Norwich, Vermont
“I use Djembe, Tambourines Cuban Congos and the African Xylophone (Balafon).I engage children in exercises involving rythum, percussion, singing and movement. Here they are able to discover the beauty of music, becouse we all have rythum in our hearts!, becouse rythum is universal,and fundamental, and entertaining”. Says Steve Ferraris founder of the project Druming Programs for At-Rist Children.
Who is Steve Ferraris?
An American percussionist from Vermont that since1985 has charmed the public of all ages, cultures, religions and above all children with his music, placing his enormous experience at the disposition of others. Infact over the years he has developed a percussion program for at -risk children. “I was teaching a group of children between the ages of 12 and 16 years of age” describes Steve, “and after I let them try the various tambourines and instruments of percussion one of them said to me: ‘I have an idea’ and he started to play a rythum all his own, completly origional. I encauraged him to continue and we joined in creating an improvised jam session. In that moment I understood that for him the experience was not only a positive one but an inspiring one. So I thought why not make this a project for life and extend it to kids all over the world”.
Learnig to play
Druming progams for at-risk children utilizes music and dance, two forms of art that are good for the physical, emotional and psycological needs of children, it helps us stay together, to know each other, to aid us in concentrating and to stimulate our creative thinking. Here kids are guided by the sounds of the instuments individually or in groups:everyone trys all the instuments and in the end they choose the one they like and that best suits their needs.
How?
T children meet and form their own groups for ‘work’: they start with listening to the various percussions and following the rythum of te dance. The second day they begin with their new courses. Playing the tambourine, exercises in stretching and the movement of dance, all organized and choreagraphed to arrive at the conclusion of being able to perform live.
Steve Ferraris
Rootsystem Percussion Riosrse
1011 Route 5 Nord
Norwich, Vermont