Last week I had the pleasure of returning to Leek U3A to run a three-hour afternoon djembe and dun-dun workshop — a warm and enthusiastic drumming community that I’d visited a couple of years ago. It was lovely to see so many familiar faces and to feel that same positive energy in the room.
This visit also felt quite meaningful, as it was my first time back since the passing of Steve Dawson, who had originally invited me to work with the group. Steve was a generous, encouraging presence and someone who genuinely cared about drumming and community. I really missed him on the day, and it was clear how fondly he is remembered by everyone.
For this session, we focused on Moribayassa, a powerful celebratory Malinke rhythm from Guinea. With three hours to explore it properly, we had time to dig into each layer of the music.
We began with the djembe accompaniments, working on tone, timing, and how the parts interlock. Then we moved onto the dun-dun patterns, building the strong, driving pulse that sits at the heart of the rhythm. Well done to the dun-dun team for holding everything together so solidly — the groove grew stronger as the session went on.
Before we paused for our tea-and-cake break, we tackled a challenging break/arrangement — one that worked almost like a memory game. It required everyone to listen carefully, remember the sequence, and hit their entries with confidence. There was a real sense of achievement in the room when it all came together.
After refreshments (and a good chat!), we kicked off the second half with a fun solo game, taking turns around the circle to fill a four-beat space. It was a great way to build confidence, timing, and creativity.
With everyone warmed up and listening closely, we moved on to learning a series of solo phrases, some of which were really challenging. The group tackled them with focus and determination, working through each phrase step by step until they started to flow naturally.
By the end of the afternoon, everyone was playing Moribayassa with power, tightness, and plenty of smiles. It’s always inspiring to work with such an enthusiastic and committed group of drummers.
A heartfelt thank you to Theresa for organising my visit, and to Ale for taking photos on the day. And a big thank you to everyone at Leek U3A for welcoming me back so warmly. Steve would have loved to see how far the group has come, and I’m already looking forward to the next time we drum together.
2 responses
It really was a very enjoyable and rewarding session as always with your patient teaching. It’s so true that the group has struggled since suddenly losing Steve, he was such a kind and generous person but I think it’s a tribute to him that we’ve kept going. Having you to run a workshop certainly helped our continued progress and big thanks to Teresa for organising.
Oh Jamie ,
that’s so good to read, thank you so much for writing such a lovely piece. We’d love to see you back here as often as possible. Everyone really enjoyed the afternoon and thought you were a great teacher. It’s also great to see your respect and acknowledgement of Steve who is obviously greatly missed. Many thanks.