Banging On About It - FREE Percussion Workshop 28/02/15

                     'Providing children with fun, creative percussion workshops in Bristol'

Banging On About It - FREE Percussion Workshop

Facilitated by Matthew Richards

                                                Saturday the 28th of February at 1 pm. 

For children aged 5 - 8

Unitarian Chapel
Brunswick Square
St Pauls
Bristol
BS2 8PE

Find us on Facebook to check out the photos from the last workshop!

Check out some video footage from the last workshop below!

To book a child/children please follow this link and fill out the contact form on the left hand side of the page.

You can also get in touch via email - dfaband@live.co.uk or by phone - 07920407490.

Matthew Richards

                                                                WEBSITE

                                         

                                       

Rhythm & Movement - FREE Percussion Workshop! 4th October 2014.

Banging On About It! - Drum & Percussion Workshop
Facilitated by Matthew Richards

£15 Per Child

 The next drum & percussion workshop will take place on Saturday the 12th of November 2016 at 1 pm.  
Unitarian Chapel, Brunswick Square, St Pauls, Bristol, BS2 8PE. This one is aimed at children aged 6 - 10.

This is a great opportunity for children to experience drumming as part of a group! 

Structure:

Welcome and Introductions.
What is Rhythm? - Exploring the existence of internal and external rhythms as part of our daily lives.
Keeping The Beat! - An exercise in time keeping, using changes in dynamics and tempo.
Bass & Tone - Outlining the basics of playing an African djembe.
Kuku & Kono - Learning how to play two African rhythms.
Jam 1 - An opportunity to improvise as a group, using the Kuku as a starting point.
Animal Drumming - Playing the drums in the style of different animals.
Emotion Drumming - Playing the drums expressing different emotions.
Jam 2 - Like before, however this time children are encouraged to take turns soloing over the top.
Scrap Drum Orchestra -  Group composition using only junk materials.
Pow Wow - Everyone plays a big drum at the same time in a circle, a traditional Native American ritual.


I have 12 spaces for this workshop. If you would like to book a child please get in touch!

Contact Matthew - 07920407490, dfaband@live.co.uk

July 26th Percussion Workshop Success + Fundraising campaign!

Hello all,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the children and parents who came to the percussion workshop on Saturday the 26th! You were all fantastic, it was great to see everyone getting so involved with the beat!

Onward and upwards now. I am currently in the process of discovering the climate in Bristol and North Somerset for extra-curricular musical activities for children in School.

I have some radio interviews coming up soon, more details to come. I also have a meeting with the head of the Somerset Music Education Hub on the 26th August to find out more about music provisions in the local area. So it's all going on!

Lastly, I have set up a crowd funding campaign on Indiegogo to raise money for resources and advertising. I want to expand these workshops and above all i want to keep them free! Please follow the link below to support the campaign my sharing and donating if you can!

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/banging-on-about-it/x/4366245

You can also follow the project on Facebook!

https://www.facebook.com/bangingonaboutit?ref=hl

Here are some photos from the workshop!

Many thanks,

Matthew Richards

Free Percussion Workshop - Rhythm & Movement! Saturday 26th July 2014!

Percussion Workshop - Rhythm & Movement

Facilitated by Matthew Richards
Saturday 26th July 1 pm - 2.15 pm at the Unitarian Chapel, Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE.
Price - FREE!

Hello! My name's Matthew Richards. I'm a 29 year old musician and teacher from Bristol. I have always been interested in how music can be used as a tool to foster communication and interaction between children. Music can transcend the barriers that divide us socially and culturally. Music is a language spoken by all, making it an inclusive and unifying experience. It binds us together and can bring forth attributes in a person that were previously latent.

I am devising a series of workshops that are designed for children between the ages of four and ten. (Some of the workshops will be designed specifically for children on the autistic spectrum or with learning difficulties; more information on those coming soon.) The primary focus is using the fundamental principles of music - i.e. melody, harmony and rhythm - to encourage children to become more aware of themselves and how they relate to others.

The next workshop, 'Rhythm and Movement' is percussion based. The aim is to engage children in acting out internal rhythms (heartbeat, breathing) and external rhythms (in music) using percussion, movement, self-expression and teamwork. The workshop will contain several games, exercises and the making of percussion instruments using pasta, lentils and empty containers. Each game and exercise is designed to inspire positive interaction and communication, as well as sparking the imagination.

The structure of the workshop is as follows:

- Stick Stick Shoe Floor
- Internal Rhythms?
Drum Circle – Keep the Beat
Making Your Own Percussion
Simon Say’s Shake!
  (Break - Drink & Biscuits)
Emotion Rhythms
Animal Rhythms
Motion Rhythms
Drum Improvisation

The workshop requires 12 children. Parents please contact me if you have a child (or children) who want to join in! Email - dfaband@live.co.uk or you can phone/text on 07920407490. Visit my blog - http://matthewwilliamrichards.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/percussion-workshop-rhythm-movement.html

Matthew Richards

Banging On About It! - 10th May Percussion Workshop

                                                                                 

Group Drumming!

So, yesterday (Saturday 10th May) i facilitated another percussion workshop for children aged four to eight, and it was a blinding success!

A huge thank you to all the children and parents who came, you were all so enthusiastic and engaged. The rhythmic games went without a hitch, the concentration and involvement level in the room was high, and the energy was buzzing!


                                 

Angry Drumming!

My personal highlights were:

'Emotion rhythms', which had children interpreting different emotions on their drums!



'Animal rhythms' which encouraged children to 'drum' the sounds of various animals! Galloping horses, flying birds and hopping kangaroos!

The kids even came up with their own brilliant suggestions for both games!

Making percussion, making mess!

Simon say's shake it up high!

The Simon say's call and response game went down a treat, as did the group drumming. The kids even got to make a huge, unhindered mess making their own percussion using various kinds of lentils and pasta!

I would like to extend my thanks to Sally Edwards, for once again helping with the session and for bringing some of her beautiful drums.

Off the ground!

Thank you once again everyone, especially YOU, the children, for being so fantastic!

Matthew Richards

Percussion Workshop - Rhythm & Movement

Facilitated by 
Matthew Richards

Saturday 10th May, 1:00pm until 2:30pm at the Unitarian Chapel, Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE.
Price - FREE!
 
Hello! My name's Matthew Richards. I'm a 28 year old musician and teacher from Bristol. I have always been interested in how music can be used as a tool to foster communication and interaction between children. Music can transcend the barriers that divide us socially and culturally. Music is a language spoken by all, making it an inclusive and unifying experience. It binds us together and can bring forth attributes in a person that were previously latent.

I am devising a series of workshops that are designed for children between the ages of four and seven. The primary focus is using the fundamental principals of music - i.e melody, harmony and rhythm - to encourage children to become more aware of themselves and how they relate to others.

My second workshop, 'Rhythm and Movement' is percussion based. The aim is to engage children in acting out internal rhythms (heartbeat, breathing) and external rhythms (in music) using percussion, movement, self-expression and teamwork. The workshop will contain several games, exercises and the making of percussion instruments using pasta, lentils and empty containers. Each game and exercise is designed to inspire positive interaction and communication, as well as sparking the imagination.

The structure of the workshop is as follows.

Stick Stick Shoe Floor
What is Rhythm?
The Rhythm Of Time
Role Play Rhythms 
Break - Drink & Biscuits 
Make Your Own Percussion
Call & Response
Drumming & Movement
Drumming Emotions
Drumming & Nature
Song - Human Drum Kit




This particular workshop requires eight children between the ages of 4 and 7. Parents please contact me (details below) if you have a child or children who want to join in, that way i can formally add you to the list. Entry will be on a first come first serve basis but don't worry if you miss this one because i will be holding many more over the coming months! Additionally if you have a child who is interested in one to one creative music sessions then please get in touch. My email is dfaband@live.co.uk or you can phone me on 07920407490. 

I look forward to hearing from you!

Matthew Richards


 
 

Percussion Workshop No 1 - Rhythm and Movement

Saturday the 1st of March marked the very first creative music workshop facilitated by myself, with additional and quite frankly invaluable support from Sally Edwards. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the children for coming and getting so involved, and the parents/guardians who brought them!



For me, the workshop was as much about discovering what would work and what wouldn't as it was about encouraging positive interaction between the children. I have many things to improve and fine tune ahead of the next workshop. It is clear that percussion is a fantastic way of bringing children together and the act of drumming summons an unbelievable amount of self-expression.

I will be posting another blog in regards to the next workshop shortly. I can tell you at this point that I will be looking for a smaller group of eight children aged between four and seven. 

Yours Rhythmically,

Matthew Richards

Percussion Workshop - Rhythm & Movement

Facilitated by Matthew Richards

Saturday 1st March 1 pm - 2.15 pm at the Unitarian Chapel, Brunswick Square, Bristol, BS2 8PE.

Price - FREE!

Hello! My name's Matthew Richards. I'm a 28 year old musician and teacher from Bristol. I have always been interested in how music can be used as a tool to foster communication and interaction between children. Music can transcend the barriers that divide us socially and culturally. Music is a language spoken by all, making it an inclusive and unifying experience. It binds us together and can bring forth attributes in a person that were previously latent.

I am devising a series of workshops that are designed for children between the ages of four and ten. (Some of the workshops will be designed specifically for children on the autistic spectrum or with learning difficulties; more information on those coming soon.) The primary focus is using the fundamental principals of music - i.e melody, harmony and rhythm - to encourage children to become more aware of themselves and how they relate to others.

My first workshop, 'Rhythm and Movement' is percussion based. The aim is to engage children in acting out internal rhythms (heartbeat, breathing) and external rhythms (in music) using percussion, movement, self-expression and teamwork. The workshop will contain several games, exercises and the making of percussion instruments using pasta, lentils and empty containers. Each game and exercise is designed to inspire positive interaction and communication, as well as sparking the imagination.

The structure of the workshop is as follows:

- Warm up and Introductions
- What is Rhythm?
- Pendulums & Clocks (The Rhythm Of Time)
- Pass The Ball To The Beat (Two Variations)
- Call & Response 
- Role Play Rhythms - Runners, Walkers & Crawlers (Two Variations) 
  (Break - Drink & Biscuits)
- Making Your Own Percussion
- Keep The Beat!
- Call & Response With PIano 
- Human Drum Kit 
- Breathing With The Gong

This workshop requires 15 children. Parents please contact me (details below) if you have a child or children who want to join in, that way i can formally add you to the list. Entry will be on a first come first serve basis but don't worry if you miss this one because i will be holding many more over the coming months! Additionally if you have a child who is interested in one to one creative music sessions then please get in touch. My email is dfaband@live.co.uk or you can phone me on 07920407490. 

I look forward to hearing from you!

Matthew Richards