Jan 27-29, 2006
Bob Bloom’s workshops, drum circles, and group-drumming sessions are celebrations of the joys of music making. This workshop, for the beginner as well as more advanced drummers, will provide basic skills and methods for drumming. You’ll join with other drummers in playing some of the most joyous songs and rhythms from South America, North America, Africa, and the Caribbean Region. You’ll learn to play your drums so you can add spice to singing, chanting, dance, movement, storytelling, and theater arts events. Using the “Oral Tradition” to convey drumming instruction, you’ll learn ways to play with the varied voices of different percussion instruments, including bells and shakers, and djembe, conga, and ashiko drums, combining them in rhythmic patterns.
This workshop is for people at any level of drumming experience. Feel free to bring all of the percussion instruments you love to play, as well as those you don’t know what to do with, plus that odd drum your cool aunt gave you. Better yet, bring your cool aunt and the drum. Teenagers are welcome for half their parent’s fee. Bob will bring ten drums, so if you need one, please tell us when you register. A workbook will be provided and you’re welcome to record the sessions yourself. By Sunday, you’ll be ready to design, produce, and facilitate group-drumming gatherings and lead rhythms sessions. On Saturday night we’ll have a rousing full-fledged drum circle, where there’s swinging, swaying, drums playing, and some of the most energetic rock, roll, samba, and mambo around. If you choose, you’ll lead for a while as a way to practice the skills you’ve learned from the course. It’s gonna be a hoot.
Bob Bloom performed as a member of Babatunde Olatunji’s troupe, Drums of Passion and he served as a faculty assistant to Olatunji for his “Language of the Drums” courses for more than fifteen years. He facilitates drumming events from The Washington Monument to the First Night Celebrations of Boston and Hartford to the Sioux City ArtSplash. He teaches hand-drumming classes at Omega, The Boston Center for Adult Education, UConn, and Manchester Community College, and he’s certified as a “Master Teaching Artist” by The Connecticut Commission on Arts and Culture, so many professions can get CEUs. Bob presents his hands-on, musical hoots, “Drumming About You” and he’s recorded a play-along cd titled “Where’s Your Drum?”
“How could anyone not have a wonderful time with those great instruments to play, and with Bob’s energy and enthusiasm encouraging them!”
— Pat Link, Librarian,
Northborough Free Library
“I’ve witnessed how Bob is able to organize an auditorium full of children or adults...everyone with a drum...into a unified, rollicking, musical orchestra”
— Dr. Dennis Waring,
Music Dept., UConn