Percussion Class Info

Friends School of Minnesota After School Music Program
Percussion Classes
Instructor:
In 1991, Dhaivyd Hilgendorf moved to Northern
California to study tabla (East Indian drums) at Ali
Akbar College of Music. After six months, he
discovered that Egyptian doumbek master Vince
Delgado lived just down the street and was taking on
private students. Dhaivyd studied with Vince until he
was gigging so often with local folk band Straw
Coyotes that he didn’t have time for lessons. He has
been drumming ever since – playing primarily the
hand percussion of the West African djembe and
Egyptian doumbek. He has played in several Middle Eastern dance troupes.
The classes:
The beginning, intermediate, and advanced drumming classes will focus on
proper hand position and strokes as well as keeping a steady rhythm,
listening to others, and learning some basic Middle Eastern and West
African rhythms. We will also do exercises to stretch the students’ rhythmic
abilities, including odd metered music for the more advanced students and
multi-part rhythms for all sections. Students enrolled in the Fall term will
play rhythms with their classmates at the After School Music Program
Recital on Friday, January 22. The Spring program will be held on Friday,
June 4. If the student is not expected to be available for the concert,
please inform the instructor as far in advance as possible, as many of the
pieces are dependent on the presence of the individual parts.
Therapeutic Drumming:
Drumming has many benefits to one’s health, intellect,
and psychological well-being. Studies have shown that
regular drumming decreases the incidence of stress and
depression, while increasing immune system strength
and self-esteem. Other benefits include improved
neuro-muscular function, ambidexterity, better
attention and memory, and an increased sense of
belonging in community. Group drumming can help
alleviate self-centeredness, isolation and alienation.
The Instruments:
Friends School is purchasing small Egyptian
doumbeks for the program. Six of these drums
will be available for purchase for $40 each.
They are high-quality Alexandria doumbeks,
made of heavy-duty cast aluminum. They come
with an extra plastic head and vinyl case. I highly
recommend that students purchase these drums so
that they may practice at home. If we sell all of
the available drums, we can purchase more, but
there may be a lag period, so if you think you may want a drum, contact
Dhaivyd or Brad right away. Students in the advanced drumming class who
are serious about wanting to continue drumming may choose to specialorder full-size drums, at $125 each. We have two small djembes at the
school, but more will be needed for further experimentation in West African
and Trinidadian drumming styles. If you have access to djembes or
doumbeks that could be borrowed, please contact Dhaivyd.
Practicing:
If you choose to require the student to practice at
home, 15 minutes is an adequate practice time per day.
While practicing is not a requirement for students, the
benefits mentioned above will be nominal if they play
only once a week, and they may become frustrated if
they are unable to keep up with the other students.
Practicing should be fun. Please make a place in your
home where the student can go to be noisy. For some
children, the therapeutic effects are directly proportional to the physical
force used to play the drums. With time, the rhythms themselves will
provide these attributes. If parents have the opportunity to do so, listen in
and make positive comments about the student’s playing, enjoyment, or
disposition, having played.
Contact Information:
Dhaivyd is most easily reached by e-mail at dhaivydh@fsmn.org or by
phone at 651-621-8955. However, between Sept. 8 and 18, he is away on
Sabbatical during the day, so e-mail will be the best way to contact him
during this period. He will be at Friends School for the first class session on
Sept. 16. Brad can be reached at bradb@fsmn.org.