Meet the team
Graeme Hare is the director and lead facilitator of Drumming Workshops. He founded the company in 2007 and has been gradually building his team of specialist drummers. He is proud to say that his team are some of the most experienced, professional workshop facilitators in the country, and they are ready to bring their experience and positivity to your event.
Justine Hart
London Facilitator
Justine Hart runs African drumming workshops, classes and also leads performance ensembles. Her specialism is West African drumming playing traditional rhythms for the djembe (a goblet shaped hand drum) and dunduns (bass drums played with a stick).
Justine began by attending a course in Senegal in 1998 and it would not be an understatement to say that this was a life changing experience – it started her passion for this art form, the desire to share it and enable others to enjoy it.
Since that first trip she has regularly studied in West Africa and in the UK with many West African djembefolas including Mamady Keita, Iya Sako, Seckou Keita, Vieux Bakayoko, Nansady Keita and Malo Sonko. Justine also organises events and camps specialising in drumming, dancing, singing and other traditional instruments. By running these events she promotes and employs West African artists whilst giving students and professionals opportunity to learn and experience the art forms, as they would do if studying in West Africa.
Justine is recognised as one of Britain’s leading female djembe players as well as a highly respected workshop leader. She has over 13 years of experience and skill in not just teaching the music and culture but also in using rhythmic drumming in groups as a tool for activities such as team building. Justine can also include African dance and songs in her workshops – which is particularly popular with children. Before becoming a drummer Justine was a singer, accompanying herself on guitar and she integrates this in her band, Africa Junction.
Justine is the Drumming Workshops main London based facilitator, covering The Home Counties and London, including Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, Essex and Wiltshire.
Steve Rivers
Midlands Facilitator
Steve Rivers is likely to be one of the most vibrant, flamboyant, dynamic and inspirational people you will ever meet and never forget!
From beginnings in classical percussion, Steve turned to African drumming in 1995. He has visited West African countries Gambia and Senegal to research drumming history, culture and learn new rhythms, beats and dances that he brings to bear in his workshops.
Everywhere he goes he gets rave reviews about how he unlocks the creative drive in people. He brings to the fore how groups interact with each other and how they, if they are willing, can go much further that they allow themselves to do.
One of Steve Rivers career highlights was when he was one of the speakers at the 2006 Successful Selling Conference at the Birmingham ICC. The post-dinner energiser event involved all 1200 delegates taking part in a giant ‘Boomwacker’™ percussion session! In the space of 10 minutes all delegates were playing a co-ordinated rhythm together. The entire auditorium was buzzing with people’s enthusiasm, energy and creative inspiration.
More recently his corporate clients have included Google, Moneysupermarket, HSBC, Aurum Holdings, Allianz Commercial, Astra Zenica and Mid-Counties Cooperative. He also has over 15 years of experience of delivering hundreds of inspirational drumming workshops to thousands of people in schools and communities throughout the UK.
Steve is Drumming Workshops Midlands facilitator, covering the East and West Midlands, South Yorkshire and Lancashire.
Mohinder singh sahib
Indian drumming/dance sessions
Mohinder singh sahib is one of the most prominent multi instrumentalists of Punjabi music in the U.K. playing the Dhol, Dholak, Algozey, Harmonium, Dhad and Tabla.
His passion for live music and learning from a young age has helped him develop the skill he holds today. He has earned his credentials by playing with some of the best Punjabi Bhangra artists today. His impressive C.V. includes a string of tours across USA, North America and Europe.
Mohinder has surrounded himself with a team of specialist instrumentalists that can not only facilitate workshops in schools and colleges, but can provide our clients with a diverse package of entertainment ranging from Professional Drummers (Dholis), a 5piece Bollywood/Bhangra Brass Band, Traditional Algozey (Indian Double Flutes) / Tumbi (One String Banjo/Ek Tara) /Sarangi /Shenai accompanying drummers (Dholis) and Bhangra Dancers.
Mohinder is based in the Midlands and will be organising all of our Indian drumming/dance sessions across the U.K.
Jude Winwood
Lead Facilitator in African & Samba
Jude Winwood (BSc, PGCE, MMus) is a lead facilitator specialising in
African drumming and Samba drumming workshops. She first discovered the
djembe in 2003 and has studied with many great teachers all over the world.
With a Masters in Music and Performance from the world-renowned School of Oriental & African Studies in London, she has been sought after to provide drumming for Kate Middleton and The British Monarchy.
Jude is also an accomplished player of the Kora, a West African bridge harp, and regularly performs as a solo artist and part of groups around the UK.
Having lived and worked in countries and regions with rich musical cultures, such as West Africa, The Caribbean and the Indian Ocean, Jude brings these musical flavours into all of her workshops.
Ollie Tunmer
Home Counties Facilitator
Ollie is a former cast member of the international hit show STOMP. He has performed in the Rio de Janeiro carnival and at festivals and clubs throughout the UK with samba / drum’n’bass outfit Carnival Collective
He is a trained music teacher, and has been delivering STOMP-style Body Percussion and Samba Percussion workshops since 2001. He delivered a Body Percussion warm up session at the 2014 Music Education Expo, held at London’s Barbican Centre – Ollie’s was the best attended session of the Expo.
Ollie is the Drumming Workshops London based Samba and Body Percussion facilitator, covering The Home Counties and London, including Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Bedfordshire, Hampshire, Essex and Wiltshire.
Steve Moore
North of England Facilitator
Drumming workshops would like to introduce our newest north east facilitator, Steve Moore… aka ‘Samba Steve’.
Steve has been playing and studying drums since he was a teenager and is a specialist in South American/Caribbean music. Steve will be hosting workshops in Samba, Afro-Caribbean and Cuban music and will cover the North of England including Newcastle, Sunderland, Durham, Yorkshire and the Midlands.