Four sweet-as-candy workshops for drummers, dancers and performers of all levels. Tackle improvisation in Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, learn to play a Funky Khaleegi Drum Solo, establish your mastery of the The Essential Rhythms of the Middle East and improve your musiciality as a drummer in Get Lost: Lose Yourself in the Rhythm and Find Your Way Back Again.
Unconventional Beats for Darbuka
Audience
Intermediate/Advanced drummers interested in learning non-traditional rhythms on the darbuka.
Takeaway
Add some flavor to your fingers with hiphop, drum and bass, rock beats and more.
Description
Bored of Baladi? Add some flavor to your fingers with hiphop, drum and bass, rock beats and more. Use them in new compositions, build drum solos around them, or use them as accents in classic compositions. We'll be learning new beats and drilling the heck out of them so they live deep in your bones. Then we'll add variations to those rhythms so you can add even more spice to your new spice.
It's highly recommended that you have some exposure to playing darbuka. The basic version of each rhythm will be taught and then embellishments will be added so there's something for both beginner and intermediate students.
If you find yourself playing for an audience with no background in MED you'll have heads nodding in no time.
Notation will be given for all the beats as well as MP3 practice tracks.
Taste the Fear
Audience
A performance skills workshop that is focused on improvisation and appropriate for performers of all levels.
Takeaway
As a performer there are fewer things more terrifying than improvisation. It requires trust in yourself, trust in the audience and, if you're performing to live music, trust in the band. In this workshop will we will put you on the path to mastering your fear and embracing the joy of improvisation. Find your voice as an artist, learn tools to refine that voice and add the spark of improvisation to your life on and off the stage.
Description
Taught jointly with Kaeshi Chai students will practice listening skills and apply them to improvised drum solo phrases and recorded music that has been selected to express a range of emotions and dance styles. No two dancers, or shows, are the same so we'll explore a range of moods! Learn strategies for dancing with, and against, the music. Explore the power of humor and connecting with the audience.
The workshop will culminate with the students new skills applying their new-found skills in an iPod Shuffle Dance Challenge!
Drum Solo: Funky Khaleegi
Audience
This intermediate/advance drum solo workshop can be taught to musicians, dancers or both musicians and dancers.
Takeaway
Learn a funky drum solo that uses phrases from Middle Eastern music as well as hiphop. Unexpected rhythm changes and syncopated solo phrases to challenge and inspire both drummers and dancers.
Description
This workshop can be taught for drummers or drummers plus dancers. If the latter, a choreography will be taught by Kaeshi Chai.
The Essential Rhythms
Audience
This is a beginner/intermediate workshop for drummers and dancers who want the ability to identify and play the rhythms most common to Middle Eastern music.
Takeaway
Learn to identify and play the essential rhythms of the Middle East.
Description
Why is this important:
- Improve your ability to interpret music
- Perform with any band, to any recording
- Talk intelligently with musicians about your needs
- Choreograph and teach
Contact me for more information.