Kim Atkinson
Kim Atkinson, percussionist, rhythm educator and evangelist, is the driving force behind PulseWave Percussion. Studying rhythm and the cultures that give it prominence has been one of the most significant currents in his life. Kim discovered African drumming while a psychology/natural science student at college. His encounter with Yoruba, led him to study linguistics, ethnology, mythology, history, and perception along with music. Drumming and drum culture has invigorated Kim’s life and given him a clear direction and sense of fulfilling service. His educational releases include Mozambique, Clave Consciousness and Speaking of Rhythm.
Workshop: Embody Rhythm: Space, Time, Sound and Form
Saturday, November 15
room 10:45 am to 12:00 pm
You will use voice, movement, clapping and percussion instruments to learn eight basic combinations of triplet rhythm and how they expand into the 64 basic patterns that form the basis of good musicianship. You’ll be shown a simple matrix and we will spend most of the time in class playing, combining and deeply feeling the patterns. You will use body rhythm (sounds of feet, knees, chest, clap and snap) as your beginning sound palette and then move to other instruments as available. We will alternate between sitting and standing, foot taps and full body movement. These combinations are the same as the 64 combinations of the Chinese oracle "I Ching." This program will be 30 percent lecture and 70 per cent experiential.
Mental Heath Professionals: Drumming and rhythm-based therapy continues to receive more attention and use in the mental health field. My class is a user -friendly way to expand knowledge of rhythm, its processes and effects, as well as how to facilitate its use in various populations.
Goal: To help participants free the bodymind and expand the possibilities of improvisation and to realize and apply the information to individual musical situations.
Learning Objectives:
- To develop deeper understanding and feeling of rhythmic effects and patterns,
- To expand knowledge of how and when to apply various patterns based on their effect on the body/mind, and
- To improve musicianship by expanding the vocabulary of rhythmic patterns and learning about rhythms from other parts of the world and how they are used.
