Newcastle Under Lyme College
In May 2008 David began a teaching post with Newcastle Under Lyme College, teaching West African Drumming and Music to a special needs group, after only 6 sessions the group performed to a packed audience at The Mitchell Memorial Theatre as part of the end of year showcase.
July 2009 saw the Newcastle College Special Needs Drum Group perform for a second time to a packed audience at the Museum Theatre, Hanley, Stoke on Trent. David will continue his post as African Drum tutor every Thursday afternoon at the Bridge Centre.
St Mary's School Mucklestone
In November 2007, David began teaching West African rhythms at St Marys Primary School, Market Drayton using a mixture of instruments from Guinee, Gambia and Ghana. David works with all of the children who perform their music at various events, so far they have learned and performed two pieces of music, Kassa and Kuku.
During 2009 the Junior Groups have learned a section of Intermediate drumming which involves longer, cyclic phrases, they have named this piece 007. During the same period the infants group have advanced to the stage where they are now able to perform with the drums, they did there first ever performance using the drums this year.
During the summer term of 2009 The Friends of St Marys School very kindly purchased two more instruments, a Balafon and a Gongoma......these instruments were played by some of the children at our end of year performance and will be incorporated into our future performances.
Dec 11th 2007 at St Marys School Christmas performance
May 1st 2008 at Madeley High School, "feeder" schools performance evening.
July 17th 2008 at St Marys Primary School, end of term performance.
March 24th 2009 at St Marys Primary School, end of term perfromance.
17th July 2009 at St Mary School end of year performance
Staffordshire Moorlands African Drum Project
Weekly workshops at Leek, click here to visit their Website.
Kamara
Kamara workshops are designed for the more able percussionists, here we work with the more difficult pieces of West Africa eg Tiriba, Soli, Dununba and Liberte, alongside Kuku, Jankadi, Kassa etc.
In 2002 the Kamara project secured funding from the Community Chest in Stoke on Trent to host a year long series of workshops with Saifou Sylla, this culminated in a performance at The Full Moon in Newcastle, a week later David and Salifou left for Guinee.
Out of these workshops evolves Kamara, a semi professional troupe who have and continue to perform at events both local and national.
Kamara workshops are designed for the more able percussionists, here we work with the more difficult pieces of West Africa eg Tiriba, Soli, Dununba and Liberte, alongside Kuku, Jankadi, Kassa etc.
In 2002 the Kamara project secured funding from the Community Chest in Stoke on Trent to host a year long series of workshops with Saifou Sylla, this culminated in a performance at The Full Moon in Newcastle, a week later David and Salifou left for Guinee.
Out of these workshops evolves Kamara, a semi professional troupe who have and continue to perform at events both local and national.
