Drum Along:Drum Circle

Congas, Djembes, Ashikos, Dumbeks, Council Drums, Cowbells, Shakeres and every other form of world percussion is presented here on tape in play along format. This video brings back memories of my happy hippie days and "zoning in the domes" at UC Davis. Everyone has a percussion instrument, and they are in a circle having a great time playing together. The infamous wild chickens of UCD are dancing around the circle. Geodesic Domes are the backdrop, an old university experiment in alternative housing. The rooster has too much competition for noise and is going nuts. This is an out of decade experience. However, if you can get past your 21st century biases and pick up an instrument, like I have seen many children do, it can be extremely fun. I teach world percussion and do school demonstrations. The children are eager to participate. Along with demonstrations of foods of the world, this is a great inroad to international understanding for school age children. Each peice on the video is broken down into four for four core players. On screen sheet music preceeds each peice. The group is comprised of 12 to 15 people, from novice to advanced. Everyone is contributing whatever they can offer.I would really like to see a second effort on DVD. There is only one native player on this tape, and I would like to see more native cultures represented with background information presented on the instruments. If you are willing to drum along, this format is loads of fun and much cheaper than therapy.

I've been fooling around on djembe for about two years and took a chance when I got this one in hope of finding some ideas, beats, and having something fun to play along with.The people involved seem very pleasant and kind, perhaps too much so because this DVD would have greatly benefitted from limiting participation to people who could actually play with some degree of competence.The failure to limit to the competent means that the beats are played too slowly and have little drive.This is compounded by the cameraman frequently being clueless as to whom should be on camera at a given moment. If one of the leaders of the group is taking a solo, it is frustrating to have the camera wander around the clueless in the circle in that moment.I also would have liked to have seen some use of split screen editing wherein a couple of smaller screens could continuously show the basic parts of the larger beat.I was able to watch only about 2/3 of this before turning it off and have not returned to it.

I have used the VHS so much in my music classroom that I finally decided to get the DVD. It is a great video for students and just anyone interested in learning about drum circles to follow. I highly recommend it.