Private Drum Workshops

Have you ever wanted to feel the joy of being part of a big drumming group?

You can do that with the Samba Squad’s hands-on workshop. These workshops are based on Brazilian Carnival drumming.

Instruments range from big bass drums to snare drums to high-pitched frame drums, shakers and bells. Each drummer carries his/her own drum. All drums are played with sticks so people can get a decent sound immediately.

I always stress the concept of One Heart-One Mind-One Groove, how all these simple parts interact to make one big rhythm, how the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

In the time allotted we get the participants to play rhythms together, do call-and-answers, sing chants, do simple dance steps, and sound like a unified force.

Invariably it’s a totally positive experience that gives people a lot of fun and a sense of accomplishment.

SAMBA SQUAD is available to do workshops where we teach you how to play. These workshops can be structured for most any group, from public schools to the corporate world. We can come to your facility or you can use our 5000 sq ft sound stage studio in the Lansdowne-Dupont area.

We have conducted highly successful hands-on workshops for a variety of groups: BMO, Ontario Lottery Group, M&M Meats, Lifestyle Software Designers, Sheridan College, as well as Rose Av. P.S.

The goal of our workshops is to get everybody playing as “one” in the time allotted, from 45-90 minutes. I arrive early with enough instruments for the number of people involved, e.g. from 30- 150 instruments. Instruments are laid out in a big circle. They range from big bass drums to small drums to shakers and bells. Most drums are played with sticks so people can get a decent sound immediately. I control everything with a whistle. First I get people to stand behind the instruments and get them moving their bodies to a pulse. Next I get them to clap and sing the phrases they’ll be soon playing, then direct them to the appropriate instruments.

I always stress the concept of One Heart-One Mind-One Groove, how all these simple parts interact to make one big rhythm, how the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

I also bring 3 to 6 facilitators from my group, people with charisma and good energy who help hand out the instruments. Each facilitator takes care of a section, e.g. bell section, while I focus on the whole. The whole is made up of 5 sections: surdos (big bass drums), caixas (snare drums), tamborims (high pitched frame drums), agogo bells and shakers.

In that hour we get the group to play a rhythm together, do call-and-answers, sing a chant, do a simple dance step, and sound like a group.

Invariably it’s a totally positive experience that gives people a lot of fun and a sense of accomplishment.