Rikki LaCoste (a piano player, singer, and song writer) fell in love with hand drumming over 25 years ago and has been playing, learning, and teaching drums ever since.

During his adventures exploring music, rhythm, psychology, philosophy, and spirituality, one thing became inarguably clear: Rhythm is primal in the human experience, if not in all of life on this earth.  Does the snake charmer not beat their foot in order to mesmerize the cobra?  Doesn't the dog wag the rhythm of their tail faster when their beloved comes home from work?  Don't vast species of birds and frogs have rhythmic love songs and dances to entice their future mates to them?

The very first budding of senses that creatures experience in the quickening of our consciousness – is the sound and feel of the rhythm of our mother's heartbeat.  All of the rest of our senses blossom from that sensory nucleus. 

This is why rhythm affects us all in a very similar way, no matter what genre of music one is into – from classical to jazz to rock to country to hip-hop ...  The rhythm unites us and draws us, and fills us with the desire to participate in it, and move to it, as if Life itself is compelling you.

ONENESS DRUMMING WORKSHOP

Rikki's hand drum workshop, Oneness Drumming, is a little different than other drumming workshops.  It is more oriented to tap into that very primal aspect of our collective experience.  The expression of rhythm is a language, and we all know this language, and although some of us feel like we don't know how to express it – we all still hear it, feel it, and deeply desire to participate in it.

Drumming is similar to learning a language and all drummers have different dialects of the same language.  We all have something to say; We all want to express ourselves.

So, let's all have a conversation, with our common language of rhythm.

Rikki will certainly teach you new rhythms, you will learn about drum anatomy, certain drum history, drum circle etiquette, drum maintenance, etc.  But the focus of this workshop is THE CONVERSATION and UNITY within a circle of drummers.

You're a virtuoso and need to express yourself?  Do it ... but in a polite conversation, you need to back off and allow others to express themselves.  You don't believe that you have rhythm?  Well, can you keep a down-beat? (Just a straight boom-boom-boom-boom)  That's one of the most important parts of a conversation.  You keep everyone together, and everyone follows you. You want to explore what you can do?  Yes please.  Be subtle when you're unsure, and then come in full when you find your groove.

The most important thing about a conversation is listening to each other, and allowing everyone to express themselves when they have something so say.

Through Rhythm.