The teachers were so excited about it they booked to have a drumming session for all the school staff and governors too!

The school said,

“It was incredible to see how much the children could do after having only a very short session and fabulous to see the look of excitement and enthusiasm on the children’s faces.  Sarah had a lovely manner with the children and we have already booked her for next year.”

A whole school assembly was followed by workshop sessions for nursery to year 3. Sarah says, “The children were absolutely fabulous, and the staff joined in with gusto too!”

Here’s a taste of what the children felt about the day…

“It was fun learning the different African rhythms.”
“I enjoyed playing the instruments because I’d never played them before.”
“It was a fun experience because it was like a little part of Africa coming to visit us.”

A member of staff said it was, “The best external activity brought into school. A thoroughly enjoyable day.”

A big thank you to the school and we look forward to seeing you next year!

“Everyone had a great time and we have had some very positive feedback from our tutors involved about how well it fit into the day and what a great idea it is, so you delivered just what we were looking for. It was pitched exactly at the right level and was delivered with that element of fun getting everyone involved!

“Once again thank you for the wonderful experience and I would definitely recommend you to others. Please pass on our thanks to Lynette for the day, she was FAB!”

“The atmosphere created in just a few minutes was so exciting. Each delegate had a different type of African drum and Sarah showed them how to create a brilliant rhythmical sound that echoed down the corridors of The Hawthorns.

“If you had told me at the beginning of the hour that such unity and great playing could have come from a group of complete beginners I would not have believed it. You could tell that everyone was relishing it – the power of a team!”

Up to 60 parents and children were drumming at a time in the show, which also featured Tanzanian acrobatic group, the Black Eagles.

Drumvoice are now regulars at Cadbury’s, providing lots of family fun as well as teambuilding for Cadbury’s staff.

This is 20 years after Sarah used to do freelance artwork for the company – designing Easter Egg boxes!

Sarah will be teaching at the magnificent Rainbow Music camp again this summer. A great event for all kinds of practical music-making and merry-making, you can learn African drumming, samba drumming, didgeridoo, string instruments, African Kora (harp), singing, chanting, gong meditations – you name it! Lots of dance workshops too. Very family friendly and gloriously hippy!

Rainbow camper Alison Bowry, who works for High Peak Community Arts in Derbyshire, got in touch after last year to say, “I just wanted to say a big thank you for the djembe workshops and our fun performance at Music Camp last weekend. Your teaching is excellent – clear, and encouraging, and much fun.  My friend on the audience on Sat night also said how great all your energy and enthusiasm was, and how you knew just how to get everyone to join in.”

Looking forward to this year’s camp!

http://www.themusiccamp.co.uk/

Sarah met Annette Daley, Organisational Development Officer, on a business trip to London, and some months later Annette found the perfect opportunity to give drumming a go – her own team away day!

Annette said, “A big thank you for contributing to our Away Day on 29^th March. The drumming session was a big hit (excuse the pun!) with everyone – from the evaluation feedback we had from the group, all said the drumming was their favourite part of the day ─ it was so much fun and something very different!”

Speech & Language Consultant, Keynote speaker & Storyteller extraordinaire, Michael Jones, decided to make himself – and his services – first prize in a raffle at the Stafford Early Years conference recently.

And after taking part in Sarah’s ‘Ready Steady Drum!’ session at the conference, he decided a collaboration with Drumvoice would be even better!

Churchfield CE Junior School in Rugeley were delighted to win a day of specialist training from Michael and Drumvoice on exciting ways to stimulate language development in their children.

Michael will share his innovative ideas on making the most of storytelling, giving children lots of practical playtime around the themes of the African story before it even begins.

Meanwhile, Sarah will show staff rhythm & rhyme activities to reinforce the language and ideas in the story, using the famous ‘washing up bowl’ drums.

And the grand finale? An exciting African Drumming extravaganza for the staff of Churchfield and neighbouring schools! Sarah will demonstrate the power of drumming to draw people – big and little! – together and improve communication.

Visit Michael Jones at:

http://www.talkformeaning.co.uk/

The Hawthorns was resounding with the sound of 75 happy drummers in April at Homeserve’s team away day.

Drumvoice were joined by public speaking expert, Mike Venables, who had this to say:

“The atmosphere created in just a few minutes was so exciting. Each delegate had a different type of African drum and Sarah showed them how to create a brilliant rhythmical sound that echoed down the corridors of The Hawthorns.

“If you had told me at the beginning of the hour that such unity and great playing could have come from a group of complete beginners I would not have believed it. You could tell that everyone was relishing it – the power of a team!”