Drum Making Workshops:
The workshops are arranged for half-day presentations. I have
worked with groups ranging from children’s programs, to
corporate and multicultural events. The cost of the workshop is
$100.00 per person for a twelve inch drum and $150.00 per
person for a fourteen inch drum. Each workshop will have one
size drum for all participants. All tools, materials, and instructions
are supplied and included in the cost.
benefits as a medicine. The wood weathers very well and
contains a level of acidity that bugs do not like. We use deer
because this is the area where deer are hunted and used for
food. It is a local material that is utilized for practical purposes.
expressed in our songs. The songs are prayers and stories. In
times like these we need to remember our cultural roots, whoever
we are.
Outline of the Session:
This workshop can accommodate fifteen to twenty people.
The workshops are arranged for half-day presentations. I have
worked with groups ranging from children’s programs, to
corporate and multicultural events. The cost of the workshop is
$100.00 per person for a twelve inch drum and $150.00 per
person for a fourteen inch drum. Each workshop will have one
size drum for all participants. All tools, materials, and instructions
are supplied and included in the cost.
- Each participant will receive a
drum frame made of cedar
and deer-hide for the head of
the drum. Drum frames are
made by myself in my
workshop and the skins are
collected with the Hats for
Hides program.
The workshops are enriching
for the participants because
they make their own musical
instrument and share in some
of the traditional teachings
about the drum.
benefits as a medicine. The wood weathers very well and
contains a level of acidity that bugs do not like. We use deer
because this is the area where deer are hunted and used for
food. It is a local material that is utilized for practical purposes.
expressed in our songs. The songs are prayers and stories. In
times like these we need to remember our cultural roots, whoever
we are.
Outline of the Session:
- The session will start with an
introduction of myself and
then I will sing a drum song or
two and answer any question
at any time. I will talk about
the drum and it’s uses in the
community and for an
individual. How the drum is
constructed will be reviewed
then the participants will be
taken step by step through the
process and at the end of the
workshop each person will
have their own musical
instrument. The steps are as
follows:
- Choosing a drum frame.
- Measuring and cutting the hide for the head.
- Measuring and punching the holes for the lacing to hold the
head to the frame. - Cutting the lacing for the drum.
- Lacing the head to the frame of the drum.
- Finishing the back and belting the edge of the head.
- A lesson in how to care for the drum.
- Learning a drum song.
This workshop can accommodate fifteen to twenty people.
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| Make your own drum or host a party and make drums with your friends or group. |
| John demonstrating drum making at Hillside Music Festival |
| John helping a young festival goer make a drum at Mariposa |
Drum Making Workshop with some high school students at St. Paul's College, University of Waterloo