Bedford Djembe Group
This group is no longer active.
We hope to find a new venue and resume shortly...
High energy African drumming and song on Tuesdays
in Clophill near Hitchin
![Bedford Djembe Group performing Moribayassa ]](arena/1003-BedfordDjembeGroupPlayMoribayassa.jpg "Bedford Djembe Group performing Moribayassa in December 2009")
At last there is now
For eight years until January 2018, there was
an African drumming group near Bedford, where you can learn traditional
rhythms from West Africa and sing the
joyous songs they accompany. As well as djembe we play
dun duns,
Ghanaian drums
and percussion. You can drop in any week, but you'll get the most out of it with
regular attendance.
Here you can see some of us performing in December 2009 as part of a Bedfordshire Music showcase concert, and below as part of Bedford Busking Festival in 2011. Other gigs include the Paralympics (which went ballistic!) and charity firewalks, as well as school concerts and fetes. In 2013 we rehearsed and performed at Letchworth Street Fest and Woburn Village Festival with Affinity Tribal dancers who added colour and flair to our performances! More recently we've played at Bedfordshire University in 2015 and at private parties.
![[ Bedford Djembe Group playing at Bedford Busking Festival ]](../performances/busking/tn/2690-BedfordDrummingGroupBusking-MalcStandingAtopDununbelebelebaCropped_141x100.jpg "Bedford Djembe Group playing at Bedford Busking Festival, July 2011")
> > > Watch us busking on Youtube! :-)
If you'd like us to perform at your event, please check our performance spec and then contact us with the date+time, location and type of event so we can give you an accurate quote. A typical 20-minute performance costs around £120 + travel costs.
Where?
We are now looking
for a new venue suitable for loud drumming.
Let me know if you are interested - the old web
page follows...
The
Clophill Centre is
easy to find, at
MK45 4BT, on the eastern edge of Clophill (which is midway between
Bedford and Luton), just after the white gates marking the end of the village.
We usually play in The Birch Room (pictured here) which is right down the end of the car park/driveway opposite the house, except for once a month when Reiki is on in there, so then we play in the yellow Yurt by the trees (not the new white yurt on the right hand side of the car park as you drive in), or possibly The Garden Room instead. The next Reiki date is on Tuesday 30th January 2018, but it should be easy to tell the difference between folk laying hands on bodies and laying hands on drums :-)
![[ Drumming in the woods at The Clophill Centre ]](../classes/clophill/tn/IMG0173-BedfordDjembeGroupPlayingInTheWoodsAtTheClophillCentre-photo-by-LizBreuilly.jpg "Drumming in the woods at The Clophill Centre, August 2012")
On summer evenings
if the
weather is hot and no rain
forecast, we often
play outdoors in the woods,
until 9ish when the rising dew starts to make the drums damp. If you can't
find us in the building, we're probably in the woods, located at the end of a
long straight track
which begins
between the house and the totem pole, and leads to the firepit near the treehouse.
Please park in the car park (unless unloading lots of big drums) and enjoy the
100m walk as an ideal time to relax and unwind before you immerse yourself in
the lovely energy of the woods and catch some of the special vibes of
this magical place...
[Previously my Bedford classes had originally been at Elstow Bunyan Chapel on Fridays from April-June 2009. Then we moved to Tuesday evenings in The Arena Building at Bedford College until summer 2011.]
When?
Sessions ended in January 2018; we are searching for a new venue.
We meet on Tuesday evenings, with the
classes for various levels starting at
7pm and ending at 10pm. We welcome new members any week,
so come along when you can, at 8pm if it's your first time. We'll pause
for a short break from 9-9:15pm to chat, so bring a drink if you like.
Any weeks where the class is not happening will be announced here and also on our (low-traffic) mailing list, so sign up for updates by sending me an email if you want to be kept informed of dates and other local drumming-related events/news. Here's a printable flyer if you have a noticeboard to publicise the sessions.
Levels
The sessions are structured so that everyone gets some focus on their level of playing ability. Please note that we've now changed the order of the sessions, so I can program up the Intermediate players with the bassline parts ready to support the Beginners and Improvers when they arrive. If you're not sure which category would benefit you most, just come at 8pm.
| Level | Arrive at | Leave at | Focus time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 7:00pm | 10:00pm | 7:00-8:00pm |
| 0+1 | 8:00pm | 9:15pm | 8:00-8:45pm |
| 2 | 8:00pm | 10:00pm | 8:45-10:00pm |
Level 3 = Intermediates (this first session is by invitation only)
Before coming to this session, Intermediate/Experienced players should first be assessed as to your level, because there are lots of relative scales of player (your "advanced" might only correspond with our "improver" level) and many people think they're either worse or better than than they might actually be. This way we can keep a tight ship of similarly-focused players keen to extend their technique. Intermediate players may stay for the whole session (better value, since the cost is the same regardless), but should arrive at 7pm to avoid missing out on learning new rhythms. After 8pm they play basslines to support the Beginners and Improvers when they arrive.
Level 0+1 = New Starters + Beginners
The half-hour from 8-8:30pm will cater for New Starters and Beginners, going slowly through simple parts for rhythms we'll play faster later on when other players arrive. Complete New Starters who've never played a drum before need to arrive at 8pm for briefing on the basic techniques, and can stay for the break from 9-9:15pm, or leave sooner if they feel like they're getting out of their depth or their head is full! They are welcome to join us any week, although private tuition beforehand is always beneficial, either one-to-one or in small groups. Beginners should also arrive at 8pm and likewise can stay for the break to chat, after which we pace up.
Level 2 = Improvers
Improvers also arrive at 8pm and spend the first half hour learning dun dun parts, then at 8:30pm join the Beginners on djembe, and stay on until 10pm.
Children
As long as they are keen players (not just being brought along due to lack of childcare at home) and can behave maturely, older children aged 12 and above are welcome (but not younger, as it changes the energy), accompanied by a parent. I also sometimes teach separate groups for younger children aged 7-11.
Cost
£12 weekly drop-in rate for everyone (or see below for reduced-price subscriptions)[not currently running]
This cost includes use of dun duns, but djembe hire is £1 extra, so please let me know a day in advance so I know to pack a spare drum for you, or just turn up at 8pm any week if you have your own.
Subscribers
To encourage regular attendance which leads to faster progress, I also offer reduced prices to frequent attendees for 4-week blocks paid for in advance, at a cost of £35, saving £13 each month (please add on £1/week djembe hire as well).
| Month | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9th | 16th | 23rd | 30th* |
| February | - | - | - | - |
This saves you money over the single weekly drop-in payment: basically the idea is that even if you can only make it to three weeks out of four, then it's still cheaper to subscribe. Plus, if you can't make it one week, you're welcome to attend my other group instead (at no extra charge to subscribers), as both groups run in parallel. Please note that payments are not carried forward to next month if you happen to miss a week (unless I have to cancel a session you paid for), but are just for the dates above.
If you join us at the start of a month, then advance payment can be decided upon at the end of your first session; if you love it, go for it! Or if you're not sure that you can commit, or if you join in mid-month, just keep paying weekly until subscriptions are due next month.
Your support is gratefully recognised and makes for a more cohesive group. By becoming a subscriber you are showing your support and you know that the group will be running even in your absence, as we can't run on thin air.