Drumming Workshops for Schools
Drum Jam offers exciting participatory school drumming workshops that your students will find irresistible. From whole school arts weeks to one off workshops and regular music service provision we have something to fit almost every school event or budget.
We offer a variety of styles and cultural forms including West African Drumming, Brazilian Samba Drumming, Junk Drumming and Indian Drumming Workshops. Every Drum Jam workshop is led by expert facilitators that are all professional touring musicians as well being first class facilitators and educationalists.
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OUR WORKSHOPS
For all of our cultural experiences, pupils will gain transferable skills including: problem solving, confidence building, listening and working as a group, group bonding and having fun. Group music making is proven improve well-being of students, which in turn increases productivity at school.
Click the tabs below to see what we have on offer
- AFRICAN DRUMMING
- BRAZILIAN DRUMMING
- INDIAN DRUMMING
- CUBAN DRUMMING
- STEEL PAN DRUMMING
- A COMBINATION OF CULTURES
- JUNK DRUMMING
AFRICAN DRUMMING WORKSHOPS
Pupils will get an incredible taster of the music of Africa in this workshop. With a focus on hand drumming, the wide range of instruments used are authentic and there are a multitude of traditions, rhythms and songs to learn from this amazing continent. African music is polyrhythmic and conversational, so the drums all speak to each other in a unique way including call and response musical phrases.
BRAZILIAN DRUMMING
Transported to the streets of Brazil, your students will get a real taste of the music of this astonishing country. A melting pot of cultures, the music is rich and diverse and Brazil has many wonderful styles of music to explore. Famous for Carnival, students will be playing on a multitude of percussion used in Carnival groups, from big booming bass drums, to smaller hand held instruments that really pack a punch. The music is also incredibly groovy and danceable.
INDIAN DRUMMING
In this wonderful workshop explores the percussion styles and other musical traditions of this incredible country. The workshop uses traditional Indian drums and will improve coordination and concentration as there is a particular style to learn playing these powerful instruments. Our artists are regulars at MELAS and Indian style celebrations across the UK, bringing a fresh and modern approach to this ancient music in the classroom.
CUBAN DRUMMING
This workshop in Cuban Carnival street drumming is most suitable for high school aged music students and drummers. Cuban music is a beautiful, complex and polyrhythmic and can be a wonderful challenge using multiple percussion instruments. Best in smaller numbers of 5-15 students, this number is the most effective to really get stuck into the conversations happening between the instruments. Suitable for students with a basic understanding of drumming/have musical experience.
STEEL PAN DRUMMING
Bringing the sunshine of the Caribbean to the UK, our Steel Pan Drumming taster workshops are the ultimate in group working and bring the iconic sounds of the Caribbean to the classroom. Working best in groups on 10-15 students, the workshops involve playing melodic phrases and multiple instruments at the same time for some of the pans. Our tutor will guide students through the basics of pan playing and get them working together on familiar melodies, eventually playing as one for a performable piece, and smiling all the way home.
A COMBINATION OF CULTURES
Many of our percussion tutors have experience over a number of global styles so we can deliver workshops in different styles over your time with Drum Jam. We can cater for any bespoke themes or multiple cultural celebrations your school might wish to explore, perfect for a celebration or arts day.
JUNK DRUMMING
Up-cycled beats! Using recycled materials, we can provide workshops in Junk Percussion, expanding what you thought possible from every day objects – one man’s junk is another man’s treasure. In these junk-drumming workshops we use everyday objects and specially made junk percussion instruments we have in stock to create a unique sound and educate students that it’s possible to make music out of anything! Create amazing music and save the planet at the same time.
HOW IT WORKS
To offer the best experience we tend to need the day in your school although shorter and longer sessions are easy to accommodate. If you wish you can add dance, visual arts, (head-dresses, puppets, costumes), Capoeira, Circus Skills, and each requires an additional artist
How many children can we work with?
Each artist works with a maximum of thirty at any one time. Parallel sessions are normal, so that for two artists 60 children are in a workshop at one time.
How long are the sessions?
Sessions last from one hour to a morning/afternoon depending on how many children you want to involve, your school timetable and spaces available.
What equipment does Drum Jam provide?
We provide all necessary equipment including authentic, traditional instruments.
What does the school need to provide?
We usually need a main hall for a demonstration by our artistic team at the start of the day and at the end of the event if you wish the children to share a brief presentation.
We need a classroom with a chair for each child drumming.
We need a suitable space for dance.
Anything else?
We offer a number of exciting packages and music services in schools and we offer a free bespoke planning service.
