Mark your calendars… Michael Markus on March 28th

Back by Popular Demand… Michael Markus from Magbana Drum and Dance and the Wula Drum Company.

Michael will be back on Sunday, March 28th for a second afternoon of workshops at The Studio @ Billings Forge, 563 Broad Street, Hartford, CT 06106. Please join us for one or all three classes…

1:00 to 3:00 — Open djembe class, all levels
3:30 to 5:00 — Open class, all levels, Dundunba Workshop
5:30 to 7:00 — Intro to West African dance for beginners and drummers

Prepaying for the classes saves you $5.00 on each class. Please email me to reserve a spot. Check out the attached flyer for more details.

We all had a great time during Michael’s last visit. He taught a multi-level class and everyone learned something…

Lion King Percussionists — Djembe Workshop

The Lion King was in town at the Bushnell. The show features two professional percussionists who add a great deal to the success of the show with their expertise in African drumming. Stefan Monnsen and Reuven Weizberg have travelled with the broadway show for 8 and 3 years straight, respectively. They are also long term members of The Magbana Drum and Dance Company, one of New York City’s most sought after African Drum and Dance troupes.

The You’ve Got Rhythm School of Percussion was proud to host both of these expert drummers for an African drumming workshop on Saturday, February 6th at The Wilson Congregational Church.

I am so appreciative to all of you that came out in the cold for the event. Many of us broke a sweat playing the drums, I know I did!!! Those guys can play!!! Reuven and Stefan made it back to the Bushnell to play for the Lion King. They had a great time and were happy that so many drummers came out to take the class. I know that many of the rhythms were complex. I often describe this ancient African art form as simple yet complex; either way you look at it djembe music takes all of your concentration and it clears your mind. I am so fortunate that this art form is such a big part of my life and plan to continue to share it with our community one day at a time.

Reuven said it so clearly that you never reach perfection, you never know it all. Studying this music is about the journey. It’s about the people you meet, the classes you take, the performances that you play in, etc. I think there is even growth and strengthing when you really don’t know what is going on (I have been there). It’s a very difficult place to be, but I think that is the first level of learning how to make music with the drum. I encourage everyone to ask themselves if they want to get better at drumming. If the answer is yes, please come by on a Monday night to visit our drum school. We will be happy to see you! We take our time and welcome beginners.

New Home for the Drum School

Drumming at the Percussion School is in full swing. If you haven’t visited us yet, come and check us out. We meet at the Wilson Congregational Church (down stairs) in Windsor, CT every Monday night from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. The class is made up of a great group of drummers from beginners to advanced, and everyone is getting better as time goes on. We are drumming on Mondays all the way through the holiday season.

The Wilson Congregational Church at 691 Windsor Avenue is right off the highway on the main street in Windsor. Parking is wide open, and the auditorium we play in is much larger than our old space. I encourage anyone interested in drumming to visit us on Monday nights in our new space.

View Larger Map

I also have an announcement on the cost for the class. After getting an email from a drum teacher in Boston who charges $24.00 for a weekly 2 hour class I started to think about the donation I have been charging for my 2 1/2 hour weekly class. The new fee for the drum class will be a flat fee of $10.00 for the weekly class, and we may charge more for guest teachers and special workshops. Guest teachers will always be advertised before their class.

DrumEventsUnlimited’s YouTube Channel

We’re now on YouTube. Check out the first entry:

More videos will be added soon.

Welcome to the school!!!

Drumming on Monday nights has been a steady part of my week for 8 years…This April my friends and I began a school with the goal of sharing our knowledge of the West African Djembe Ensemble with others. It is soo much fun!!! Stop by on a Monday night…