Inspiring students to listen, move, interact, and develop a responsive engagement with the world around them through movement and sound.
One time workshops or on-going lessons are available.

World Percussion Classes with River Guerguerian every Wednesday

NOW AVAILABLE LIVE ONLINE!www.ashevillepercussionfestival.com/online-classes

With River's classes now available to live stream, we will continue to hold weekly online classes in lieu of those at the studio for as long as necessary. We invite our local community members to participate remotely from the safety and comfort of their homes until it is safe to resume regular classes in our studio.

We encourage everyone to do things that bring joy and put the mind at ease. Science affirms that "stress is known to suppress immune function and increase susceptibility to infections and cancer. Paradoxically, stress is also known to exacerbate asthma, and allergic, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases." (Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information Search database) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2790771/ So, keep on drumming with us!

Drumming is an important part of thriving, not just surviving. River's classes inspire beginners to explore new possibilities, advanced students to aspire to deepening their skills and all participants to resonate in the supportive community that grows from making music together.
LIVESTREAM FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD:
http://www.ashevillepercussionfestival.com/online-classes

When: Every Wednesday evening - drop ins welcome! Currently classes are only available live stream. In studio classes will resume when it is safe to do so.

5:00-6:30pm EST* - Level 1 Hand Drumming Class: We begin with a centering meditation/visualization and an introduction which allows new students to become familiar with the basic concepts and vocabulary necessary to proceed with the material and dedicated students to warm up. During this introduction, we focus on how to play tones properly, how to hold our instruments ergonomically, and other tips and exercises that lead to successful advancement in playing.

This class is accessible for entry level players and appropriate for all levels of dedicated students-of-the-drum to continue developing their rudiments in rhythm and technical skills in hand percussion. The class is applicable to all hand drums but with a focus on frame drum and doumbek. Even if you have been playing for years, this class is an essential starting point for anyone who has never studied River’s method before. We focus in depth on refining tones, internalizing rhythm in the body, finding the pulse, building strength and dexterity, and playing grooves together. River teaches basics of music theory and musical vocabulary as well as how to sight-read from different types of musical notation. This class is also a great warm up and review for Intermediate/Advanced drummers.

6:45-8:30pm EST* - Level 2 Intermediate/Advanced Hand Drumming Class: This class is for those who have been playing for several years, understand musical concepts, are adept in River’s method of playing and notating, and need to be challenged on another level. We focus on embellishments, playing and stepping with polyrhythms, creating musical dynamic, and grooving in odd time signatures. We explore a wide range of rhythms from around the world on all different percussion instruments.

Where: Odyssey School - 90 Zillicoa St. Asheville NC 28801 - Studio is downstairs. Please enter the lower level door facing the pool under the Odyssey High School sign.

Teaching approach: www.ShareTheDrum.com
Price: $15 Level 1; $17 Level 2; 2 classes on the same day for $25.
Details: Bring your doumbeks, frame drums, riq tambourines, cajons, djembes, etc. There will be extra drums available.

Rhythm & Drumming Workshop

-Achieve a well-rounded tone, and make your drum sing
-Build upon our own naturally-given internal rhythm
-Learn rhythms from around the world
-Play harmoniously with other people, and much more.

Sound Exploration & Sound Meditation Workshops

Sound can induce trance-like conditions which include slow respiration rates and deep relaxation.
These states have been known to induce strong visual imagery, and evoke little or no awareness of the physical body

—Share and understand the deep, creative, and rhythmic space from which sound/music originates. 
—Make listening a full-body experience, learning how to absorb sound vibrations with our whole bodies. 
—Use instruments such as Himalayan singing bowls, gongs, bells, rattles, flutes, drums, and voice to demonstrate the transformative and healing power of sound. 

School Workshops & Residencies

“Rhythm in the Environment”: an experiential program of sound explorations.

The project benefits students on a multiple of levels, engaging developmental pathways (physical, ethical, social, emotional, and cognitive) and integrating many aspects of an academic curriculum: social studies, environmental science, and mathematics.

Each week students work with musical instruments from around the world to:

  • Strengthen their understanding of the aesthetic concepts of sound on the physical level,

  • Use sound to center themselves and influence their state of being,

  • Practice physical movement as a natural and fundamental part of their daily lives, improving their overall physical health,

  • Enhance social skills through cooperative collaboration,

  • Bolster self-esteem through new awareness, and

  • Increase their understanding of commonalities among world cultures.

SAMPLE CURRICULUM*

* Programs can be tailored from one-day to twelve weeks.  The majority of the time is "Hands-on"
The curriculum listed below was scheduled over a five-week period.
     
WEEK 1 – What is sound?
        Introduce the concept of sound and the physics behind it. Using Chinese gongs, Himalayan singing bowls, Middle Eastern frame drums and West African drums, students build an understanding of sound, space, time and energy while working cooperatively with others.

WEEK 2 – How we listen.
        Using tribal and indigenous music, we investigate how we hear sound listen with the ears, the brain and the whole body.  We develop listening, analyzing and evaluating skills in relationship to constant change.

WEEK 3 – Our creative essence.
        Focusing on the creative impulse we learn how sound is produced from the deepest part of our being—the same way nature produces sounds. We will explore the physics of sound making, pattern and frequency.

WEEK 4 – Why we make music.
        This week explores music as an important means of self-expression.  We see how it is universal throughout culture and history, and build awareness of commonalities among individuals and cultures around the world.

WEEK 5 –Function of Music.
      Students are introduced to the various functions of music: sacred, ceremonial, celebratory, meditative, entertainment, and dance.  They will explore musical concepts such as dynamics, tempo, time signatures, articulations, and phrasing.