Apr 03, 2014


On March 28, musician, drummer and percussionist Leo Brooks brought his talents and musical know-how to students at the Granite Ridge Education Centre. Brooks’ presentation was part of the Blue Skies in the Community music program, which strives to bring musical education into local schools throughout the year. Brooks, who works as a musician, drummer and educator, has his own workshop in Aylmer, Quebec where he builds and repairs instruments (visit his website atwww.treefrogprecussion.com).

He arrived at GREC in Sharbot Lake early in the morning with a selection of over 80 drums and other percussive instruments that included African-styled drums called djembes, dunduns, plus a number of hand-held percussive instruments like maracas, guiros, (wooden ribbed rasp instruments played with a stick), and many clapperless bells from different cultures around the world.

Brooks began his day leading a large drum circle for students involved in a leadership training program at the school, which aims to teach students various life skills like teamwork, self-respect and cooperation. “Drumming is the perfect metaphor and vehicle for teaching those important tools and skills,” Brooks said when I spoke to him after the presentation. “I like to use the metaphor of building a house. The idea is to start by building a solid foundation using the large, lowest sounding drums, which are powerful and keep our ongoing attention and whose sound penetrates our bodies. Next we build the framework of the house using the smaller drums by adding their rhythms on top of the foundation, and lastly we add the various other elements, the windows, doors and framing of the house by using the other smaller percussive instruments which add the decorative color to the whole.”

School-to-Community students were also invited to take part in the drumming circle, which Brooks said offers a kind of immediacy to students of all levels of development and musicality. “Drumming is the kind of musical activity where you do not have to have years of training to be able to make a sound - which is needed when playing other instruments like violins and guitars,” he said.

Brooks' presentation included lessons in how to create a foundation rhythm using the dun dun drum; how to add to it and create interesting rhythms using the djembe drum; how to add different sounds and individually created rhythms using the hand-held instruments and bells; and lastly how to accentuate certain rhythms by highlighting individual drummers within the group.

Grade 11 student Ivan Wilson was so moved by the drumming that he burst out in song, adding his own original chanting rhythms into the mix, which was both a creative and effective addition to the circle. Marily Seitz, who is the publicity and outreach coordinator with Blue Skies in the Community, was thrilled to see students take part so enthusiastically in the presentation and workshops at GREC. “Our aim is to bring music to the broader area throughout the year rather than just at the Blue Skies Music Festival. Workshops are a great way to encourage students to experience and feel first hand that they have music inside of themselves. I also strongly believe that it's important for kids to learn from real musicians who know their instruments and also the ins and outs of how to encourage students to express themselves musically.”

Leo Brooks will also be giving workshops and presentations at Land O Lakes Public School in Mountain Grove and the Stewart School in Perth. Any schools looking to add the gift of music to their students can contact Marily Seitz at 613-479-2855.

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