I have spent many years developing my workshop skills. My experience spans from taking small group masterclasses, to organising and leading large scale outdoor drum sections such as the 44,000 strong procession at the 2007 World Scout Jambouree.

Facilitating workshops gives me a chance to teach an array of rhythmic skills to groups of various sizes. Working in this way creates a real community drum experience and enables the group to sample what it is like to play and perform rhythms as gatherings from across the world have done so for many centuries.

My sessions are based on enjoyment. Music is something that has to be enjoyed and this consequently engages the participants and enthuses them to want to learn more.

The workshops involve all age groups and standards, from the more sensory effect of percussion in a nursery environment through to teaching teachers and team building for businesses.

I also feel it is very important, where necessary, to share the historical, geographical and political knowledge of each particular percussive region or country within my workshops. This allows the pupils to gain a greater understanding of age old drum traditions and in turn help to fuel it's longevity.

I spend much of my workshopping time teaching Brazilian, Cuban, African and Middle Eastern percussion.

 

 

Clients (previous and current):

Artists in Schools

Arts Council of England

Creative Partnerships

Nottingaham City and County Councils

Broxtowe County Council

Leicester County Council

Calderdale County Council

ITV

Derby County Council

Unique Solutions

Boots plc

Sambawamba

Gorilla

Loughborough County Council

Junction Arts

Mantle Arts

Charnwood Arts

BassToneSlap

College Street Centre for Performing Arts

 

 

Workshop Examples

Brazilian 'Samba'.

West African drum circles.

Cuban percussion circles.

Egyptian and Turkish percussion.

Making your own drums and percussion from re-cycled materials e.g. Japanese Taiko Drums, Shakers, Finger drums, American Indian Water Drums, Rainmakers, bucket drums. I can help the group construct the instruments and then learn the rhythms relavant to each one.

Battuta - This is my collective of performers and workshop practitioners. We perform as an Afro-Latino Carnival band with a horn and vocal section. For workshops, particularly with larger groups, we can tailor the amount of percussionists, horn players (saxophone, trumpet, trombone, flute, clarinet) and vocal leaders to accomodate your specific requirements. This means that we can run simultaneous sessions in a variety of ways.

Drumming is an enlightening experience. It can exite, enthuse and invigorate a group or an individual. The sharing experience that can be achieved within a drum circle can be something that will stay with you forever and influence a continual relationship with music. With little or no experience of playing percussion you can soon find yourself playing the 'Surdo' heartbeat of Brazilian street Samba, or soloing alongside a West African drum circle or simply just moving to the rhythms that have moved generations of indigenous people for hundreds of years.

Just let me know your ideas and I can arrange the sessions around them.

 

Tailor made

 

 

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