a tech rider to setting a stage according to stage plot. Some discussion around PA System will occur.
Bring Plain white paper and pen to draw diagrams and a sense of humor.
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