Join Didge Project’s AJ Block and Jerry Walsh and the host of It’s All About Rhythm, Kevin Nathaniel, for an intensive journey into didgeridoo playing, rhythm, sound healing and music. The didgeridoo is a world music instrument that can be used in a number of contexts, including dance, meditation, sound healing, and more! In this training you will learn many ways to use the didgeridoo with a special focus on learning rhythms that can induce trance and can be played with other musicians.
Sample video from Didge Project’s AJ Block:
Sample video from It’s All About Rhythm with Kevin Nathaniel (try clapping along):
Participants will learn how to:
Use the didgeridoo in a sound healing context
Play rhythmically with other musicians
Apply rhythms from Africa, Latin America and the Middle-East to the didgeridoo and other instruments
Play in different meters (e.g., 3, 4 and 6 beat patterns).
Make the basic sounds on didgeridoo and combine them into different rhythm patterns
Circular breathe on didgeridoo in a rhythmic way
Utilize the drone as a musical element
Utilize the voice within the didgeridoo sound
Hold a steady beat that can bring listeners into states of trance or deep relaxation
Beatbox with the didgeridoo
Included (all events at Golden Drum):
Admission to the Didgeridoo-Infused Sound Bath on Friday, April 21
Admission to the full day of workshops with AJ Block (6 hours) and Kevin Nathaniel (2 hours) on Saturday, April 22
Video recordings of all workshops on Saturday, April 22
Lifetime access to the Didgeridoo Skills Course for Intermediate Level Players, a 9-hour video course published by Didge Project ($67 value)
Lifetime access to the It’s All About Rhythm video course with Kevin Nathaniel ($67 value)
For remote participants: livestream access to all workshops with AJ Block and Kevin Nathaniel on Saturday, April 22
This class is available in-person at Golden Drum in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, via live streaming video from anywhere around the world, and as a video course recording (excluding the Friday night sound bath) with indefinite replay.
Didgeridoos will be available for use and didgeridoos and other instruments will be available for sale.
Schedule:
Friday, April 21
7:30 to 9:30pm: Didgeridoo-Infused Sound Bath
Saturday, April 22
10am to 1pm: Didgeridoo Workshop with AJ Block and Jerry Walsh
Lunch break
2:30 to 4:30pm: Rhythm Workshop with Kevin Nathaniel
5pm to 8pm: Didgeridoo Workshop with AJ Block and Jerry Walsh
Suggested donation:
$250 in-person (no one turned away for lack of funds)
$180 online broadcast (does not include sound bath on Friday night)
*Note: The Didgeridoo-Infused Sound Bath and the Rhythm Workshop with Kevin Nathaniel are also open to participants who do not attend the full Didgeridoo Rhythm Training. See goldendrum.org/events for the individual event listings.
About AJ Block
AJ Block is the director of Didge Project and is active as a didgeridoo teacher and performer. In addition to didgeridoo, AJ has spent years studying music traditions from all over the world including jazz (trombone and piano), western classical music, Indian Classical Music, guitar and world percussion. AJ has developed a number of programs for Didge Project including The ABCs of Didgeridoo, The Didgeridoo Skills Course, and Circular Breathing Mastery. As a performer AJ is the leader of the Didge Project Music Collective and a member of Dream Seed: A Shamanic Sound Journey. AJ is a founding member of Sacred Arts Research Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of sacred art traditions through education, ritual and study. As a student of spiritual teacher Maestro Manuel Rufino AJ is an active member of the Golden Drum community.
About Jerry Walsh
Jerry Walsh has been playing the didgeridoo for 11 years and teaching for 9 years. He has shared didgeridoo in performances with Kalya Scintilla, Srikala, Native American hip-hop artist and MC, Supaman, American Beatbox Champion, Mark Martin, and with his wife and renowned vocalist, Ixchel Prisma. Jerry has been a student of Taino elder, Maestro Manuel Rufino, for 11 years, engaged in a deep and immersive study of shamanic healing arts, music, meditation, community activism, and other spiritual practices. Jerry is a member of the sound meditation group, Dream Seed and has traveled to over 30 countries on 5 continents. He has spent the last 7 years leading healing retreats around the world. In 2023, Jerry and Ixchel Prisma created the musical group, SOMA Frequency, and released their first album. Together they live in upstate New York with their 1 year old son, Makoa. Listen to SOMA Frequency here.
About Kevin Nathaniel
My name is Kevin Nathaniel and I was born in Detroit, Michigan, which is Motown, a musical mecca. Growing up in Detroit I heard music everywhere, but I didn’t think I was going to play music because there were so many incredible musicians around at the time and I didn’t think I could do what they were doing. It wasn’t until I was practically out of college where I had some experiences listening to music coming out of Africa, and something told me I need to play music, I need to start playing, I had to start learning and get involved with instruments and making instruments. So the first instruments I got involved with playing and making were mbiras, aka kalimbas. I started building and playing these instruments and that was a path for me. From there I began to learn more about other instruments. I played many different instruments throughout my reach so far, but it started out with what sort of door opened when I got involved with mbira music and especially mbira music out of Southern Africa and Zimbabwe which took me into all sorts of other kinds of music. So that’s where I started. Check out Kevin Nathaniel’s course, It’s All About Rhythm, at didgeproject.com/rhythm and his personal website at kevinnathaniel.com
About Didge Project
Didge Project is a blog, youtube channel, series of courses and events, instrument store and a collective of musicians who want to help you use music as a tool for uplifting yourself and others around you.
On our site you will find tips and tutorials to help you become a better musician, didgeridoo lessons, instrument features and reviews, and reports on the latest scientific research and spiritual discoveries merging through the medium of sound.
When we began in 2008 our main focus was on teaching how to play the didgeridoo, a wind instrument originating in aboriginal Australia and also said to be present in ancient Mayan times. After working with countless people it became apparent that most musicians play multiple instruments and that we have the community resources to help all musicians get better results. While we still provide didgeridoo lessons, classes and programs, our focus is to provide tutorials for music and instruments from all around the world. Visit us for great music resources at www.didgeproject.com