Living Rhythms Community Drumming School - About Us

Who We Are We are an organization committed to preserving the tradition of West African music as a tool for joy, health, and community.
This is Our Mission The Masters say the djembe is a drum that speaks a language. What the djembe is speaking is a message of love, togetherness and peace. This is our mission. The Masters say the djembe does not see color, race or gender. What the djembe sees is our hearts. This is our mission. The Masters say the djembe has no borders. If we all thought like the djembe, then we would not have so much trouble in the world. This is our mission. The Masters say the djembe is an instrument that teaches us. What the djembe teaches us is about ourselves. This is our mission. The Masters say the djembe is a traditional instrument invented by the Mandingue people of West Africa. It is the way of the djembe to give thanks to those who passed the spirit to us. It is our way of thanks to pass the spirit to those who will come next. To all those who came before us, and all those who will come after . . . And especially to Mamady Keita . . . Our mission is dedicated in gratitude to you.
Why drumming Actually, it's not about drumming. It's about using drumming as a vehicle to produce outcomes beyond the scope of drumming and music. Drumming is a vehicle for creating community, joy and celebration. Drumming is a way to preserve tradition and culture. Drumming is way to build bridges of human understanding and cultural harmony. Drumming naturally tends to move people in the direction of having a life that is healthy, fulfilling and fun. Drumming is a wholesome activity for bringing communities together. Drumming is for everyone - you don't have to be of any particular religion, subscribe to any philosophy, or be of any gender, age, race, or socio-economic background. Ultimately, it's not about the drum, it's about the experience of being alive!
Our approach to drumming To generalize, one could say that in our culture group drumming is approached in two ways. One approach emphasizes the use of the drum as an instrument, focusing on the art form of drumming as expressed through the study of traditional rhythms from various cultures. The other approach emphasizes the use of the drum as a tool for wellness, focusing not on creating musical outcomes but on creating health or behavioral outcomes. We suggest that the most effective results are created when the strongest elements of both approaches are combined. It is our goal to create a natural and accessible experience of drumming that engenders success within the traditional art form of the instrument, and fosters the growth of a long-term relationship with the drum as an everyday tool for joy, health, and community. It is the goal of Living Rhythms to create an experience of drumming that is powerful, musical, expressive, accessible, and joyful. To learn more about our approach to drumming, read the article "The Living Rhythms Paradigm: The Drum as Instrument and Tool" written by Bill Scheidt.
About Living Rhythms Founder, Bill Scheidt Bill Scheidt picked up an African drum for the first time almost 15 years ago, having studied a variety of Western instruments from age five. Since then he has traveled to Africa five times, spent more than a year and a half living in rural African villages, and studied percussion at Berklee College of Music. Today he is a professional musician and the Founding Director of the Living Rhythms Drumming School in Winston-Salem, NC. Bill is a close student of Mamady Keita, and a certified Professor in Mamady’s international school of the djembe, Tam Tam Mandingue (TTM). In earning the TTM Professor certification, Bill joins a small handful of drummers from around the world who have been commissioned by Mamady Keita to preserve and teach the music, culture, spirit and traditions of the Mandingue djembe. Bill has spent the last several years traveling throughout the U.S. and to Guinea studying traditional music with his teacher. Bill was among the first group of students to ever perform on stage with Mamady Keita in the U.S. As the Founding Director of Living Rhythms, Bill has hosted Mamady in Winston-Salem several times.
Other teachers Bill has learned from include Daouda Kourouma, Sékou Konaté, Mohammed DaCosta, Fode Camara, Bolokada Conde, Sori Diabaté, Kikala Olaré and Joe Galeota. Bill also studied Afro-Cuban percussion with Ricardo Mendoza and Egguie Castrillo, percussionist for Tito Puente. Bill regularly travels throughout the East coast leading workshops, clinics and performances. He has received multiple awards from state and local arts councils, and has been an instructor at institutions such as the North Carolina School of the Arts and Wake Forest University. Bill has recorded and performed with a number of groups playing everything from Latin jazz to traditional West African music to rock-and-roll. Bill also worked with doctors from the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to write grants investigating the health benefits of drumming. He has published percussion-related articles in several local publications, and has also completed the HealthRHYTHMS national facilitators training program. Under Bill’s directorship, Living Rhythms has grown to become a thriving drumming school with classes, performances and events offered almost seven days a week. Last year it is estimated that Living Rhythms served over 34,000 people with a variety of programs ranging from public school performances and evening classes for adults to corporate drumming programs and drumming instructor training programs. Through his work with the drum, it is Bill’s goal to create an experience of drumming that engenders success within the tradition of the instrument and fosters the use of the drum as an everyday tool for joy, health, and community.
About the Living Rhythms Instructor Training Program Living Rhythms offers an intensive two-year training program to train drumming instructors in the curriculum of the Living Rhythms School. The intention of the program is to leave trainees deeply and powerfully related to drumming in a way that they are easily and naturally able to share it with others. Our instructor trainees gain a high level of proficiency with a variety of skills and abilities, from teaching traditional rhythms to beginners to refining technique and sound with experienced players. Our current group of instructors and instructor trainees is a caring and dedicated group of people. For them, teaching is a natural way to share how much they've gotten out of their experience with drumming. You'll often see our team volunteering as assistants in classes and helping with various school functions. To contact any of our instructors or trainees, or for more information about the Living Rhythms Instructor Training Program, please call Living Rhythms at 336-774-3898 or send email:info@livingrhythms.com.
Friends of Living Rhythms Living Rhythms is fortunate in its friendship and association with many like-hearted organizations and individuals. We deeply thank all those who have been of support to our community. Please visit them at their websites.
Supported in part by the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, and the North Carolina Arts Council. The Living Rhythms logo is a trademark of Living Rhythms. All website material © 2003-2007 Living Rhythms.