Drum Journey  "Your guide to community and world hand drumming" Author Gallery
Andrew Wuenschel is currently a student of Transpersonal Hypnotherapy, teaches drum lessons, and facilitates drum circles in Longmont Colorado. His new vision for facilitating large groups is to include more meditation, visualization, and other healing aspects into his rhythm workshops in the future. You may visit Andrew at www.rhythmadventures.com.
Arthur Hull is widely considered to be a pioneer of the community drumming circle movement. Along with being an internationally known drum circle facilitator, he also offers training for other facilitators and is the author of the book 'Drum Circle Spirit'.
Brian Pound is a performing percussion enthusiast living in San Diego, California. His music has been heavily influenced by world percussion styles which include Japanese Taiko, Brazilian Batucada Samba, West African Mande drumming and other world styles. Brian has a special love for the Brazilian bass drum known as Surdo. He has been involved in several San Diego percussion ensembles, most recently Diaspora. Previous ensembles have also included Goro-Goro and the Super Sonic Samba School. You may also visit the San Diego Drum Community site for info on drum circles and much more in the area.
Cathy Flinn is a drum maker and drumming group facilitator who shares her gift of story-telling and drumming with the community. She is a teacher, published author, and an active community volunteer. To learn more about Cathy please visit her site at www.spiritdancehealingcenter.com.
Chris Bittner developed an appreciation of wood as well as a talent for working with it at an early age. Later in life he learned the joys of rhythm and community drumming. In 1999, Chris made his first djembe, when it became magically apparent to him that drum making could be his full time endeavor. And so, DrumWorks was born, in an effort to work at what he loves, and to provide people with the instruments so that they could enjoy rhythm as much as he does. You may learn more about Chris and DrumWorks at www.drumworksbychris.com.
Chris Southall's main interest is in life energy, how it flows and what blocks the flow. The vocabulary he has learnt for this process is in the Five Rhythms movement practice of Gabrielle Roth which describe life energy through 'Flowing', 'Staccato,' 'Chaos,' 'Lyrical' and 'Stillness.' The tools Chris values are: Drumming, Dance, Creative play and Ritual theatre and sweat lodge. To learn more about Chris you may visit his site at www.drumdance.co.uk.
Christine Hopkins, MA, ADTR, NCC is a dance/movement therapist and psychotherapist in private practice in Seattle, Washington. She has studied with Gordy Ryan and Mamady Keita and currently studies with Tyler Richart, who is a long time student of Famoudou Konate. She recently had her first concert experience playing djunjun in the band with Ubaka Hill in front of an audience of about 300 (!) people at the 2004 Women of Wisdom Conference (www.womenofwisdom.org) WoW! She can be reached at dancingsmart@yahoo.com
Christine Stevens is a modern day troubadour who introduces people all over the world to musical expression in the form of drum circles. Through her company UpBeat Drum Circles, Christine offers programs for corporate teambuilding, diversity training, and personal growth seminars. A featured speaker, Christine is equally at home in the middle of a 1,000-person drum circle or on the podium addressing thousands of professionals. As Director of Music Therapy and Wellness Programs at Remo Drum Company, Christine has led music and wellness seminars in England, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, and the United States. For more info please visit the site at www.ubdrumcircles.com.
Chuck Silverman is internationally known as a specialist in applying Afro-Caribbean rhythms to the drum set. He has travelled all over the world teaching thousands of drummers about traditional Afro-Caribbean rhythms like Songo, Mambo, and Samba and has brought drummers to learn in Cuba and Brasil for study tours. Chuck has also authored several rhythm books for drum set as well as an instructional video. Recently, hand drums have been added to the Silverman Rhythm Workshops. To learn more about Chuck Silverman you may visit his site at www.chucksilverman.com.
Cliff Brooks has been playing and studying Afro-Cuban music for many years while playing conga drums, bongos and cajon, and now specializes in the conga drum known as quinto. Judith, his wife, who brought Afro-Cuban folkloric dance to the Bay Area, and Cliff, have been working together as a team since 1987 doing performances, dance classes and workshops. Cliff is now releasing his second book on Afro-Cuban Quinto soloing technique. For more info, please visit his web site at afrocubanchops.com.
Cliff Patton is both owner and drum maker of quality instruments at Primordial Percussion. He believes that the fundamental essence of nature and of people is the flow of cyclic rhythms. Cliff believes that with patience, effort and daring people can tap into this universal rhythmic source. It is his personal mission in the role of drum circle facilitator to help others find and express their own inner rhythm. To learn more about Cliff and Primordial Percussion you may visit his site at www.primordialpercussion.com.
David Tartar has been performing and recording drums for numerous artists for over two decades. Off the road now, he has turned his attention to recording and has made his recording studio and drumming services available to a global audience online. Tartar Drum Studios (TDS) is a Custom Drum Tracking service who's only focus is recording drums and making them sound great! For more info please visit his web site at www.drumtracks.moonfruit.com.
Ed Mikenas directs Day Services for the City of Lynchburg, VA, and developed the Drumming on the Edge of Leadership program. He has a masters degree in music from the Manhattan School of Music, and is certified as a substance abuse counselor (CSAC). He teaches bass at Radford University and is an active studio musician and performer. Ed Mikenas offers training and workshops that combine drumming, wellness and leadership. For more info, please visit his web site at www.edmikenas.org.
Emiliano Benevides, born in Goiania, Brazil, began performing in his hometown at an early age with various theater and music groups, eventually moving to Sao Paulo with the theater and music troupe Marombar. Since coming to the United States in 1995 Emiliano has been playing percussion, dancing and acting at a large variety of shows and festivals. He has taught classes, camps and workshops on Brazilian percussion and dance for adults and children in Europe and the United States. Currently Emiliano is working with various performance groups, including recording with his band Bat Makumba. To learn more about Emiliano please visit www.emiliano.com.
Sista Jewel Jackson is the organizer of the annual International Conference on Dance and Culture (ICDC). She has studied under many of the major African Master artists and is officially considered a Master Artist by the Ohio Arts Council. She is also a recognized cultural ambassador for the Wolof, Diola, Ballanta, and Mandinka people of Gambia, West Africa, and a member of the Mandinka Music Society. She is the founder/artistic Director of African Soul International and was recently awarded a scholarship for a teaching artist initiative with the Kennedy Center. For more info on African Soul International and the ICDC please visit www.africansoulinternational.org.
Jim Arnold has studied drumming with Babatunde Olatunji and Gordy Ryan. Jim calls himself "Medicine Drummer" and a "Didgeridoo Vibrotherapist". He shares his joy of life through the drum and didgeridoo and is an Inspirational speaker and offers interactive drumming workshops and private lessons. His favorite quote is "You can't do it wrong." Learn more about Jim by visiting his web site at www.justdrum.com.
Jim PathFinder Ewing (Nvnehi Awatisgi), is an enrolled member of the Southern Cherokee Tribe & Associated Bands in Texas, an Elder of the Manataka American Indian Council (Hot Springs, Ark.), a member of the Bear Clan Medicine Society (Russelville, Ark), a Bear Dancer (Yona Galisgisgia) and Water Pourer with training in Shamanism, Reiki and other forms of energy medicine. He alternates living in Buffalo, Texas, at the tribe’s Ceremonial Grounds, and in Lena, Miss., where he practices, teaches, and holds Bear Lodge (Asi/Inipi) and leads a monthly Drum Circle, a prayer ceremony honoring the Native American Medicine Wheel. A Registered Karuna Reiki® Master Teacher, Usui/Tibetan Reiki Master Teacher and sponsor of workshops by The Foundation For Shamanic Studies, he writes a monthly newsletter ("Keeping In Touch …") that has subscribers across the United States and in several foreign countries. P.O. Box 387, Lena, MS 39094    phone: 601-654-3301    e-mail: blueskywaters@att.net.
Jim Greiner is a nationally known touring and recording percussionist, educator and community drumming leader based in Santa Cruz, California. He has been playing since 1970, including two years in Africa where he was deeply moved by the community-building, invigorating powers of drumming and celebration. He has been leading drumming events since 1980 and is recognized as "One of the leaders in the contemporary drum circle movement in the U.S.". To learn more about Jim Greiner and his facilitation services, please visit www.handsondrum.com.
Karen Kane is a producer, recording engineer, live sound engineer and audio instructor with over three decades of experience. She has over 180 album credits and has done countless live sound shows. Karen has also had numerous audio related articles published in Canadian Musician. In 2005, Karen opened her own home studio in Wilmington, North Carolina (The North Bend Room), offering studio quality overdubbing and mixing at reasonable rates. Also in Wilmington, she has started her own audio engineering classes. For more info on Karen and her services please visit her web site at mixmama.com.
Lilian Friedberg is a performing artist/drummer/writer/translator with European, Jewish and Ojibway ancestors, living in Chicago, where she is a djembe instructor and Artistic Director of the Chicago Djembe Project. While living in Germany in the '80s, she studied with Famoudou Konaté, Paul Engel, Silvia Kronewald, Alseny Camara (Les Ballets Djoliba Conakry) and Soungalou Coulibaly (Mali). In 1989, 1991, 2000 and 2001, she traveled to Konaté's home in Conakry to experience Guinean culture first hand. In the United States, she introduced the authentic djembe tradition to youth and adult students and performing groups in Minneapolis in the early-mid '90s before moving to Chicago. Friedberg and CDP have organized 3 highly successful North American workshop tours for Famoudou Konaté, with a fourth planned for 2004. To learn more about Lilian and the CDP please visit www.chidjembe.com.
Michael Wall is a DOE Artist in the Schools and his Rhythm of Change corporate teambuilding workshop was featured on Hawaii Moving Company. For information on Music Magic learning circles, Sacred Arts Circles and the Fire Tribe Gatherings, please visit www.FireTribeHawaii.org or www.SacredArtsCircle.org. Schedules and contact information for traditional drumming classes on Oahu is available by calling The Honolulu Rhythm Line at 377-DRUM.
Pete Lockett is an award winning versatile multi-percussionist who lives in the UK. He has recorded and toured with a multitude of internationally known performers and recording artists. Pete plays percussion instruments from around the world including tabla, frame drums, congas, djembe, taiko drums, drumset, electronic samplers and many more. You may learn more about Pete, and also access many free lessons on drumming and percussion, by visiting his web site at www.petelockett.com.
Peyman Nasehpour is a percussionist and performer living in Iran who plays the percussion instruments of Persian art music; the tonbak, ghaval, and daf. Peyman is a passionate and dedicated educator and promoter of Persian art music and it’s instruments to the rest of the world. To learn more about Peyman please visit his web site Peyman and his Tonbak. You may also find a wealth of information on Persian drums already published by Peyman at www.drumdojo.com.
Rick Cormier helps people find joy, calm, and community through drumming. A psychotherapist specializing in anxiety disorders, Rick has successfully incorporated drumming circles into his work with a wide range of trauma survivors. With a lifetime of music and percussion as background, Rick has been an active participant, teacher, performer and organizer of drum circles for many years. His most current project is with The Different Drummers Drum Circle, an open, freestyle community drum circle in Yarmouth, Maine. To learn more about Rick please visit his web site at synthrick.tripod.com.
Steven Ash went to live with his family on Wikwemikong, on the north shore of Lake Huron in Canada, where his father was the reservation doctor, at the age of six. Since then Mother Earth Spirituality has fascinated him. Learning with Ted Williams, Ed McGaa Eagle Man, and Grandfather Wallace Black Elk, he now runs shamanic and personal development courses, linking people back to the spirituality of these Isles. Steven is married to Renata, a gifted healer and teacher, who uses music, earth and energy medicine and shamanic healing practices in her work with individuals and groups.
Taylor (aka Michael Taylor) is a Chicago area percussionist, entrepreneur, educator, recording and performance artist, performer and writer, specializing in the West African djembe and dunun drums. He is a student of Master Drummer Mamady Keita. He founded his business Holy Goat Percussion in 1995; through HGP he teaches, performs, imports, sells and repairs drums and does classes and workshops. Taylor has traveled to West Africa to study his craft several times and is a founding member of the performing ensemble 'Dahui' and founder/leader of his own ensemble 'Holy Goat Ensemble'. For more info on Taylor or any of the stuff he does, please visit www.holygoat.com, or email Taylor@holygoat.com.
Yaya Diallo is a traditional & contemporary West African musician and composer, African music & dance teacher, healer, lecturer, storyteller, guide to Mali 'Healing Drum Tours', and author of 'The Healing Drum: African Wisdom Teachings'. Yaya Diallo is active with his band Kanza and continues to teach and perform internationally. His goals also include the creation of traditional African healing centers. You may learn more about Yaya at www.onzou.com.
Zoë Kessler, owner and head Facilitator of Diana's Drum, has been a hand-drummer and performer for nearly 20 years. Zoë teaches hand drumming privately and in schools, leads community drum workshops, and also conducts high-energy corporate training drum sessions. Recently Zoë added therapeutic drumming to her repertoire, receiving the HealthRHYTHMS® Facilitator Training, and is now working on completing a Bachelor of Education in Adult Education degree. Zoë also leads a women's hand-drumming group and provides musical accompaniment at community events throughout the region. To learn more about Zoë please visit her web site at www.dianasdrum.com.

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