testimonials

"Graham's master class at the Drummers Collective was a special event that enriched the Afro-Pop drumming classes at our school. Adding to various West-African rhythms presently taught at the school, his master class concentrated mainly on Senegalese mbalax music. Using two African Sabar hand-drummers, Graham showed his appreciation of the tradition while presenting his own way of applying the rhythms to the drumset. Not leaving the technology behind, Graham used his laptop to play various examples of the music. We had a chance to see Graham's mixture of influences and favorite styles all within the instrumentation he assembled for the class; It was a pleasure to notice that Graham's educational talents match his reputation as one of the top drummers on the New York City scene. This was one of the best presentations at the Drummers Collective."

Maciek Schejbal, instructor of African Rhythm and Drumming, Drummer’s Collective, New York

 

"Graham's master class provided our students with a well-structured and articulate mixture of thoughts on groove, recording, tuning and creativity. His playing was superb and never gratuitous, focusing instead on the importance of feel while demonstrating a broad range of jazz, funk, rock and ethnic drumming.  It was extremely informative and left everyone wanting more."

Mike Sturgis, instructor, The Academy of Contemporary Music, Guildford England

 

"His clinic was awesome! it really opened my eyes about lots of musical and drumming things"

Colin Smick, student, The Academy of Contemporary Music, Guildford England

 

"The African Drumming Master class was amazing. It gave me a firm basis in the style in a short time. The transcriptions and recordings are really well done and helpful."

Rafael Concepcion, 4th year student, Drummers Collective, NYC

© Graham Hawthorne 2012