PENINSULA AND
SOUTH BAY
DRUMMING
OPPORTUNITIES
From Meetup.com
Monthly Community Drum Circle
Repeats on every fourth Saturday of the month, 7:00 PM.
Before COVID, met at SJ Center for Creative Living, 1460 Koll Circle, Suite C, San Jose. Does not meet on Zoom, but does occasionally meet in a parking lot or local park, with mandatory social-distancing practices. Check local Meetup listings for specific information.
Organizer: Heather Holland.
This circle is well-attended, and beginners are extremely welcome. Heather is a registered nurse and professional music therapist who has completed the Certificate in Sound Healing at CIIS, so incorporates many interesting group activities, games, and soundscape constructions into the circle. Many drums, percussion instruments, and boomwhackers are available to use. Highly recommended for shy beginners.
East West Bookstore, 324 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA
This circle used to meet quarterly. It is more sporadic now, but does still meet.
Contact: David DiLullo
Full Moon Circles happen often in the late spring, summer, and fall on the evening of each full moon (or the evening before or after; see Meet-up page for details).
Palo Alto Baylands Park, 2299 Embarcadero Rd, Palo Alto, CA
Other Meet-ups are scheduled regularly, and are listed on the Meet-up page. The full-moon circles are well-attended, laid back, and quietly friendly. The other meet-ups, held in public parks or at people's homes are quite varied, but beginners are always welcome, and learning opportunities at all levels are provided. Some drums are provided. Light facilitation may be provided, but the participants tend to be supportive, cooperative, and attentive to others.
DRUM CLASSES
SAN MATEO
Fern Filner offers private lessons at her home and group classes on Tuesday evenings. Techniques are applicable to several different types of drums, and are culturally universal. Drums are provided--djembes, doumbeks, and frame drums are featured. Price for a 2-hour class is $25; classes are ongoing. Phone Fern at 650-344-5143 for more information. Her other circles are promoted on <meetup.com/RhythmShakerz>.
NB: I do not know whether or not the following classes still exist, but they did at one time or another.
CUPERTINO
Here is a notice received via the SFBayDrumPulse Yahoo! group:
Alice MacAllister is continuing to teach beginning/intermediate west African drumming, with the view to learning and practicing the foundations of the music--technique, 4/4, 6/8, and how they all relate. Cost is only $15/class. Contributions go to support a traditional artist and his extended family in Katako, a small village in northwest Guinea. Classes are Tuesday evenings, 7:15 to 8:30 PM.
Alice's contact information:
Alice MacAllister
7863 Lily Court, Cupertino, CA 95014
Phone: 408-252-7806 (land); 408-390-4164
SAN JOSE
Here is a notice of another drum class, this one in San Jose, from the Bay Area Drum Circle MeetUp:
There is a beginners Djembe class every Thursday in San Jose--Alma Community Center 136 W. Alma Ave, San Jose 95110. Drum class 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM, and Afro-Brazilian Dance Class 7:30 to 8:30 PM with live drumming. The drum class students can either drum for the dance class or take the dance class. Cost is $5 for each class, $10 for both. For more info, contact jah2big@sbcglobal.net, or call 408.506.6988
From the Drum Circle Finder
Drumming for Rain, Walnut Creek CA
Every Wednesday, 5:30 to 6:30 PM
Call 925-932-2090 for exact location and to RSVP every week.
WednesdayCenter For Spiritual Living Drum Circle
Held quarterly at 1195 Clark St, San Jose CA 95125
408.294.1828 x115
Center for Creative Living Drumming (Music) Circle
Held 1st and 3rd Tuesday evenings of the month, 6:30-8:30 PM
Location: The Center for Creative Living, 1460 Koll Circle, Suite C, San Jose, CA 95112
<http://the-healing-house.com/FindUs.html>
<http://www.meetup.com/Divine-Events/>
For drum circles around the Bay area, visit the MeetUp group: Bay Area Drum Circle Meetup.
Drum Circles are held on various dates at various locations around San Jose, Milpitas,
Fremont, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, and Palo Alto.
All the information can be found at: meetup.com/BAdrumcircle.
