This page gives folks a quick overview of the kinds of projects, events and activities we've been up to in the past year. Yes, we do a lot of drumming! On average we've had about 5 things going on each month... and that's just during the slow season (November thru January)! Bring your drum and join in the fun! 6/20/2010 JAM: Surprise Agenda As promised, the plans for the jams for our final year are all surprises. New and old rhythms, new and old techniques, new and old challenges were shared. 5/16/2010 JAM: Surprise Agenda As promised, the plans for the jams for our final year are all surprises. New and old rhythms, new and old techniques, new and old challenges were shared. 4/17/2010 JAM: Surprise Agenda As promised, the plans for the jams for our final year are all surprises. New and old rhythms, new and old techniques, new and old challenges were shared. 3/21/2010 JAM: Surprise Agenda As promised, the plans for the jams for our final year are all surprises. New and old rhythms, new and old techniques, new and old challenges were shared. 2/21/2010 JAM: Surprise Agenda As promised, the plans for the jams for our final year are all surprises. New and old rhythms, new and old techniques, new and old challenges were shared. 1/30/2010 EVENT: Candlelight Drumming We had a huge turnout of drummers for our annual Candlelight Drumming, many from neighboring cities. What a great evening of energentic, meditative and experimental rhythms. Thanks goes out to the Sultanas for opening up the place to set it up and for hosting the location. 1/17/2010 JAM: Surprise Agenda As promised, the plans for the jams for our final year are all surprises. New and old rhythms, new and old techniques, new and old challenges were shared. 12/20/2009 JAM: Polynesian Rhythms Sometimes the holidays make turnouts at monthly gatherings slim, but not this year. We had a very surprisingly large turnout for the rhythms of Polynesia. These were very sophisticated rhythms, but once we got them going they brought the warmth of the pacific to the room. Thanks to everyone who made time for our last workshop. 11/15/2009 JAM: Middle Eastern Rhythms This month we tackled 10 of the most popular middle eastern rhythms typically played for belly dancers. These included chiftitelli, ayub, baladi, maqsoum, saidi, karslama, karachi, malfouf, leffa, and kalegi. Some new faces this workshop too! Thanks as always to the dancers for use of the studio! 10/18/2009 JAM: Greek Rhythms What a workout, and what a blast! Years ago we looked at some of these rhythms and now those who attended this jam know why they were so popular the last time. A radically different style of playing, a whole different sound, and what a unique energy to them all! We had a great turnout for this jam and a special thanks to Adrian of the Sultanas for opening the studio for us. 9/20/2009 JAM: Bhangra Rhythms As popular as they were two years ago, we had a lot of folks turn out for this jam. Bhangra rhythms are rockin, fat, and sensuous, and what a workout they gave us. A big thanks to Adrian for opening the place up for us. 8/16/2009 JAM: Native American Rhythms Wow! A really big turnout for this one this month... the rhythms of the Lakota, Hopi, Navajo, Paiute, Ojibwe, Minominee, Cherokee and other first nations were overviewed along with two-instrument playing techniques for drum and shaker. Thanks to everyone who made the time for this one. 8/11/2009 EVENT: Children's Drumming (Richland) In celebration of Richland's new library facility, Kelly Reed hosted a children's drumming in the new library multipurpose room. dave, MaryAnne and Carol of the drum circle also helped facilitate two hours for the kids and their parents that attended (a pretty good turnout too). 7/19/2009 JAM: Drum Maintenance We were very fortunate this month to have local drum maker and drum tuner Jeff Busto of Busto Drums give a presentation on how he replaces and strings new heads on drums. Jeff also showed us some of his latest creations and taught several rhythms for improvisational drumming. 6/14/2009 JAM: Senegalese Rhythms Part 3 Our conclusion to Senegalese rhythms also had a large turnout and a lot of new faces. It seems folksreally like the idea of working on a set of rhythms for multiple months, so we may have toexamine that format more seriously in these last remaining jams/workshops. A big thanks goes out to the Sultanas of course for opening the studio up for us for this series. 5/17/2009 JAM: Senegalese Rhythms Part 2 We had an excellent turnout today. The Senegalese Rhythms are really wonderful, and I think a lot of peoplereturned from last month's jam just to be able to play these rhythms agai before moving on to the next new set of them. 5/16/2009 EVENT: Yakima Drumming (Yakima) Several folks met at Yakima's Unity Spiritual Life Center (corner of 8th and Pine) to do a workshop on native american rhythms. The afternoon workshop included a discussion on the diverse cultures from which these rhythms derive, and how they can be found throughout the americas, from the Aleutians all the way to Patagonia. A big thanks goes out to Lucinda Cervantes for coordinating the event and potluck. 4/24/2009 EVENT: World Rhythm Festival (Seattle) this year the TCDC had a really large contingent (15+) attend this annual free three-day festival including dancers from a local belly dance troupe. The carpool made it over to downtown Seattle by Friday mid-afternoon and everyone pretty much got checked into the hotel and began surveying the latest schedule of classes available and attend them. Live performances by top talents in the world were given on the mainstage throughout the event, and jams were held in the evenings. Former TCDC members from out of town also made the event and it was great to have a reunion. 4/19/2009 JAM: Senegalese Rhythms Part 1 the West African Rhythms always seen to get a good turnout, and folks who attended were also very excited to hear that we would be dedicating three months to the rhythms of Senegal - partially because we have so many of them available to us and partially so that we could go back over the rhythms of the previous month and perfect them. Thanks as always to the dancers for making the studio available to us and for opening it up for us on Sunday. 3/15/2009 JAM: Belizean Rhythms Another really good turnout this month for the rhythms of Belize... what an addictive rhythm set. AfroCaribbean stuff rocks! Thanks to Lulu for opening up the studio for us, and to everyone who made the time to join in the fun. These rhythms were challenging to say the least. 2/28/2009 EVENT: Candlelight Drumming (Richland) We had a great turnout of drummers for our annual Candlelight Drumming, some from neighboring cities. The new location was perfect for the occasion and what a great evening of meditative and experimental rhythms. Thanks goes out to the Sultanas for opening up the place to set it up and for hosting the location. 2/21/2009 EVENT: Yakima Drumming (Yakima) Several folks met at Yakima's Unity Spiritual Life Center (corner of 8th and Pine) to do a workshop on rhythms from Scotland. The afternoon workshop included a discussion on the geographic influence of the Caledonian culture, drumming basics including striking techniques, and how to read drumming transcriptions. A big thanks goes out to Lucinda Cervantes for coordinating the event and potluck. 2/15/2009 JAM: AfroCeltic Rhythms Wow! Great turnout for these rhythms. This fusion style never ceases to give folks a really good challenge and a great workout. As always we remain grateful to the Sultanas for opening up the studio for us. 1/18/2009 JAM: Scottish Rhythms We had an excellent turnout of drummers today for an entirely new set of rhythms full of intensity and militaristic drama: the reels, marches, fanfares, and strathspeys, all rugged thunderous bagpipe beats of Caledonia. The attendees did these rhythms justice and had a blast pounding them out.