Here, we detail the skills our Facilitators gain, the African Drumming sessions they’ve run, and feedback from our Course.

Value is at the forefront whether you’re applying for funding or paying your own way, and we do our best to go the extra mile to ensure the benefits of attending the Course don’t stop at the content. As well as your training, you’ll receive:

  • Course Manual
  • Certificate of Completion
  • Take Home Pack including free goodies
  • Digital resources
  • Access to school rates
  • Ongoing support and advice
  • Materials and resources

What our facilitators get from attending the Course

Skills & Experience

• workshop facilitation
• programme facilitation
• basic drum technique
• confidence with ensemble instruments
• introducing musicality
• introducing leadership
• applying the Rhythmic Flow Chart
• understanding the Workshop Template

Applications

• Kindergartens
• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools
• Community development
• Drum circles
• Rehabilitation facilities
• Rehabilitation and self help groups
• The arts

School Rates

As an African Drumming Facilitator, you’ll gain access to our Schools and Educator rates with big savings on instruments. We pride ourselves on the quality of our percussion and very competitive rates, and the ongoing support needed for you to get the most out of your gear. We can tailor instrument packages to suit your application and bottom line.

African Drumming Programmes in Action

Georgina @ Wangaratta

Leah @ Coffs Harbour

The wellness benefits

The body of research and quantifiable data has boomed in the last 15 years, spurred on by the djembe’s growing popularity across the world. Drumming has a distinctly therapeutic aspect – it’s good for our state of mind. It exercises the brain through stimulating cognitive functions like perception, attention and memory, and group drumming especially reduces the experience of anxiety, depression and loneliness. Drumming is good for the body too, and not just for psycho-motor coordination.

Emotional relief

Drumming has shown stress-relieving and burnout preventing effects, and group drumming especially reduces the experience of anxiety, depression and loneliness

Mindfulness

Drumming can be an incredible meditative tool, allowing participants to focus on the beats, the drum, or their hands, and truly experience themselves in the “here & now”, while promoting awareness of their feelings, thoughts and behaviour.

Accessibility & inclusion

Drumming is accessible regardless of age, gender, ethnicity and ability. Not only is drumming a great way to burn off energy and stress in a creative way, it provides a sense of participation and inclusion.

Invigorating

Drumming is a stimulating activity which leaves the students energised and relaxed at the same time, an uplifting feeling brought about by the physical, emotional and social benefits of group drumming.

Cognitive function

Drumming has a distinctly therapeutic aspect – it’s good for our state of mind. It exercises the brain through stimulating cognitive functions like perception, attention and memory. Drumming is good for the body too, and not just for psycho-motor coordination.

Communication

As an opportunity for people to express themselves beyond words, non verbal communication offers a new voice.

Creativity and confidence

The value of group drumming as a transformative and healing activity has been widely researched and endorsed by the health professionals. Part of the magic of this music, especially in the contexts of community engagement and the classroom, where a sense of belonging and contribution is essential. Drumming is a positive outlet for creative expression which transcends barriers to participation such as language and gender and truly empowers and motivates.

Cultural Focus

It surprises us that drumming and culture are often separated out when they’re taught, especially for djembe classes. An important dimension to our Course is culture. We have a deep respect for the context of West African music; if you separate the music from the culture you lose something intrinsic – not just a chance for cultural enrichment and preservation but the real heart of this music.
We aim to pass on the cultural ethos underpinning the music and unpack the ways in which drumming becomes a pathway to cultural awareness.

Supporting research

Effects of Community African Drumming on Generalised Anxiety in Adolescents 
By David Akombo
African drumming as a medium to promote emotional and social well-being of children aged 7 to 12 in residential care
By Kim Flores
The Impact of Group Drumming on Social-Emotional Behavior in Low-Income Children
By Ho et al

Past Clients

Testimonials

“ just wanted to send you this email to let you know how inspired and motivated you have made me feel about my Primary music classes after doing the training on the weekend.”

Tracy

“Thanks again for a great day yesterday. It’s not often I get to drum just for the pure pleasure, and learn new rhythms, so we were definitely on a high heading home last night!”

Megan

“Just wanted to say that I have just had the best time this weekend. The African drumming Levels 1 and 2 were fantastic and very worthwhile. I learned so much”

Annamaria

“Since first discovering African Drumming at a teacher seminar I have grown to love the simplicity and subtlety of the Djembe. I have my own beautiful 14” Ghana Djembe and have gradually built up my own set of 10” djembes for use with my Grade Five class. I have found that by including a few of the higher quality Ghana djembes with the more economical Indonesian drums, we achieve a much better ensemble sound. I have now added a pair of Stumpy Duns, some bells and Kiss Kass. In the two years that I have been using my drums, I have yet to suffer a breakage, and I look forward to may years of introducing young people to the joys of ensemble. My drumming group (which is generally made up of those students who missed out on the more prestigious ensembles) gave its first public performance at our school’s Annual Music Concert. It proved to be the most popular item on the programme and has lead to a series of invitations from the school, community groups and the council to perform”

Alan

“The facilitator training was valuable to me, offering formula for teaching that accommodated both experienced and inexperienced teachers and musicians. We learnt many games and warm-ups (which I am still using today)- including body percussion and correct technique. Simon obviously has a vast knowledge of African rhythms, but his ability to break them down and notate them in a form easily understood, is what makes them accessible to everybody. Using his formulas as a basic structure, gave me the confidence to plan and facilitate my own drum circles with my students. With these newly acquired skills, I was able to formulate traditional African pieces by seeking out new rhythms and teaching some of the pieces from the vast Instructional Pack. It’s a lot of fun because we get to experiment with sound, to catch a glimpse of what it feels like to be part of something ancient, something bigger than us. There’s no way to describe the feeling, when we are all connected, in a matrix of woven individual rhythms that serve the unified purpose of a superior sound. I call it “being in the groove”. All the kids can do, is smile when that happens, and “Wow” gets said a lot ?”

Leah

“I had a fantastic time over the weekend and can’t speak highly enough of Brianna’s teaching and enthusiasm over the two days. I have learned so much from her and I can’t wait to get started teaching the kids back at school.”

ElizabethMadang Avenue Public School

VIC Schools

Vermont South Special School
Weeden Heights Primary School
St Aloysius College
Ruyton Girls
Carrington Primary School
Our Lady of the Pines Primary School
Frankston High School
Geelong Grammar School
Mirboo North Primary School
Ivanhoe Girls
Boronia K-12 College
Parkhill Primary School
Lyndale Greens Primary School
Acacia College
Mount Scopus Memorial College
Wangaratta High School
Melbourne High School
Acacia College
Monash University
Deutsche Schule Melbourne
Weeden Heights Primary School
Scoresby Primary School
McKinnon Secondary College
Frankston SDS

NSW Schools

Menai High School
William Bayldon School
Blacktown Girls High
German International School
York Public School
The Whiddon Group
St Finbarr’s Primary School
Hawkesbury High School
St Charles Ryde
Canberra College
Tingha Public School
Greystanes Public School
Campbelltown public school
Bungwahl Public School
Blacktown Girls High School
Norfolk – Tassie
Katoomba HS
St Leonards
Abbotsford Public School
Bermagui Public School
Canterbury Girls High School
St Mary’s Campus ASC Maitland
South Grafton High School
Balgowlah Nth Public School
Brigidine College

QLD Schools

University of Queensland
Lourdes Hill College
Beerwah State School
Kempsey High School
Jones Hill State School
Caloundra State High School
Tyalla Primary School
St Josephs Primary
University of Queensland
Serviceton South State School
Jones Hill Primary School
Sacred Heart Primary School
St Michaels College
Good Shepard Lutheran College
Jamboree Heights Special School
Beerwah State School
Boyne Island State School

WA Schools

The Japanese School
Adam Road Primary School
Clarkson Primary School
Music Specialist Parkfield PS
Middle Swan Primary School
Hocking Primary School
Margaret River Senior High School
North Tom Price Primary School
Parkfield Primary School
Freshwater Bay Pschool
Balga Senior High School
Cragie Heights Primary School
Gidgegannup Primary School
Sacred Heart Mundaring Primary
St Mary’s College
Balga Senior High School

SA Schools

Peterborough High School
Naracoorte High School
Prescott Primary Northern
Mt Gambier North Reception School
St Martin de Porres School
Christ the King School
St Bernadette’s School
Prospect Kindergarten
Mount Gambier North Primary School
St Teresa’s School Brighton
Laramba School

Councils

Frankston City Council
Rockhampton Council
Mildura Rural Council
City of Kwinana
Banana Shire Council

Organisations

Werribee Zoo
Radius
Sandi Beach Centre
Frankston Youth Services
Lululemon
Lifestyle Retreat
Forestry Co.
Como Children
Kindermusik
Bankshead Palliative Care

Drumming Organisations

Team Rhythms
Dindindi Drums
Music Alive
RhythmDrum Circles
Mobile Music Industries
Forte School of Music