Wednesday, November 3, 2010

RIPPLE RHYTHM EVENTS




WD4D: WILL DRUM FOR DANCERS
LIVE DRUM FUNK DANCE PARTY
DEBUT: Wednesday February 7th, 8:30-10:30 pm
DROM TABERNA, 548 Queen St. West Toronto.


$20 door or Eventbrite
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/wd4d-at-drom-taberna-tickets-807677815087?
WD4D Info: https://bit.ly/WillDrumForDancers
FB event: https://fb.me/e/1TnaahPMs

Dream Come True Time.... I created a collective of best freestyle hand drummers in the city and added Toronto funk legends Brainfudge - Chris Bottomley (bass), Rich Underhill (sax), Donne Roberts (guitar) and Great Bob Scott (kit), and Tim Gentle (Ripple Rhythm) rocking the mic, at Drom Taberna, the best live music venue in the city. Structured improv, with one mission: To remind hard core dancers what they forgot they’ve been missing - drums on the dancefloor. Tell your dancing friends. Block party vibe. Wear something fun. It’s gonna be bonkers.

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WEEKLY DRUM, PHOTO & MEDITATION PLAYSHOPS

http://bit.ly/Weeky-Playshop-Info

Don’t let winter beat you. Beat back! Join the new, weekly Abstract Photography, Mindfulness Meditation & Freestyle Hand Drum Playshop communities growing at Spun Studio - 957 Bloor St. W., Toronto. No experience required. Fun, supportive environment. Come Play!

Sunday: Abstract Photography Playshop
with Tim Gentle @atimosabeart IG
Spun Studio, 957 Bloor St. West, Toronto

2-4pm - Starts January 28th
$20, or any combo of 6 Playshops for $100
FB Event Page (https://fb.me/e/4Vp39jXkm)


Your boring, everyday urban world is teeming with fascinating fine art, hiding in plain sight. Learn how to see it, and document it with photographic artistry. Explore the world abstract photography (with a focus on "found" or "accidental" abstract photography) in a fun, supportive environment. Learn basic cell phone and camera techniques and develop your own style through fun in-class challenges and weekly assignments.

Tim (@atimosabeart https://www.instagram.com/atimosabeart/ on Instagram) has been making, showing and selling photographic art from pictures of torn posters, rusted dumpsters, peeling paint, alley grunge and decorative bird poop since 2018. He hosts a regular online forum with Abstract Photographers International, a community of talented photographers and artists from around the world, who share their insights and experience. Tim ardently believes that developing our eyes as photographers empowers us to change how (and how much) we perceive beauty.


Monday: Mindfulness Meditation for Beginners
with Tim Gentle (@Minus1Equals on IG)

Spun Studio, 957 Bloor St. West, Toronto
6:30-8:00 pm
Pay-What-You-Can
Chairs, cushions available
FB Event Page (https://fb.me/e/4Z8ySubag)


Renegotiating your relationship with your mind and emotions can be a total game changer. You don't need to be a monk. All it takes is practice. Learn, discuss and practice simple, powerful and proven techniques for relaxation, concentration, mindfulness and finding equanimity in everyday life.

Tim has been practicing and studying meditation since 2012, sitting and serving at several Vipassana retreats (Goenka). In 2019 and throughout the pandemic, Tim discovered, and still practices daily with the Waking Up app* and its seemingly endless wealth of resources. He’s been offering meditation instruction and guided meditations since 2021, and offers a fresh, relatable perspective on an ancient practice.

*No affiliation. Waking Up Free 30 day trial: https://dynamic.wakingup.com/shareOpenAccess/SC3235633


Wednesday: Freestyle Hand Drumming Playshop + JAM
with Tim Gentle (Ripple Rhythm.com)

Spun Studio, 957 Bloor St. West, Toronto
7-8:30pm - **NO CLASS WED. FEB 7th - Go dance at WD4D!***
$20 or any combo of 6 Playshops for $100
FB Event Page (https://fb.me/e/1gyBfoPgq)
FB Group (stay connected for upcoming drum playshops at Spun)


Regardless of your skill level, hand drumming relieves stress, boosts your mood, confidence, concentration, creativity and even strengthens your immune system! Learn hand drum technique (including drum meditation), play games, learn and create your own rhythms all in a fun, engaging and supportive environment… and then apply everything you've learned in our end of class drum circle. Come Play!

Ripple Rhythm www.ripplerhythm.com (Tim Gentle) has been one of the top freestyle hand drum teachers and event facilitators in the GTA since 2008, introducing tens of thousands of people of all different ages, abilities and cultures to the many mental and physical benefits of freestyle hand drumming. He is very passionate about giving people an opportunity to surprise themselves with just how good drumming feels.
For Questions, Registration & Reservations: Please e-mail Tim at RippleRhythm@gmail.com, or visit Spun Studio in person, they're good people!

Please do pass this information on to anyone you feel might benefit from it. Come Play!

Warmly,
Tim


Thursday, January 28, 2010

Will Drum For Dancers Collective
(WD4D Collective)

If you've found this page, congratulations you are considered to be an exceptional drum circle drummer!

This is a project that many of us have been talking about for a while, and it’s finally to move from the theoretical into the practical.

As experienced drum circle drummers we have a very unique and valuable talent that often goes misunderstood or underappreciated by mainstream music fans. Drum circle music is commonly dismissed as chaotic, indistinguishable or "hippy" music, but we know, and dancers know, that great live drumming can transport a dance party to places that mainstream music can only dream of.

This collective is about celebrating the art of group freestyle percussion. 

The idea is to assemble a collective of experienced, like-minded percussionists to work in crews of 4-6 to compose, rehearse and perform semi-structured sets - showcasing cooperation, creativity and improvisation with dynamic variations in tempo, volume, rhythm and timbre - all with the prime objective of making dancers lose their minds on the dance floor.

If you’re serious about doing this, please fill out this survey so that we can gauge peoples’ interest level, our skills, availability, resources and preferences, and help match people for crews if they need help.

I’m suggesting that for our first round of crews (which can and should change from project to project) that we put together 3 minute, one-take YouTube videos of each crew playing a dynamic set. I am in favour of projects being as immediate as possible, with groups meeting only once or twice in the span of a week to discuss, rehearse, film and post their video.

Over the next couple months, we post as many fresh short sets as possible, like DJs would post tracks from a longer set. And just like DJ's we'd start promoting the WD4D Collective as a live alternative or compliment to DJs.

What would one of these 3 minute videos look like? Here’s a demo video 4 of us put together over the course of two meetings in on week. It was for a Jameson Whiskey gig at the Drake that ended up paying us several hundreds of dollars each.

The main features of this collective are that you can commit to these projects whenever you have the time and inclination, that you can choose who you want work with, and that you'll be playing and collaborating with other high level freestyle drummers.

Here are 19 drummers I've either spoke with already or will be approaching.  Dev Britto, Billy Sonier, Ordo, Dave Reid, Jean-Marc, Tomasz Ciesla, Steve, Yehuda, Rob Kittredge, Bohdan Turok, Pato Martinez, Andres Adsme, Igal, Rahul Bader, Rufus Glassco, Cavan Young, Kevin Howe, Andy Espresso and Tim Gentle.

This list will surely change. If there is anyone you think should be involved please email me your suggestions, along with their contact info. I don't want this collective too snobby, but to start off, I think it's fair to say we want the highest quality drummers who are dedicated to showing Toronto the very best of what drum circle drummers are capable of.

If you have any questions or comments please email me.

All the beats,

Tim
RippleRhythm@gmail.com
647 709 7437