A Beginner's Discovering the Magic of hand Drumming Workshop is happening Friday evening, August 22nd from 7-9pm at Drumz, 3700 1/2 Kerbey Lane in West Austin. If you have been wanting to check out this phenomenon of hand drumming that is sweeping the nation ( and the world at large!), please join us for an evening for an evening of FUN exploring the FUN-damentals of West African style hand drumming! If you have a heartbeat, you have rhythm! Rhythm is an intrinsic part of who we are as human beings and our need to share rhythm with others and to express ourselves rhythmically is a very basic human need! Deny it no longer! We are all born to drum! Whether you are just starting out on this drummer's path or you have some beginner experience and simply want to continue onward and upward, this workshop is for you!
Drumming awakens our spirits and gives voice to our soul! Connect! Create! Communicate! In a safe and supportive circle of new friends! We will learn a West African rhythm or two, as well as the songs that accompany the rhythms, exercises to help develop and strengthen our technique, how to choose a drum, how to tune your own drum...among other things! Join us if you can!! Cost:$30. MC/VISA accepted.

A special workshop/retreat for women October 30th-Nov. 2nd in New Braunfels, Texas, "Women and the drum" and the quiet gifts of "SoulCollage" with facilitators Sherry Gingras and Doris Adams from Austin, Texas . Discovering our passions and the pathways for their creative expression is part of the reason we are here! Music and art have always provided guidance and a pathway to the inner world of spirit where the source of deep wisdom and the seeds of our creativity reside. You are warmly invited to attend this weekend workshop where we will combine the vibrant spirit of hand drumming with the gentle and joyful process of SoulCollage to create an opportunity for women to discover new and daring ways of opening, expressing, communicating, and listening. More details to follow soon but please contact Sherry at 512-453-9090 or email her at :sdrumz@austin.rr.com if you have questions or would like to get on the list for this event! The Women's Retreat in San Miguel de Allende has been postponed until the Spring to insure that all of us wanting to go have time to get our passports and choose our transportation. More details about this retreat south of the border to follow soon or please feel free to call or email for details.

Intermediate Workshop, Friday night, August 15 from 7pm-9pm at Drumz! Join Sherry Gingras for an evening of rhythmic exploration based on the new rhythm and drumming wisdom learned at Master Guinean drummer and teacher,Famadou Konate's recent drum intensive in Portland , Oregon! This workshop is designed to deepen your understanding of West African ensemble playing and expand your rhythmic horizons based on the wisdom and teachings of Famadou Konate. This experience will hopefully help move you to your edge and push it on out there, ultimately making more room for YOU to show up as the awesome drummer that you ARE! This will be challenging and still FUN! COST: $30. Please call to register or email Sherry at: sdrumz@austin.rr.com

Intermediate Workshop, Friday night, August 15 from 7pm-9pm at Drumz! Join Sherry Gingras for an evening of rhythmic exploration based on the new rhythm and drumming wisdom learned at Master Guinean drummer and teacher,Famadou Konate's recent drum intensive in Portland , Oregon! This workshop is designed to deepen your understanding of West African ensemble playing and expand your rhythmic horizons based on the wisdom and teachings of Famadou Konate. This experience will hopefully help move you to your edge and push it on out there, ultimately making more room for YOU to show up as the awesome drummer that you ARE! This will be challenging and still FUN! COST: $30. Please call to register or email Sherry at: sdrumz@austin.rr.com

"A CALL TO CIRCLE", Women's Drumming Retreat with Sherry Gingras in Boerne,Texas at the Namaste Retreat Center , May 30-31st-June 1st! RELAX! REJUVINATE! REJOICE! in this beautiful , quiet, serene setting among towering live oaks on Ciebelo Creek! Stroll down to the creek, enjoy the hot tub, go for a swim, relax on the huge back deck and play your drum under the stars, commune with kindred spirits, share stories, tears and laughter as we wake up our spirits and immerse ourselves in the magic of the drum and rhythm for a whole weekend together! Come gather in circle and experience the gifts of community drumming, singing, and dancing. Creative expression through music, art and movement has been utilized by indigenous cultures for eons as a means to connect to the heart of our most brilliant, shining SELVES and to share the gifts found therein with the community. This weekend we will explore this awakening of our spirits through our music together...creating harmonious conversations from heart to heart with each other through our drums and our rhythms, our voices, and our movement. We will learn several West African Rhythms and songs, do some Nia and Dancekinetics movement, relax and reconnect to nature and remember our place in this vast continuum of life. Saturday night we will have a Community Drum and Dessert Circle on our back deck and invite the women from Boerne, San Antonio, Austin, Fredericksburg and Kerrville and surrounding areas to join us in honoring our selves, our Earth Mother, and all of our sisters around the globe ...particularly those who are living with oppression, violence, and conditions that are limiting them from reaching their full potential as vibrant, creative,loving, beautiful human beings. Our circle and our weekend will be dedicated to creating a supportive space for each of us to grow and stretch more fully and with more ease, contentment, gratitude and intention into being the amazing,heart-connected, passionate, and powerful women we are intended to be! Please contact Sherry Gingras at DRUMZ at 453-9090 or visit her store, DRUMZ, at 3700 1/2 Kerbey Lane. MC/VISA Accepted.
COST: $265 per person. Includes scrumptious and healthy meals prepared by our own "Gour-Mae " chef, Mae Stoll, complete accomodations for two nights and the workshop. $50 deposit required to hold your space. Accomodations for only 20 women so please reserve your space early if you wish to be a part of this gathering!

Saturday and Sunday, March 29 and 30th, 2008 DRUM AND DANCE WORKSHOPS WITH ANGELO!
Yao Angelo in town for drum and dance workshops! Learn the beautiful, exciting rhythms and dances of the Ivory Coast from a Master! Call Sherry at DRUMZ 453-9090 for details!

Saturday , March 29th, 2008,ANGELO HERE FROM EUREKA SPRINGS!
Yao Angelo, master drummer and dancer, choreographer extraordinaire, is in Austin for some drum and dance workshops! Workshops at DRUMZ tomorrow! Noon-1:30pm All level workshop in African Drumming, Ivory Coast style! This promises to be an exciting and fun afternoon event for all levels of players! You must have a drum to attend this one. Cost:$20 for 1 1/2 hour workshop with Angelo. This will be money VERY well spent!

CONGA DRUM Workshops with
DAN EGGER-BELANDRIA

Dan is new to Austin via Miami and he brings a wealth of study and professional experience to Drumz.

Bio
Dan Egger-Belandria represents a new generation of Latin American musicianship. Although his heritage is rooted in U.S. and Venezuelan culture and music, his primary source of influence is from Afro-Cuban and Caribbean drumming tradition. Having studied throughout the Americas and Cuba with drumming masters Changuito (Los Van Van), Anga and Enrique Pla (Irakere), Amadito Valdez and Carlos Gonzales (Buena Vista Social Club), he is an accomplished conga, timbale and drumset player in a variety of musical settings.

Dan has recorded and performed in various musical genres, including opening acts for Latin jazz superstar Poncho Sanchez and reggae great, Burning Spear. Dan is the band leader for the Latin jazz group SEÑOR GATO, which he recently reformed in Austin For more information about the band, please visit www.senorgato.com.

Finally, Dan is the creator of AquaDrums, which he has toured throughout the US accompanying DJs such as Mix Master Mike from the Beastie Boys. For a video sample, visit www.aquadrums.com.

In addition to performing as a musician, he also uses his percussion skills in corporate and educational workshops to promote multiculturalism and diversity. For more info, check out www.newworldsynergy.com


Egger-Belandria has made lifelong commitment to the art of Afro-Cuban and Caribbean drumming, but he also has studied jazz at the University of Missouri and Brazilian drumming in Brazil and New York City, Bomba in Puerto Rico and Garifuna drumming in Belize.


CONGA CLASSES with DAN EGGER-BELANDRIA

Introduction Class (drum provided if you don’t have one)
80 Minutes CLASS WILL MEET AT DRUMZ AT 3700 1/2 Kerbey Lane in the cottage in the back behind what is now Lululemon ( was DRUMZ in the front space!)Saturday, September 22
from 1pm-2:20pm

∑ Proper Hand Technique and Body Positioning

∑ Various Tones

∑ Language of Conga Drumming (build a rhythm phrase “word by word”)

∑ Flow and Groove

∑ Putting it All Together (the fun part!)


Advanced Class (must own two congas to register; please bring them!)
80 minutes. Class meets September 22, a Satuurday, at 3700 1/2 Kerbey Lane in the cottage from 2:40pm to 4pm !

∑ Tuning your Congas

∑ Review/Assessment of Hand Technique

∑ Role of the Clave

∑ Tumbao with Variations Rhythm

∑ Songo

∑ Creating 4 and 8-Bar Phrases

∑ Techniques for Practicing and Developing Chops (what we all want, right?!)

LAST EXCITING PIECE OF NEWZ FOR THE DAY
I am bringing the world renowned master drummer and teacher Mamady Keita to Austin on the weekend of Nov. 10-11th during his 2007 World Tour! This is a very exciting thing for me and I am thrilled to bring a teacher of this level to our community! More details to follow but PUT THOSE DATES ON YOUR CALENDAR NOW as this is a rare and awesome happenin’ in these parts!I was privileged to study with Mamady for three weeks in San Diego at an intensive and it was an unforgettable experience. People come from around the world to attend Mamady’s workshops so you will want to sign up early once the specific times and costs are clarified! For now just block that weekend out! Details will be forthcoming soon!
We are also planning to have continuing marimba classes and also balafon and didgeridoo classes at Drumz in the studio space so stay tuned for the complete fall schedule!Remember to check: www.drumzaustin.com and www.rhythmconnection.net periodically for details as well. The classes on Satudays with with Eliott teaching didgeridoo have been amazing! And the zimbabwe marimba classes with Joel Laviollete are SO FUN! I have been fortunate to take the marimba classes and I LOVE IT! It’s pure joy! So stay tuned for that info!!The new balafon classes will be taught by Asynni Sylla’s cousin from Guinea, Aboubakar Sylla!

March 4th, Sunday afternoon from 4-6pm at DRUMZ
Beginner's Worshop
" Discovering the Magic of Hand drumming!" with Sherry Gingras.
This is an introductory workshop for those folks interested in finding out what this amazing hand drum experience is all about...and in time to hone your skills before Eyore's Birthday party and the city's largest drum circle!
We will learn on West African djembes and we will experience the joy of group music making . Hand technique will be covered, as well as some rhythm basics, a West African rhythm and song, and a closing circle where we will create a wonderful in-the-moment- musical piece together! Cost: $30 for two hours. Please call in advance to register. 453-9090 . MC/VISA accepted/ may be paid over the phone.Call to reserve you spot! Bring your family! Bring your friends! Spread the joy of community music making in our community!

Master Dancer and drummer , Moussa Diabate, from Guinea, West Arica will be in Austin on Feb. 3rd for a series of West African Hand Drumming workshops and African dance class! Moussa is a member of the Diabate family in West Africa. The Diabates are griots who tell the story of their people and preserve their history orallyand an intricate knowledge of the arts and music is required. Moussa has been teaching in the United States for many years after extensive travel around the world as a member of the Guinea Ballet. Moussa also lived in NYC for a number of years where he also taught as well as performed and choreographed. Moussa is a WONDERFUL teacher of both drum and dance and we welcome Moussa back again to Austin!
SCHEDULE OF WORKSHOPS:

SATURDAY MORNING FEb. 3, 2007
West African Drumming for all levels- 10am-noon cost $30
West African Drumming for Intermediate- 2pm-4pm cost $30
West African Dance Class-4:30-5:30pm cost $15
West African Drumming for Advanced students $30 (*please inquire if you are interested in this master class)

Call Sherry at DRUMZ to register for these workshops. Limited space available so please sign up early! MC/VISA accepted