Tag Archives: body percussion

2021 SPRING BODY PERCUSSION WORKSHOPS

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A fun, physically active, movement and rhythm workshop, and a great workout for the brain…

With workshops for the Ontario Womyn’s Winter Drum Camp and our own zoom classes, we had a great go of winter. But spring is here now, so no matter your level, no matter your experience, we invite you to join us online and make music with your bodies.

Body Percussion Tuesdays!!
Next workshop is TUESDAY MAY 25
and every other Tuesday
7:00-7:45ish PM EST on ZOOM!!

$10-15 for employed, PWYC for underemployed (per Tuesday class)

Sign up with our PAY PAL link (be sure to grab the zoom link when you do) or use our Contact Us Page for more info.

A PHYSICALLY FUN AND ACTIVE WORKSHOP FOR BODY AND BRAIN
These are physically active workshops, where layers of rhythm are overlapped to make some serious groove. A singing component involves vocalizing rhythms as well as singing songs and riffs, sometimes in harmony. With all these layers, we’ll challenge your brain but in such a fun way! Without realizing it, you’ll develop a stronger sense of rhythm but also experience the pure joy of making music solely with your body.
Below is a fun arrangement based on a Ukrainian new year carol.

BEGINNER and INTERMEDIATE
Because we start with simple patterns and build upon them, our workshops accommodate both beginner and intermediate levels. Those who are more adept are given more challenging rhythms to layer on top of a basic rhythm. Alternatively, those challenged by the more demanding rhythms can practice holding the simpler rhythmic pattern. Vocals, like singing or vocalizing rhythms, are another layer that can be added.

IN EACH WORKSHOP: DRILLS, SONGS and ARRANGEMENTS
Each workshop will usually start with drilling some rhythm rudiments to develop and strengthen your technique – all in a fun and accessible way. But within the span of a 2-4 workshops, we’ll also be working on a single arrangement, that way people can take the time to learn the choreography while developing their skill.

For the end of March through April we’ll be working on a piece based on a West African Song called Baga Gine. You can see a bit of the song in the video below, but we’ll also be including a break and something of a coda, the latter which you can hear in the videos below (note, one of them is a funny sped up video from one of our past workshops).

Around the spring of 2014, MusiCamp’s director and founder, Andrea Kuzmich, started exploring ways to use body percussion in our kid’s summer camps. It not only functioned as a pedagogical tool to help with rhythm and arranging, but also heightened the excitement of any song – and really was inspired by Andrea’s interest to instantaneously make a party-like atmosphere, any where, any time, without instruments, but through the body alone!

In the spring of 2019, she was honoured to lead workshops on body percussion at the Ontario Womyn’s Drum Camp. In prep to do so, she started hosting informal body percussion sessions with adults at the MusiCamp studio. These eventually evolved to online workshops in 2020, but…

Since body percussion can be done, outside, and in a socially-distanced responsible way, Andrea will be hosting workshops again outside in Toronto’s West End as soon as the stay at home order lightens. Visit back for more dates and/or let us know if you are interested.

Body Percussion Festival 2018

Body Percussion from our kids’ summer camps

2021 WINTER BODY PERCUSSION WORKSHOPS

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A fun, physically active, movement and rhythm workshop, and a great workout for the brain…


SUNDAY FEBRUARY 7 at 1 PM EST
with the Ontario Womyn’s Winter Drum Camp

AND EVERY OTHER TUESDAY 7-7:45ish PM EST on ZOOM!!
$10-15 for employed, PWYC for underemployed (per Tuesday class)

Sign up with our PAY PAL link or use our Contact Us Page for more info.

Participants in this workshop will be introduced to cool rhythms that can be performed with the body and voice. This is a physically active music workshop, where layers of rhythm are overlapped to make some serious groove. The singing component involves vocalizing rhythms as well as singing songs and riffs, sometimes in harmony. Participants will come out with a stronger sense of rhythm and the pure joy of making music solely your body.

Starting with simple patterns and building upon them, the workshops present material to accommodate varying skills. Those who are more adept are given more challenging rhythms to layer on top of a basic rhythm. Alternatively, those challenged with the more demanding rhythms can practice holding the simpler rhythmic pattern. Vocals, like singing or vocalizing rhythms, are another layer that can be added. A component of drilling certain movements/rhythms will allow some room for individual variation, giving the student more of a chance to express individuality, which in turn makes it more interesting and musically alive!

From 2020 Virtual Drum Camp

Around the spring of 2014, MusiCamp’s director and founder, Andrea Kuzmich, started exploring ways to use body percussion in our kid’s summer camps. It not only functioned as a pedagogical tool to help with rhythm and arranging, but also heightened the excitement of any song – and really was inspired by Andrea’s interest to instantaneously make a party-like atmosphere, any where, any time, without instruments, but through the body alone!

In the spring of 2019, she was honoured to lead workshops on body percussion at the Ontario Womyn’s Drum Camp. In prep to do so, she started hosting informal body percussion sessions with adults at the MusiCamp studio. These eventually evolved to online workshops in 2020, but…

Since body percussion can be done, outside, and in a socially-distanced responsible way, Andrea will be hosting workshops again outside in Toronto’s West End as soon as the stay at home order lightens. Visit back for more dates and/or let us know if you are interested.

Body Percussion Festival 2018

Body Percussion from our kids’ summer camps

HAPPY HEALTHY & CREATIVE 2021

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HAPPY HEALTHY & CREATIVE 2021

We at MusiCamp want to wish you the best for the new year and hope your 2021 is filled with happiness and health. 2020 has been one of the most challenging year for so many and while I know some people are still ambivalent to what 2021 will bring, we remain hopeful – at least hopeful for more music and creativity!
Have a look at what MusiCamp has in store…

UPDATES

 

 

FESTIVE SPIRIT TO SHARE


With the spirit that Christmas carols are all about celebrating rebirth and renewal, we’re sharing these downloads of carols, released only last week and and featuring the fabulous percussion of Jaash Singh.


GEORGIAN SINGING ONLINE, STARTING AGAIN!


Starting up again mid-late January, our singing family will be zooming with you, providing all 3-voices to teach Georgian songs. Look for updates on our page.

 


OUTDOOR BODY PERCUSSION BODY MUSIC


For West End Toronto folks: free or pwyc, outdoor, socially distanced, body percussion workshops in January. Starting Tuesday January 5 2-3pm at Christie and Bloor. Beginner/intermediate level. Learn more here.

 



WINTER VIRTUAL WOMYN’S DRUM CAMP

February 5-7, MusiCamp’s Andrea Kuzmich will be one of many facilitators at this winter camp for women, which features workshops on drumming, kirtan, dance, sound healing and more
Free/pwyc event.
Click here to register.

 

ORI SHALVA IN THE PARK


While we recorded this in August, it was only released last month and features excellent production quality by Labyrinth Ontario, which also produced a number of other exceptional performances and interviews with traditional musicians in Toronto. Hope you get a chance to check them all out.

 

VIRTUAL SUMMER CAMP FOR KIDS!!

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SUMMER MUSICAMP ONLINE WORKSHOPS FOR KIDS!
AUGUST 17-21 2020 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM

REGISTER HERE or CONTACT US FOR MORE INFO

 
We have a great series of workshops inspired by our Composition and Song Camp, which include body percussion, exploring songs, and composition and songwriting. At the end of the week, workshop participants will have developed new repertoire and new skills in music making. For the song and composition workshops, we’ll compile a video of performances of our campers’ work from the week and send it to parents and their kids so they can share their musical work with family and friends.

All the camps will be led by MusiCamp’s Andrea Kuzmich, who has been successfully hosting online workshops in Georgian Singing and Body Percussion since April. To make it more real, more musically interactive and more fun, Andrea’s 12-year-old son will be joining her!

Parents can sign kids up for the full day of camp (all three workshops) for $275 or can sign up for individual workshops (prices listed below). All camps are run on Zoom. For more information please visit our contact us page.
 

Andrea & son, 2017 Body Percussion Festival, Harboufront Centre, Toronto. Click to view.

BODY PERCUSSION BODY MUSIC WORKSHOP
Ages 8-14; class size unlimited
Mon-Fri 9:30-10:30 AM $65
REGISTER HERE
A fun, physically active, movement and rhythm workshop, and a great workout for the brain!
Participants in this workshop will be introduced to cool rhythms that can be performed with the body and voice. Starting with simple patterns and building upon them, the workshops present material to accommodate varying skills.

 

A sample of songs from past camps. Click to view.

EXPLORING SONGS WORKSHOP
ages 9-14; class size limited to 10 participants
Mon-Fri 11:00-12:00 AM $85
REGISTER HERE
Kids will learn a load of songs from a vast array of styles and genres. Some are rhythm based, some ancient; some new music, other contemporary pop; some may involve body percussion, others chordal accompaniment.
Starting with basic rhythmic chants and work songs and progressing to 3 and 4 chord songs, we’ll explore the makeup of a song and naturalize concepts of rhythm, tonality, scale, the pentatonic scale, chords and harmony.
A video compilation of the songs learned/performed will be sent to participants and their parents at the end of the week.

 

COMPOSITION AND SONGWRITING WORKSHOP
ages 10-14; limited to 8 participants
Mon-Fri 1:30-3:30 PM $175
REGISTER HERE
Have a song you want to sing? A story you want to tell? This series will help the aspiring songwriters and singers put their ideas to music.
Through fun and practical songwriting exercise, participants are introduced to aspects of songwriting, like hooks, riffs, harmony, and rhythmic accompaniment, chorus-verse format, basic chord progressions, intros and outros, rhyming and storytelling – useful skills/review for even the more experienced song-writers.
A video compilation of all the original compositions will be sent to participants and their parents at the end of the week.
Note: this series builds off of the songs and concepts we learned in Exploring Songs; it is highly recommended your child enrol in the Exploring Songs workshop as well.

Song writing exercises and performances. Click to view.

 

ONLINE BODY PERCUSSION/MUSIC WORKSHOPS

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A fun, physically active, movement and rhythm workshop, and a great workout for the brain…


TUESDAYS 7 PM – 7:45 PM EST (GMT-4 hrs) on Zoom
$10-15 for employed, PWYC for underemployed (per Tuesday class)

Sign up with our PAY PAL link or use our Contact Us Page for more info.
There’s also more info on registering at the bottom of this page. 

Participants in this workshop will be introduced to cool rhythms that can be performed with the body and voice. This is a physically active music workshop, where layers of rhythm are overlapped to make some serious groove. The singing component involves vocalizing rhythms as well as singing songs and riffs, sometimes in harmony. Participants will come out with a stronger sense of rhythm and the pure joy of making music solely your body.

Starting with simple patterns and building upon them, the workshops present material to accommodate varying skills. Those who are more adept are given more challenging rhythms to layer on top of a basic rhythm. Alternatively, those challenged with the more demanding rhythms can practice holding the simpler rhythmic pattern. Vocals, like singing or vocalizing rhythms, are another layer that can be added. A component of drilling certain movements/rhythms will allow some room for individual variation, giving the student more of a chance to express individuality, which in turn makes it more interesting and musically alive!

About 5 years ago, MusiCamp’s director and founder, Andrea Kuzmich, started exploring ways to use body percussion in our kid’s summer camps. It not only functioned as a pedagogical tool to help with rhythm and arranging, but also heightened the excitement of any song – and really was inspired by Andrea’s interest to instantaneously make a party-like atmosphere, any where, any time, without instruments, but through the body alone!

In June 2019 Andrea was honoured to lead workshops on body percussion at the Ontario Womyn’s Drum Camp. Due to Covid-19, the 2020 camp was turned into a Zoom camp, and Andrea lead a Zoom body percussion workshop for over 60 participants. The video below is from that workshop.

With an interest to share and develop these skills more, Andrea will be hosting regular Zoom body percussion workshops on Tuesdays. You can use our Contact Us Page for more info or to arrange payment, or click this PAY PAL link (all sorts of credit cards accepted) to sign up now (make sure you enter your email address) and we’ll send you the zoom link and instructions. 

Body Percussion Festival 2018

ONLINE BODY PERCUSSION/MUSIC WORKSHOPS

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Please visit our UPDATED PAGE for this workshop.  

TUESDAYS 7 PM – 7:45 PM EST (GMT-4 hrs) on Zoom
PWYC for underemployed, suggested $10-15 for employed

Sign up with using our PAY PAL link or use our Contact Us Page for more info.


Drawing on her wealth of experience from running innovative music programs at MusiCamp, Andrea Kuzmich will introduce participants in this workshop to cool rhythms that can be performed with the body and voice. This is a physically active music workshop, where layers and layers of rhythm are overlapped to make some serious groove. The singing component involves vocalizing rhythms as well as singing songs and riffs, sometimes in harmony. Participants will come out with a stronger sense of rhythm and the exceptional experience of creating music together. The material will be presented to accommodate varying skill levels.

Starting with simple patterns and building, the workshops present material to accommodate varying skills. Those who are more adept can be given more challenging rhythms to layer on top of a basic rhythm. Alternatively, those challenged with the more demanding rhythms can practice holding the simpler rhythmic pattern. Vocals, like singing or vocalizing rhythms, are another layer that can be added. A component of drilling certain movements/rhythms will allow some room for individual variation, giving the student more of a chance to express individuality, which in turn may make it more interesting and musically alive!

About 5 years ago, MusiCamp’s director and founder, Andrea Kuzmich, started exploring ways to use body percussion in our kid’s summer camps. It not only functioned as a pedagogical tool to help with rhythm and arranging, but also heightened the excitement of any song – and really was inspired by Andrea’s interest to instantaneously make a party-like atmosphere, any where, any time, without instruments, but through the body alone!

In June 2019 Andrea was honoured to lead workshops on body percussion at the Ontario Womyn’s Drum Camp. Due to Covid-19, the 2020 camp was turned into a Zoom camp, and Andrea lead a Zoom body percussion workshop for over 60 participants.

TO REGISTER
With an interest to share and develop these skills more, Andrea will be hosting more Zoom body percussion workshops. Thursday June 27 is just the first of many. You can use our Contact Us Page for more info or to arrange payment, or click this PAY PAL link (all sorts of credit cards accepted) to sign up now (make sure you enter your email address) and we’ll send you the zoom link and instructions. 

Body Percussion Festival 2018

REGISTRATION

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KIDS’ VIRTUAL SUMMER CAMP or WORKSHOPS REGISTRATION

To register for other programs please contact us

 

MusiCamp Stage at the Dundas West Festival 2018!

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MUSIC FOR KIDS AND BY KIDS
ALL IN THE HEART OF THE KIDS ZONE

FREE AFRICAN DRUM WORKSHOP
MEET MUSICAMP INSTRUCTORS
LIVE MUSIC BY YOUNG LOCAL PERFORMERS

We are so so so excited to be part of the vibrant Dundas West community that puts on such an amazing festival. MusiCamp is curating the stage in the Kids Zone again, providing more opportunities for our local and talented youth to showcase their art – plus we’re hosting a drum workshop. All starting at 11 am, at 1496 Dundas St West, just west of Dufferin.
The full line up of events can be found on our Facebook event page

LIVE MUSIC BY LOCAL YOUNG PERFORMERS 11 am – 4:30 pm

From 11 am to 4:30 pm the stage will be filled with live music. This year we welcome back sweet songsters Tangled Chords, Rebekah Wise, Sofia Kay and Gabo. Joining us for the first time is Emma Campbell. While Will Smythe is no stranger to the MusiCamp stage, he’ll be joining us in a whole new context – this year he’s not playing drums in a rock band but playing solo ‘cello! – his instrument of major at the Etobicoke School of the Arts.


 

But rock’n’roller Charley Lukashevsky (formerly of 321 Sleep) will be back with a new band, the Patti King. We’ll also have 2 dance performances by the Eclective Collective and mom-daughter indigenous interdisciplinary urban duo The Graces, who will also lead a dance workshop! And of course students from MusiCamp will feature some body percussion,  blue grass tunes and original compositions – some of which will call on audience participation!

 

 

WEST AFRICAN DRUMMING WORKSHOP 2:25 pm to 3:25 pm


The public joining in on MusiCamp’s African Drum workshop at The Dundas West Festival 2016.

This goes way beyond a drum circle! MusiCamp’s West African Drum instructor Anna Melnikoff will teach workshop participants patterns and licks on djembe and the interlocking patterns on the dunun – side-playing drums.

More info can be found on this post.

Check out MusiCamp’s stage at the 2017, 2016 and 2015 Dundas West festivals.

 

MusiCamp and Other Activities


MusiCamp will have a tent, so please visit us – try our the home made bucket basses and diddley bows, ask questions about our teaching and camps or just come and say “Hi!” Also don’t forget, there will be lots of other activities and crafts offered by other local organizations and business to take part in all around our stage.

A REMINDER
Don’t forget to bring sun screen, sun hats and water bottles! Also, the Kids Stage is located at 1496 Dundas St W, just West of Dufferin.  WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!

MusiCamp Stage at the Dundas West Festival 2017!

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MUSIC FOR KIDS AND BY KIDS
ALL IN THE HEART OF THE KIDS ZONE

FREE AFRICAN DRUM WORKSHOP
MEET MUSICAMP INSTRUCTORS
LIVE MUSIC BY YOUNG LOCAL PERFORMERS

We are so so so excited to be part of the vibrant Dundas West community that puts on such an amazing festival. MusiCamp is curating the Kids Stage again, providing more opportunities for our local and talented youth to showcase their art – plus we’re hosting another drum workshop. All starting at 11 am, at 1525 Dundas St West, just west of Dufferin.
The full line up of events can be found on our Facebook event page

WEST AFRICAN DRUMMING WORKSHOP 1:15 pm to 2:15 pm

The public joining in on MusiCamp’s African Drum workshop at The Dundas West Festival 2016.

This goes way beyond a drum circle! MusiCamp’s West African Drum instructor Anna Melnikoff will teach workshop participants patterns and licks on djembe and the interlocking patterns on the dunun – side-playing drums.

More info can be found on this post.

Check out MusiCamp’s stage at the 2016 and 2015 Dundas West festivals.

LIVE MUSIC BY LOCAL YOUNG PERFORMERS 11 am – 4:30 pm

From 11 am to 4:30 pm the stage will be filled with live music. This year we welcome back sweet songsters Tangled Chords (formerly known as The Moir and Tollar Girls, see video below), Rebekah Wise and Sofia Hong. The Makharashvili Family will show us what traditional Georgian folk music is like from the other side of the world and to do a total 180, we go the new pop group Girl Pow-r . We’ll have some dance from Eclective Collective and students from MusiCamp will feature some body percussion and blue grass tunes.

 
And towards the end of our programming, we look forward to the surprisingly well seasoned young rockers 321 Sleep, whose Soundcloud demo you can hear below. The new group Ape, all of whom are students from either Etobicoke School of the Arts or Rosedale Heights School of the Arts, will also be rocking it out.

 

MusiCamp and Other Activities


MusiCamp will have a tent, so please visit us – try our the home made bucket basses and diddley bows, ask questions about our teaching and camps or just come and say “Hi!” Also don’t forget, there will be lots of other activities and crafts offered by other local organizations and business to take part in all around our stage.

A REMINDER
Don’t forget to bring sun screen, sun hats and water bottles! Also, the Kids Stage is located at 1525 Dundas St W, just West of Dufferin.  WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!

MusiCamp at the Dundas West Festival 2016!

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MUSICAL PROGRAMMING FOR KIDS AND BY KIDS
ALL IN THE HEART OF THE KIDS ZONE

FREE AFRICAN DRUM & BODY PERCUSSION WORKSHOPS
CRAFTS by KOSA KOLEKTIV
MEET MUSICAMP INSTRUCTORS
LIVE MUSIC BY YOUNG LOCAL PERFORMERS

We are so so so excited to be part of the vibrant Dundas West community that puts on such an amazing festival. MusiCamp is curating the Kids Stage again, providing more workshops, hosting crafts by Kosa Kolektiv and this year we’ll be smack in the middle of the kids stage, located at 1525 Dundas St West, just west of Dufferin.

BODY PERCUSSION WORKSHOP 11:45 am – 12:30 pm

clap handsLed by MusiCamp Director Andrea Kuzmich and aided by young MusiCampers themselves, the event will demonstrate some pieces that use body percussion and then proceed to teach the audience short cells of body percussion that can be built upon each other and layered ontop of each to create some cool grooves.

WEST AFRICAN DRUMMING WORKSHOP 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm

This goes way beyond a drum circle! MusiCamp’s West African Drum instructor Anna Melnikoff will teach workshop participants patterns and licks on djembe (as seen briefly in the video to your left) and the interlocking patterns on the dunun – side-playing drums.
More info can be found on this post.
 

LIVE MUSIC BY LOCAL YOUNG PERFORMERS 11 am – 4:30 pm

BrighidFry At DuWestFest

From 11 am to 4:30 pm the stage, when not presenting percussion workshops, will be filled with live music. This year we welcome back sweet songsters Brighid Fry, The Moir and Tollar Girls, and Rebekah Wise. MusiCampers will also be performing – a host of blue grass tunes and some African American work songs.

And we also have some new performers as well. We are very excited to welcome Young Voices Toronto (formerly the High Park Choir) to the stage YVTwith their Chamber Choir, many of whom live in or so close the Dundas West Community. Be prepared to be inspired by this choir of 8-11 youth, whose sweet voices and sensitive tuning perform music from around the world. We also have songsters Marlowe Dondertman, Lia Ashkenas, and the Rock Band Kingdom of the Birds joining the stage.
 
 
 
 

CRAFTS BY KOSA KOLEKTIV

Kosa craftsMid day, the spirited Kosa Kolektiv will be hosting some folk crafts in the MusiCamp tent, located just next to the stage. They will be also promoting Folk Camp, an all-ages Folk camp in Grafton (on Lake Ontario) where a wide array of workshops will be available – from print, mask, and instrument making, to Georgian, Ukrainian and other forms of singing, to canning and medicinal herb foraging.
 
 

A REMINDER

Don’t forget to bring sun screen, sun hats and water bottles! Also, the Kids Stage is located at 1525 Dundas St W, just West of Dufferin.  WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE!