Professional programs to serve your needs
Drumming is not extracurricular - ITS ESSENTIAL!
“If schools would only teach drumming to all the children in their community, they would soon develop a community action plan. They would realize the power of the drum to mobilize people. They will come to know from experiences with drumming that unless you act together, there will be discord. Drums will help our young people develop a unity of purpose. Once they have that, they will be able to develop positive programs of action.”
The Soul Drums Outreach programs inspire and empower students of all ages. These world class programs influence positive change, core value systems and develop life skills. Our programs have created, as well as spawned international programs that have become exciting, fresh and accessible alternatives. Past participants describe the experience as “Multi–Cultural-Music-Made-Easy”, “The creative principals based and values centred leadership tools are tremendous”….our Guidance Departments Leadership Day event of the year! …”, Soul Drums is proud to be a leader, as well as innovate, create and most importantly continue to make these events an affordable extension for the professional education system.
“Drumming is an exhilarating full human body experience. It generates healing energy by combining the mind, body, and Soul!”
We offer 4 inspirational programs
Students will :
develop musical skills commensurate with the expectations of the music curriculum
develop listening and cooperative skills necessary to participate in ensemble performance in class and concert, and in groups in other classes
increase self-esteem, trust, and confidence to participate constructively in groups solo performance, and to express themselves creatively
Teachers will :
expand their ensemble program
Have access to curriculum supporting texts, training manuals and free downloads
gain confidence in facilitating rhythm circles
learn culturally specific rhythms easily
increase literacy and applications to curriculum
“I have rarely worked with an external resource person who offers such a rich mix of wisdom, talent and
customer service as Doug Sole. Throughout the evolution of our planning, he listened carefully to our needs. With flexibility, creativity and responsiveness he offered us many options, and demonstrated exceptional grace and ingenuity in responding to scheduling and budget issues. Now he has written this wonderful book where he generously shares his secrets to help other facilitators achieve their own best level of excellence. Bravo again!”
“We encourage teachers to take classes with Doug Sole, where they learn hand drumming techniques and the facilitation of drum circles. Ninety percent of the teachers in these classes are not university trained musicians, but regular classroom teachers with a strong desire to enrich the creative expression of their students. Doug is a North American leader in drum circle facilitation at the educational, community and corporate levels. Doug’s programs are easily accessible for students and teachers.”
The Ontario music curriculum is revised to include the benefits of drum circles in the development of character, musical ability, and creative expression. Our students should be involved in Soul Drums programs!
PROGRAMS
#1 Classroom Performance Play shop:
These intimate workshops are available for class sizes up to 40 students. It includes all instruments, a performance demonstration, and an extensive “hands on” session. The program can be adapted for any age group focussing on exposing and combining the power of self-confidence with the joy of music making in a group setting. This can be offered as part of a curriculum program or an after hours program.
#2 Interactive Concert Performance – “ P.O.P.”
Percussion Optimizes Potential
This exciting duet or trio experience is offered for the school that wishes to expose a large group of students to multi-cultural music making and unique percussion instruments. This particular program is extremely flexible and can offer a multitude of messages that inspire healthy, harmonized community behaviours or West African Drum and Dance.
Each Soul Drums P.O.P. Performance is fully customized to fit each schools need. It is designed to build positive relationships, centering on the strengths of others, so as we join together in a passionate event, we formulate an unforgettable magical musical experience. That is the essence of our commitment to you.
Culturally specific drumming and chanting concepts are integrated into the program as proverbs that demonstrate the relationships we share with each other around the globe. We combine activities; multi-cultural drumming, values-centered leadership and recreational music circles, to yield a positive experience with powerful metaphors for life and learning.
Using Human Rhythmic Energy ™, we learn our core values are related and come to understand that the whole group cannot become effectively cohesive without each individual’s diverse contribution.
#3 The Soul Drums “Keynote Drum Circle”
Come and experience the energy of Soul Drums! This exciting “keynote” drum circle is facilitated by Doug Sole includes a series of customized metaphorical messages interwoven into the interactive program. This large group experience (any size) has incredible power to inspire, as it was created through 20 years of experience Doug has in presenting professional speaking engagements for corporate and government clients. Designed for the purpose of making “in the moment” music with drums and percussion instruments, and includes components including social justice, mentorship, values centered leadership to inspire healthy citizenship and community behavior. Drum circles are one of the most powerful and universal tools for human connection. To participate in a drum circle means to co-operate, trust, share, support, create, and have fun, both individually and as part of a whole. It is experientially oriented, not performance oriented, and no strict part playing or skill set is required.
Format A - Focus on Community Building and Career Based Life Skills
This format is wonderful for any sized larger group. We facilitate your message through custom designed applications of boom whackers and drums. These musical tubes help bring to life the skill sets required to work in harmony. The process enables the community to be divided into 8 equal sized working groups, and quickly develop individual and team dynamics. The drums provide a leadership team to be the anchor of the entire ensemble. The hand drum group demonstrated the leadership qualities of cooperative, creative and courageous behaviours required in healthy communities.
The makeup of the group, along with the instrumentation, and the skills of your world class facilitator will determine the direction the rhythm circle, the message and the music will take. Come enjoy a dynamic and energizing group experience in the language everyone can understand – HUMAN RHYTHMIC ENERGY!
Available for any sized group
Format B – Focus on Social Justice and Values Centered Leadership
Drum circles are one of the most powerful and universal tools for human connection.
To participate in a drum circle means to cooperate, trust, share, and create, both individually and as part of a whole. We all have rhythm in us. It is in our heartbeat, our speech, our pace. Children of all ages experience success in drum circles, regardless of prior musical knowledge or experience, intellectual ability or cultural background. The skills developed in drum circles are transferable to the classroom and life in general. They are the skills we must promote daily. They are attributes which allow our students to flourish, not just musically, but in all other classroom subjects, and in their relationships with peers. Doug’s work with Grammy award winning drummer, the late Mr. Michael “Babtunde” Olatunji and his experience of over 15 yrs delivering keynote sessions in the corporate and government sectors, allow him to seamlessly interweave messages of Social justice and Values Centered Leadership. Help your students realize their full personal and citizenship potentials under the guidance of a masterful artist.
#4 Teacher Training Course
fall 2018 program
These programs are jam packed with insights and activities to serve the growing need to meet the current curriculum demands of "Drum Circle and Multi-Cultural Integration" using music and rhythm. You will engage in inspirational activities that create fun, innovative and thoughtful games of interaction, as well as applications for inclusion of metaphors to quickly add value to facilitation skills for any community.
Bring to life the lessons and the power of Doug Sole's highly successful book "Human Rhythmic Energy" through further enhancing your skills as a drum circle facilitator under the guidance of Canada’s Premier Drum Circle Activist. This valuable course provides you with an encyclopedia of techniques to enhance your ability for positively influencing others. Teachers will learn to empower themselves in the challenges of “New Curriculum” and “Character” enhancing requirements. This course will easily guide participants through basic and advanced music curriculum requirements. Through understanding the easy to use iconology card games, the student and the teacher will be engaged in directing the drum circle by using all the elements of music making, from notation, dynamics, timbre, literacy, as well as social interaction, mentoring math skills, and character based leadership skills.
In this course, you will learn how to apply these fundamentals, which demonstrate the importance of the “human element” in the way people today can come together in creating successful communities and more inspirational members of society. Working through this training, you will begin to realize your voice and the power of your own capacity to serve, these skills will naturally become an extension of who you are as human being, as you travel the path to becoming a more effective and compassionate leader.
AFRICAN DRUM AND DANCE
Open to all ages! This interactive program invites everyone to experience the authenticity of traditional African Drum and Dance. This unique program is joyous, energizing and life-affirming. Striving to protect and preserve the heritage of African ancestry, this fun program educates and entertains a variety of audiences both nationally and internationally.
Featuring Nigerian dance educator, performer and choreographer Sani-Abu Mohammed Allen, Kenyan-Canadian African drum master Altaf Bwana Motto, and Canada’s premier drum circle facilitator and musician Doug Sole. Come share in the joy and spirit of traditional African music and dance!
