Drumming events - School workshop activities based in London

Big Beat offers drumming workshops and music education in Samba drumming, junk percussion, world music, inset days and tailor-made workshops for music at schools.

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Drumming workshops for schools

Big Beat's founder, Adrian Wiggins has over 20 years' experience running school workshops, having worked with thousands of children of all ages and abilities.

The structure of a day can be adapted to suit your requirements, and are appropriate to students from key stage 1 (primary) to secondary, colleges and higher education.

Samba workshops

Samba a great gateway to music for children.
Using a variety of Afro-Brazilian instruments, the samba workshop can consist of a short demonstration of the the surdo (large bass drum), caixa (snare), tamborim (small tambourine), ago-go bell (double headed cowbell) and various other samba instruments used in the Rio Carnival. In just a half hour, a whole class will be playing confidently as a samba band, using simple clapping games, then transferring the rhythms to the instruments.
Once the foundations have been learned, a series of simple structured musical breaks and ‘call and response’ drumming will result in a finale of energetic and a satisfying feeling of achievement.
 
A typical day can consist of:
  • 4 x 1 hour samba workshops with up to 30 pupils or a morning and afternoon session with 2 classes.
  • 3 x 1 hour sessions followed by a group performance
All of the required instruments are provided and the workshops are run with energy and enthusiasm, with a guaranteed positive finish.

What a load of junk!

Are you eco friendly? Rubbish at music?
 
These workshops involve making music from rubbish and will have the pupils and teachers thinking about what they throw away!
 
The sessions could be run as part of a project, in which the whole school construct their own scrap orchestra. So don't throw out that old filing cabinet - it makes a great sound!
 
The children will get to play bins, lids, the 'clank-a-phone', car wheels, trolleys, drainpipes, the specially designed 'chain gang' and many wonderful things that were never intended to be instruments.
 
This highly charged workshop has been designed for a unique fusion of 'eco' awareness and music making. It will change the way you think about music - and rubbish!

Inset days

Even teachers need a break so let us do it for you. This session can be used as a tool for learning the basics of teaching samba percussion to children or simply as a team building, stress-busting session for the whole staff.

Any of the sessions we offer your classes we can also offer you, and you can even record a CD as part of it!

Blue sky in a box
We also offer a unique box full of 18 different team building activities.

The Box is ideal for schools and colleges looking to add value to their meetings, conferences and training sessions, and can be used in a number of different ways.

World percussion

An interactive session for assemblies and hands-on sessions for classes.

Learn about the:

  • Balafon from Ghana
  • Berimbau from Brazil
  • Dumbek from North Africa,
  • Bongos from Cuba
  • Pandeiro from Brazil
  • Garrahand from Argentina
  • And a lot more weird and wonderful instruments - it's a real journey through the sounds of the world.

Big Beat can deliver a whole school assembly demonstrating over 30 instruments from around the world and class workshops to follow.

Carnival residencies

Your school can experience a whole week of drumming, dance, song and costume making.

Our experienced team of carnival animateurs will come into school for 3-5 days and transform the pupils into a complete carnival group.

From reception to year 6, everyone can be involved and costumed for a big finale.

These residencies can be celebrated in real style with anything from a school hall performance for family and friends to a carnival street procession around the area for the whole community to enjoy!

For more details or to make a booking call us today

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