Saturday was a very special day for Jerry ‘Drumspeaker’ Chapman’s CD release party. People travelled as far as 8 hours away to be here in WA to celebrate. An afternoon feasting together and sharing the songs and stories from the recording. It was a memorable way for people to experience this new music and I was so encouraged by the response. Some great chats afterwards as musicians wanted to discuss with me how I had captured different sounds on the project.
My Stories
We are excited to announce the release of ‘Wake Up Sleeping Giant‘. We met Jerry in a unique way whilst playing in Canada. I asked one of the organisers as I was setting up equipment if anyone had First Nation drums – he said no, but a voice from the auditorium shouted back, “I have a van full, do you want to borrow some?”. Since then we have spent time with Jerry and his wife Leslie, playing together at various events, learning from each other drum building techniques and dreaming about recording some of his songs. The results can be heard on this new recording released ion January 6th 2024. Jerry is from the Stó:Lō nation and is a drummer, First Nations drum maker and designer, singer and songwriter.
A wonderful few days as nations gathered to share their stories and songs on the Torres Martinez reservation, hosted by the Desert Cahuilla. The Cahuilla people have lived in southern California since the early 1800’s. We were welcomed with the singing of “bird songs” – songs that speak of their stories, journey’s and creation. It was a day where every nation got to share their songs and stories, eat together and build new relationships. Very thankful and honoured to be invited onto their land for the first time.
New track from our good friend Mark Riley. He writes, “Sometimes things in life leave you without words. I wrote this song after my daughter was diagnosed with cancer. Through this I realized that many people are faced with similar situations, and just need to know that God still loves them and so do the people around them. No matter what the circumstances look like. Sometimes those are the only words we have… ‘God makes a way, so be thankful and pray…’
Whilst walking near a friend Kent’s home in Sweden I was inspired by the natural sounds that surrounded me. It was a beautiful early morning, and the air was very still, except for the tops of one silver birch tree where the leaves were shimmering, dancing, singing in the wind. It was a very light, high-pitched sound – delicate yet very noticeable. It reminded me of a line I had read – and the trees clapped their hands.
One of my favourite songs from the album of the same name written by Mark Riley. When we recorded it almost 20 years ago I was never pleased with the mix due to all sorts of reasons and I dreamed that one day we would revisit it. A few years ago after the very sad death of Marks amazing son, Lucas, we decided to to do just that – dedicating it to his son. Our great friend Kevin Penner remixed the CD and we also re-mastered the whole project. 2 years later, we were amazed when it was nominated for a Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award in Hawai’i by the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts.
A huge THANK YOU to all our friends out there in cyber world
Veselé Vánoce – ᖁᕕᐊᓱᕕᒻᒥ ᖁᕕᐊᓱᒋᑦᓯ – Feliz Navidad – Mele Kalikimaka – Merry Christmas – God Jul – Joyeux Noël – Feliz Navidad – Fröhliche Weihnachten – Heri ya Krismasi – Prettige Kerstdagen –
Thanks for all your encouragements, posts and support.
Drums-a-gogo!!! Mobile recording @ Jerry Chapman’s wonderful barn. As well as being a singer/songwriter, percussionist he is an incredible drum craftsman, pioneering new techniques and ideas based on his Stó:Lō heritage. I am working on a new recording with Jerry and the last few days have been spent getting samples and recordings of all his drums, shakers and clapper sticks.
What a fun time i had bringing some sounds from the commonwealth to this track in honour of the Queen’s Jubilee. Thankful for my huge collection of percussive instruments from around the world. There are 56 independent countries that make up the commonwealth, from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe. I decided I would try and use percussive instruments and sounds from every continent. So here’s a list – Yidaki (didgeridoo) Australia, Tuelle (log drums) Pacific islands of Fiji and Samoa, various African drums and shakers from Tanzania, Rwanda and Nigeria, Ankglung (Malaysia), First Nations drum (Canada), shakers (Europe) and Clap sticks (Guyana).
Honoured to be part of Canadian singer Buffy MacNeil’s recording project – Voices of the Silenced of Residential Schools. This video “Somebody Pray” is part of the project that began to unfold in January 2021 when Buffy MacNeil envisioned the ways she could support the health and well-being of Indigenous youth. She hopes to release an album which will support the creation of a youth care and advocacy centre in the community of the Paq’tnkek Mi’kmaw Nation.
It’s about time I hear you say! Well here it is my first solo percussion piece – Enjoy!
Umoja is a Swahili word that means unity, togetherness, union, oneness and harmony.
I was originally asked to put a rhythm track together for an event called ‘Percussion for Peace’, an online gathering of percussionist’s from around the world. After the event I continued to explore this idea realising that peace often comes about through a journey into unity. I wanted to somehow tell a story through rhythm of what ‘Umoja’ might look like. The initial track had been recorded so quickly, I decided to add more sounds and continue delving into this theme of ‘Umoja’. I wanted to explore the potential of each nation’s sound working together, creating beauty and strength.
The musical themes I have created start with a bell – symbolising a call to gather – for those of faith, a call to worship. It is rung 8 times, the number for new beginnings. I have used percussive sounds that imitate our natural surroundings, the wind, rain, birds and animals (the art of percussion may have started through people copying the world around us) – a hint that everything has a part to play in this hope of oneness. At first the rhythms are abstract and seemingly random but soon they start finding their place and they create a new diverse expression based on the rhythm of Seven, the number of continents and for some, a perfect number. As each new sound joins the rhythm, the song builds in strength, suggesting that there is power in togetherness and it finishes with all sounds finding a single rhythmic pattern, a sense of powerful agreement to walk in unity into the unknown.
Just finished recording and video editing for the Northumbria Community. 80 people from around the world contributed voices, photographs, prayers, translations, art, film clips, & dance – managed 7 different languages on this one. Read More
Great story of an artist who is drawing every single item in his grandfather’s shed to honour his memory.
Great to catch up with Paul and Cathy Ornelia. Cathy is from the Akimel O’odham (Pima Nation) and a member of the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona. She is an amazing artist who amongst other mediums uses gourds to convey stories and her creativity. Read More