NAFDA Frame Drum Fest starts tomorrow

This weekend is the big event for the North American Frame Drum Association. The first annual Frame Drum fest is taking place in Baltimore, MD. It's sold out, and I am sure that it will be an awesome event. They have a line up of amazing and talented musicians presenting and performing.

If you go, I'd love to hear about your experience. I'd even be happy to post your reviews of the event on the blog.

Tobias Roberson has a new Finger Cymbal DVD

Tobias Roberson, has a new DVD out covering finger cymbal or zills. I haven't seen it, but this could be an interesting DVD. Tobias is a bay area musician, and teacher. If you live in the bay area be sure to check out his performances with various belly dancing troups and other traveling artists.

Frame Drum Stands from Schlagwerk

Are you looking for way to secure your frame drums to a stand so that you can play with both hands or in a kit format?





The figure above is the RTH 10 Cross-Frame Holder from Schlagwerk instruments. Useful for securing a frame drum with a cross brace (e.g. Bodhran)

The figure above is the RTH 20 Frame Drum Holder from Schlagwerk.

For more info: http://www.schlagwerk.com

Join 8,000 Drums on March 21, 2008

I encourage you to be a part of this worldwide drumming event. To help spread peace and heal mother earth.

"According to a Sacred Prophecy revealed at the Otomi Ceremonial Center by the Otomi Elder Sages as a Vision of our Venerable Ancestors, the day when the sounds of 8,000 Sacred Drums join together will be the beginning of the healing of Mother Earth"

WHEN: March 21, 2008

TIME: 10 AM - 12 PM (CST) / 8 AM - 10 AM (PST)

WHAT: Play your drums prayfully. Send your prayers for understanding, tolerance, healing and happiness to those around you.

For more information: http://www.indigenousuniversity.org/sacred_drums.htm

Jas's Middle Eastern Rhythms

If you are looking for one of the most definite, online resources for Middle Eastern Drumming Rhythms, then the best place that I have found is Jas's Middle Eastern Rhythms page.

Jas lists a few hundred rhythms in notation form along with a MIDI file (very useful if you can't quite get the rhythm).


Also, there is a FAQ page on the site with ton's of great information. It's in a variety of languages.


Finally, one of the really cool gems is the online Rhythm generator, which will produce and play a custom Rhythm for you. You can also have it generate a MIDI file for you to store and play back offline or with your synthesizer: http://www.khafif.com/rhy/rhygen.html

Wanna promote your event? Check out upcoming.com

I just stumbled into a cool new online site dedicated to promoting events. It's called "Upcoming.com" (http://upcoming.yahoo.com/). I haven't used it yet, but it looks like a great place to look for events as well as promote events online. The best part is that it's free.

The Arabic character for Riq is...

Finally, I have discovered the the arabic word for Riq.
Here it is : رق‎
I have been searching for this word, as I have wanted to create a T-Shirt with it on it, but since I am not a native Arabic speaker, I didn't have a clue. Plus I certainly didn't want to put something stupid, in another language, on a T-Shirt. [Nothing worse than wearing the Arabic equivalent of "Kick Me"].

I finally stumbled onto it on the Riq entry page on the Wikipedia site. I hope that this is the correct word/character. If I have misrepresented this, please let me know in the comments section of this blog article.

NAFDA Frame Drum Fest, March 28-30

The North American Frame Drum Association is presenting the first annual Frame Drum Fest later this month on March 28-30, 2008 in Mendham, New Jersey (USA).

I just got word that there is an opening for one more attendee (apparently somebody had to cancel...). So if you were hoping to attend, but unable to get in, this may be your chance!

Please contact N. Scott Robinson at sonrob@msn.com if you would like to attend. The festival
costs is only $375.00, which includes room and board (2 nights and 7 meals), 2 concerts, 1 clinic, 2 presentation, and 9 workshops with an amazing list of frame drum artists.

A complete schedule is included below

Final & Confirmed Schedule:

COST: $375.00 per person for entire festival
WHERE: Mendham, NJ - USA.

SCHEDULE:

FRIDAY: March 28, 2008

11:00 am - 2:30 pm - Meet & Greet.

3:00 pm - 4:20 pm - Workshop: Marla Leigh - Intro to Frame Drumming and Improvisation (Tar).

4:30 pm -5:30 pm - Clinic: Jamey Haddad - Frame Drums & Looping.

5:30 pm - 7:00 pm - Dinner on site.

7:30 - 9:30 pm - Concert: [click on links to learn more about the performers]

• Valerie Dee Naranjo
• Marla Leigh
• Rafael Pereíra
• John de Kadt
• Shane Shanahan
• Steafan Hannigan & Saskia Tomkins (fiddle) with Oisin Hannigan, and Jamey Haddad with Simon Shaheen (oud & violin) and Peter Slavov (acoustic bass) with Michel Mirhej Baklouk and other performers.

Post-concert: Evening hang / practice / jam sessions

__________________________________________________________

SATURDAY: March 29, 2008

8:00 am - 8:45 am - Breakfast on site.

9:00 am - 10:20 am - Workshop: Rafael Pereíra - Modern Pandeiro & Tamborim Styles.

10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Workshop: Abbos Kosimov - Techniques of Uzbek Doyra.

12:00 - 1:00 pm - Lunch on site.

1:10 - 2:00 pm - Presentation by N. Scott Robinson on "Conservation, Performance, Practice, and Pedagogy: Issues in Kanjira Research in India.

2:10 - 3:20 pm - Workshop: Steafan Hannigan - Traditional Irish Bodhran.

3:30 - 5:30 pm - Workshop: Andrea Piccioni - Italian Tamburello Styles.

5:30 - 7:00 pm - Dinner on site / Break.

7:30 - 9:30 pm - Concert:

• Michel Mirhej Baklouk
• Yousif Sheronick & Kathryn Lockwood (viola)
• Glen Fittin & N. Scott Robinson with K. S. Resmi (Carnatic vocals) & Carl Landa (hammer ducimer & melodica)
• David Kuckhermann
• Andrea Piccioni
• Abbos Kosimov
• Glen Velez & Lori Cotler
  
  Post-concert: Evening hang / practice / jam sessions
  
  __________________________________________________________
  
  SUNDAY: March 30, 2008
  
  8:00 am - 8:45 am - Breakfast on site.
  
  9:00 am - 10:20 am - Double Workshop: Michel Mirhej Baklouk & Yousif Sheronick - Traditional & Modern Riq Techniques.
  
  10:30 am - 12:00 pm - Workshop: Shane Shanahan - Techniques for Multiple Frame Drums.
  
  12:00-1:00 pm - Lunch on site.
  
  1:15-2:10 pm - Presentation by ethnomusicologist Jennifer Caputo on "The Tammorra as a Symbol of Cultural Heritage in Campania, Italy."
  
  2:20-3:20 pm - Double Workshop: Glen Fittin & N. Scott Robinson - Duets for Bendir & Fusion Techniques for Ghaval.
  
  3:30-5:30 pm - Workshop: David Kuckhermann - Persian Hand Drumming Techniques of Tonbak & Daf on Frame Drums.
  
  5:30-7:30 pm - Dinner on site & Disperse.
  
  __________________________________________________________
  
  LOCATION:
  
  The Community of St. John Baptist & St. Marguerite's Retreat House
  
  82 West Main Street
  Mendham, New Jersey 07945
  
  North American Frame Drum Association, Inc.
  
  My Space.com Frame Drums Group
  
  Frame Drums.org
  
  Reservations & Info: N. Scott Robinson
  
  

Raquy and the Cavemen coming to California in May 2008

Here's a listing of their tour dates:

Tuesday, May 6 - Eureka CAMore Details Soon

Thursday May 8 - Sacramento CAwith UnmataMore Details Soon

Friday, May 9, 8pm - SHOW in Santa Cruz CAPresented by Rhythm Fusion$10 CoverCayuga Vault, 1100 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz CA 831 421 9471

Saturday, May 10, 11:30am - WORKSHOP in Santa Cruz CAPresented by Rhythm FusionAll-Levels Dumbek Workshop - Bring your own drumCayuga Vault, 1100 Soquel Avenue, Santa Cruz CA 831 421 9471

May 16-18 - Tribalfest, Sebastopol CA


More info here: http://www.raquy.com/upcoming.shtml