Percussion Around the Fire: There are practical and magical aspects to drumming. As humans we struggle with the tools we are given and the limits of our daily existence. But the magic of the fire and the drum can release us from our earthly bonds and let us rise above our limits. If we set ourselves on the path of music with an authentic desire to learn and grow, then we will be challenged and our hard work will be rewarded with moments of great intuition. These are gifts of spirit where we leap forward to a new place. In this workshop we will learn some of the details of how our drums work and how to improve our playing. We will supply a framework and some concepts and ideas from which you can distill your own style and allow you the freedom to explore. With these tools you can express yourself better and begin to communicate with other drummers and dancers more effectively around the fire. Billy Woods (Sylvanus): Billy Woods, aka Sylvanus, has been a professional drummer since 1958, and has performed and taught all over the United States. He began playing Middle Eastern rhythms on the dumbek in 1980, and learned to play for dancers by accompanying Eva Cernik and Susannah Del Vecchio in their classes and performances. In 1987 he traveled to Egypt, where he studied with teachers at the Conservatoire in Cairo, and played with a baladi band in upper Egypt. He has also studied with Ibrahim Turnem. He has received several awards and national recognition for his contributions to the quality of drumming within the Society of Creative Anachronisms. He has recorded with the Spellbinders on Mirage, 1992, and with the Luminaries on New Traditions, 1991, for Joynan of Denver. In 1994, he formed Lights on Productions with percussionist David Korup, and together they record music for dance, drum music and drumming instruction tapes. Their recordings include Eyes Behind the Veil, Seed of Time/invitation to drum, Drumming: the beginning and World of Dumbek, Volumes I & II. In 1980, Billy began studying Tao Tan Pai, the Taoist Elixir style of Chi Kung, in the lineage of Grandmaster Share K. Lew of San Diego who is from the temple on Mt. Luo Fa in China. He has taught workshops and classes since 1985. Back to Workshops and Seed Groups