X8 Drums Blog

Kenneth Schweitzer has written his first book, The Artistry of Afro-Cuban Batá Drumming: Aesthetics, Transmission, Bonding, and Creativity. The music professor and ethnomusicologist has researched percussion in the Cuban Lucumí / Santerían religion for over fifteen years and his book is a “seminal contribution” according to Michael Spiro, a Latin music expert. In 2004, Kenneth was initiated into the fraternity of Santería ritual drummers and, according to Washington College’s online news portal …

X8 DRUMS, SWAN PERCUSSION and VORTEX Repertory Company invite you to the "Austin Community Drum Circle."X8 Drums, VORTEX Repertory Company and Swan Percussion invite you to drum in the first day of Spring at the Austin Community Drum Circle on Wednesday, April 17th. In addition to the music, we'll be raffling off musical prizes to those in attendance.Spend some time feeling the rhythm and invest yourself in the interactive experience of an evening drum circle around a bonfire right in East Austi …

When Allison Miller wrote a Huffington Post piece about her experiences as a jazz musician, she received more attention than she thought she would. The jazz drummer shared her feelings about being lesbian amongst musicians who aren’t always accepting of it, although gay people have a long history in the world of jazz. Mercury News reported that Allison has been surprised by the outpouring. She says many females in the business have contacted her since the piece was published. Allison is part of …

A sea lion named Ronan is the first non-human mammal to convince scientists that it can keep a beat. Cosmic Log reported that scientists have been teaching the sea lion to bob her head in time with various tunes. Until Ronan, only birds had been able to demonstrate this ability to the satisfaction of scientists. Also, scientists had always equated time-keeping ability with vocal learning and vocal mimicry. Now, Ronan presents evidence for the possibility that keeping rhythm is not related to tho …

A six year old drummer named Avery Molek is working his second tour. He began drumming at age two, adding one thirty-minute lesson per week at age four. His parents keep his drum kit in the basement and, outside of his weekly lesson, only allow him to practice for fifteen minutes three times per week. ABC News interviewed the parents, who said that Avery would likely drum for an hour or two every day if they let him. His first “Out of the Basement Tour” was so successful, that he’s now on “Out o …

While the cause of autism is unknown, the symptoms and various ways to handle them have been mapped out. Increasingly, we are seeing drumming used as a way to help people with autism because drumming has been shown to improve communication, lessen anxiety, and balance the brain. People who have autism benefit tremendously from the physical and musical aspects of beating drums, which can provide a way of communication for even the most incommunicative people on the autism spectrum.Most experts ag …

The Venice Beach Drum Circle has decided to release the old world flavor and embrace more technologically advanced options. According to LA Weekly, the group still meets for three hours every Sunday, but now plays smartphone apps and drums from Rock Band. A group spokesman assured readers that the group is staying true to the 1960s vibe, even though they’ve moved into the 2000s in regard to gear. Not all the group’s members were happy about the change, but the group marches on. They now have a T …

Drums, like all musical instruments, are communication tools. Throughout history, drums have been used to “talk” to others, sometimes covering vast distances. Call and response is one of the most natural ways to use djembes, for example. Even in our modern times, this method has become one of the most helpful tools in drum facilitation. Whether used in drum circles or more structured therapeutic sessions, call and response methods enable drummers to practice two of the most important aspects of …

Las Vegas has a new different of health club. The Las Vegas Informer recently reported on Music4Life, a health club and training center built around music. Judith Pinkerton, a classically trained violinist and much celebrated musician, began the Center for Therapeutic Arts in 1990 when she began publishing music medicine programs. Her work as a music therapist has touched many lives in Nevada and the Music4Life health club will charge a nominal monthly fee for similar benefits to members. The he …

The Austin Earth Day Festival is right around the corner! This year's “Earth Consciousness Rising” festival is just weeks away and X8 Interactive Drumming plans to uplift with several community jams throughout the day.The Festival takes place Saturday, April 20, 2013, from noon to 7pm at the Historic Browning Hangar at Mueller. This year, X8 Interactive Drumming will be facilitating drum jams at noon, 1:30pm, and will be part of the 5pm final rally.The jam sessions are likely to find over 100 pe …