drum meditation workshop

This is a description of a Rhythm Gym called "A Rhythm Runs Through
It," offered by percussionist Steve Bloom this Friday, July 16, from
7-9 pm at Circle Yoga 3838 Northampton Street Northwest DC 20015
(202) 686-1104

Residing within us all, Grace wishes to inform each expression. This
workshop is designed to enable the body's flowing "connectedness" by
tapping our own natural musicality. We will progress from a warm-up
with synchronous mild breathing, stretching and stepping patterns
driven by selected polyrhythmic music. To further internalize key
rhythms, we'll mimic the recorded voices and instruments vocally and
gesturally, and, "physicalize," do subtle, specific movements and
shifts of body weight that best express the anchor rhythms in the
music. The music calls, and the Spirit responds— through the body.

Together we'll harness the genius of "child's play" for mimicry,
parroting things in the recorded hand-drummers' styles, like timbre,
time, meter, tempo, pitch, and attack. We'll "look over the masters'
shoulders" at their skillcraft: choices like a stroke's dynamic force,
and how they express humor, elegance, technique, and themes and their
variations.

Sufi hand drums may be used for demonstration. Dress light, eat light,
and avoid caffeine prior to the session. Bring a blanket or yoga mat.

http://circleyoga.com/workshops/workshops-and-events
Date and Time: Fri Jul 16 2010, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Cost: $40.00

About Steve Bloom
Steve Bloom has played percussion in thousands of performances and
recordings in over a dozen countries from the Middle East to Nigeria
to Canada with a wide variety of artists including Tito Puente, King
Sunny Ade', Andy Gonzales, and Babatunde Olatunji.

With an academic foundation including Music Theory and Composition,
Piano and Percussion technique, Bloom has since achieved command via
the Oral Tradition of:

* Cuban and related African traditions of drumming and song by the
Oral Tradition, apprenticing with several fine Cuban masters and a
Senegalese Griot. He is initiated to play sacred drums in rituals of
Santeria.
* Middle Eastern, Arabic, and Persian drumming traditions, as a prime
apprentice of three Sufi master drummers: Adnan Sarhan, dervish of
Bagdad, with whom Bloom has trained for several decades; Dr. Ali
Analoui, and Naser Khorasani (both from Iran). With Analoui and
Khorasani, Bloom now co-directs the SAMA Ensemble, featuring ancient
Persian Sufi poetry and drumming. Recently they performed for the
entire United Nations General Assembly, introduced by Ban Ki-Moon.

For more information about Steve Bloom, visit http://www.musicbyhand.com