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Dennis About me

Hi, my name is Dennis. I started with music when I was about 8 years old with the cello, for three years. After that I followed a classical guitar education up to conservatory entrance level and I gave beginners individual guitar lessons. I am self-taught on 12-string guitar, folk- and finger picking styles, rhythm guitar, 5-string banjo (blue grass), tenor banjo, mandoline, and I fiddled around with a host of other instruments that I never really mastered, like sopranino recorder, tin whistle, violin, bass guitar, balalaika, bousouki, keyboard. In bands I played folk dance music (Israel, Italy, Balkan, Dutch, American), and English / Irish / Celtic folk in a folk rock band. This all was in my teens and early twenties. After that I dropped active music for a long time until I became involved with the djembe.

 

 

The djembe
In the Summer of 1999 I attended a week long pagan event where there was drumming and dancing every night. A friend had 2 djembe's and so I borrowed one and joined in with the drumming. I was hooked!

After about 6 months, in January 2000, I decided to buy my own instrument and take lessons at the Slagwerkschool Midden Nederland. I took lessons on Djembe and Doundoun from Eva Leerdam. Although their teaching is not African, I learned a good deal of technique, different rhythmic patterns, and how to switch between patterns which is the basis of improvisation and solo play.

Drum circles
Right from the start I also attended any drum circles I could find. Drum circles give you the opportunity to play at your own level, and play for a few hours at a time. They provide the necessary "mileage" to learn the djembe properly, and it is very inspiring to be able to play with some more advanced players and to learn from them.

There was an occasional drum circle in my home town, hosted by Auris - who have since branched out into more shamanic drum circles. I joined the monthly drumcircle in Leiden the Autumn of 2001. In January 2003 I started my own monthly drum circle in Utrecht, and that has been extremely successful. This closed in January 2005.

Early 2003 I ended my lessons at the drum school. I felt that I would progress faster if I attended more workshops and weekends at my own level, instead of taking lessons in a group that was not progressing as fast as I could. I practice for about 1 hour per day and have a good musical background, but the djembe also attracts people without any musical background who play only 45 minutes per week at the lesson. There is no way you can match both types of students for any length of time in one lesson group. Although there is nothing wrong with approaching the djembe as a recreational or healing instrument.

I'm currently involved as a facilitator in the monthly drumcircle in Nijmegen.

African Dance music
From the Autumn of 2004 to the Summer of 2006 I followed the advanced djembe classes with Ousmane Seye in Utrecht, and the season 2004-2005 was also my introduction to playing dance accompaniment with Ousmane at the dance classes of John Kayongo in Rasa in Utrecht. I continued playing dance accompaniment in 2006 and 2007 with Ayaovi Koukouse, and later also with Serge Badoué, both from Yamo Yamo, with Tom Baur as main solo player. From the Autumn of 2007 and into 2008 I play solo there during the first lesson and doundoun during the second lesson.

Workshops I've followed
Over the years I attended various workshops and weekends given by African teachers, many at advanced or master class level: Ousmane Seye, Souleymane Camara, Ibro Konate, Victor Sams, Sény Touré, Famoudou Konate, Oké Sene, Mamady 'Koutou' Kourouma, Anthony Ndong, Mandiaye Mboup, Ibou Niang, Mansa Camio, Ponda O'Bryan, Sega Sidibe, Moussé Dramé, Salia Traoré, Adame Dramé and probably some others I've forgotten to list. The most recent workshop was a weekend intensive for far advanced and semi-professional players with Mamady Keita in the Netherlands, June 2008.

(Note: If links don't work or teachers have a site of their own, please mail me !)

Although the teaching is usually limited to teaching a rhythm, and little or no technique, I find that exposure to African master drummers is necessary to be able to judge your own technique and the quality of your tone and slap. Also the African method of teaching is substantially different from our western methods, and it takes a while to get the most out of this method. A minidisk or cassette recorder is a definite must! Most teachers have no problems with you recording, but some will not allow digital recording, so always ask!

The workshops at advanced or master class level usually include all the djembe and doundoun parts of a rhythm, and often included traditional solo patterns.

Dennis June 2005 Workshops I've given
From the Spring of 2001 I have been giving workshops myself. They started off as structured 2-hour drum circle workshops where I taught basic technique and rhythmic patterns for various percussion instruments, and I also explored "soundscapes" that could be used as a musical framework for pagan rituals.

At the drum circle in Leiden, and my own drum circle in Utrecht, the workshops have grown more into 1-hour teaching workshops for djembe and doundoun. During the drum circle that often follows the workshop, I sometimes "facilitate", i.e. I structure the music by giving people specific parts to play. This happens "on the run" as Arthur Hull calls it, meaning that whilst the music continues, a small group of people will copy a new rhythmic pattern from me and in that way the music can evolve into a new groove.

To date I have given about 50 workshops, usually for 10-20 people, sometimes more, and usually with a drum circle afterwards, where people are free to create in-the-moment music, and practice their rhythms.

Need a workshop?
I am available to give workshops in Dutch or English. Beginner, intermediate or advanced level, djembe or doundoun, lesson or workshop, focus on technique is possible, traditional African rhythms, dance accompaniment, band coaching, or more free-form drum circle rhythms, musical games or soundscapes as an option. I prefer to work with a mix of beginners and experienced players because it makes the music more interesting. Feel free to mail me.


 

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