Category: Blog
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Sometimes it takes a long time to learn how to play like yourself”
“Sometimes it takes a long time to learn how to play like yourself” Quote by Miles Davis. The drum like any other instrument is a life long study. We don’t reach a point and suddenly say “I am there” and stop studying and learning. Technique and your personal sound is something that is always being… Read More »
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How To Play Drums As We Age
How To Play Djembe and Hand Drums As We Get Older. As we age our body does not react the same way as it did when we were 40, 30 or 20. I started drumming when I was 10. I can not play mindlessly like I did in my teens or 20’s now that I… Read More »
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Space The Final Frontier
“Space, the final frontier” What is it about space, that makes us want to put stuff in it? When we are playing music and drumming, why do so many of us completely fill the room with notes? If you were to listen back to two identical players playing to the same piece, the one who… Read More »
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It’s all about love and respect
I have been involved with traditional West African drumming, Afro Cuban, Haitian and other forms of hand drumming and percussion for my entire adult life. In the last 6 years I have added drum circles as well. This post is NOT about traditional vs. drum circles. It is about unity and respect. We need to… Read More »
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The Djembe Drum-A Short History From Various Sources
The Djembe Drum- Here is an overview and a little bit of information I have gathered from others about the djembe drum we know and love. There is a lot of different data and opinions. This is simply to give you a short overview and not meant as the last or final word. As you… Read More »
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You can learn learn simply by listening to nature and practicing
One of the most fun things about drumming and percussion is that every time you sit down to play you can learn something new. If you keep open minded you can pick up new ideas from almost anywhere or anything. From a birds song, rain drops falling, crickets to your washing machine. Life is rhythms… Read More »
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The most important thing you can learn when beginning drumming
Learning to play the 6/8 bell in sync with your foot, (or even better both feet moving evenly) is the single most important thing we can learn when beginning to play drums no matter what the style or type. Afro Cuban, West African, Haitian, Brazilian and any drums originating out of West Africa and the… Read More »
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Keeping your learning process simple!
Learning by starting simply There is so much amazing and wonderful information being shared online, in apps, youtube, books, Facebook and the wonderful retreats and classes happening such as the recent 20th Annual Wula Drum And Dance Retreat that just happened. When I first started studying drumming there was NO info, so in the last… Read More »
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Tricks of the trade
Tricks of the trade Certain students and players have minds where they can remember what they have learned simply from going to a class. It’s not the everyday person but I know a few. But most of us forget most of whatever happened in the class. Something is happening that we do get just by… Read More »
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crawl before you walk
Crawl before you walk. When studying and playing West African and Afro Cuban drums and rhythms, just like a baby you have to learn to crawl before you walk and walk before you run. If you don’t learn the basics, the fundamentals, handing techniques and the rudiments then you will have no foundation to work off… Read More »
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How To Buy The Best Djembe
How to choose the best djembe. Many people write to me all the time and ask, “what djembe should I buy? And I often get asked, “please help me choose a djembe”. The best djembe is the drum that is perfect for your needs. Everyone needs something a little different and some people do not… Read More »
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The hands of Chief James Hawthorne Bey
Did you know that the system for pulling the drum, the “no hole” roping system using the two rim system was created by and came directly out of the hands of Chief James Hawthorne Bey? He got the idea from conga drums, and first used it on Ashiko drums. 494 Macon Street in Brooklyn New… Read More »