Tuned percussion instrument making workshops are offered to schools, community groups and festivals. Workshops can cater for all ages and abilities, from KS1 to graduate level.
Workshops can include everything from basic priciples of xylophone construction, tuning and acoustics to more advanced areas of overtone tuning. Materials can be provided so that a group can participate in each stage of the making process, leaving the school, or establishment with the finished instrument. At schools, fun, practical demonstrations are provided to show the basic acoustic principles of physics to pupils, with relevance to the national curriculum for science and music. At establishments of further education, units can be taught on tuned percussion design, acoustics and instrument making; with the knownledge of a Phd in Instrument Technology. For festivals drop-in sessions are popular with live demonstrations of instruments from Africa and Indonesia, as well as instrument making workshops and group xylophone playing. Outdoor musical instruments can also be temporarily installed for festivals. As each workshop is different please contact to discuss pricing.
Womad Festival Since 2010 a series workshops on the playing and making of log xylophones have been run with the help of Tim Williams (Atomic Raygun) at WOMAD Charlton Park UK. Collaborating with some of the festivals performers who have offered live instrument demonstrations within the workshops. Past collaberators have included Dizu Plaatjies, acclaimed Marimba player and founder of the South African group Amampondo, ethnomusicologist Andy Cooke and Bhundu Boys guitarist Rise Kagona. The workshops at WOMAD Festival have appeared on BBC Radio 3, BBC World Service and BBC WOMAD. Hanoi Masters playing the of the Emabaire at WOMAD 2016
WOMAD 2018 Workshop Timetable Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10 – 11 am Jamie Linwood and Tim Williams will give a practical introduction to xylophones across Africa and Indonesia. They will guide you through every aspect of xylophone making through practical demonstrations: timber and resonator selection, tuning methods of bars and resonators, and frame construction techniques. 11 – 12 noon Jamie and Tim will be joined by percussionists; Beau Stoker (South Sudanese rhythm specialist) and Chris Moore (drummer/percussionist), to run a hands on workshop teaching interlocking log xylophone techniques from Central Africa.
Shawfield Primary School During a series of workshops over three days the primary school pupils helped to create a portable log xylophone with a pentatonic tuning.