These sessions are designed as an opportunity for personal progress, individual feedback, and plenty of ideas and techniques to release everyone back into their Caixa playing worlds.
The short course of 2 weeks will happen twice a year (once in Feb and again later in the year). Preference is for players to attend both sessions, but you are welcome to come to one session if that suits better.
What to Expect:
– Technique pointers – individual feedback on your playing to help cement good habits and make your playing feel great.
– Stamina building – exercises, warm ups, and games to build stamina whilst playing fun grooves together. Expect an eclectic playlist!
– Background context and rhythms – introduction to some of the popular rhythms found in Afro-Brazilian music.
– Small ensemble playing – a chance to play other small accompanying percussion instruments to experience playing Caixa as part of a band situation.
– Co-ordination – practical exercises to improve and promote co-ordination and independence.
– Improvisation – enjoy and master improvisation phrases that are characteristic of each style.
Instrumentation: all instruments are provided, please bring along your beloved Caixa or snare drum if you have one.
Time:
7pm-9pm
Venue:
The Vale (theatre space), Unit 2 Vale Mill, Micklehurst Road, Mossley, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL5 9JL
About the tutor:
Holly Prest is the Artistic Director and a founding lead artist of Global Grooves. Following more than 25 years of participation in and strategic development of Carnival arts, she has helped nurture and maintain lesser-known global music and dance traditions in a UK context. Her passion for sharing authentic Carnival-based grooves with enthusiastic emerging artists led to the development of the flagship youth arts leadership programme ‘Future Leaders’ which receives national acclaim. Holly has supported the development of many community bands around the UK. Holly co-teaches the Global Grooves weekly Bloco featuring percussionists, melody players, and dancers.
Holly is an experienced performer. In 2024 she became a drummer and percussionist with Mr. Wilson’s Second Liners, and as percussionist with trio Skutch Manos she performed around the UK sharing her energetic and unique style of multi-percussion playing during the band’s time together (expect a 2024 reunion!). Holly is also a guest percussionist with the Girls That Mix collective.
As a band leader, her performance group Juba do Leão offers one of the UK’s most unique fusion representations of Afro-Brazilian music from the Pernambuco region of Brazil, with a young collective of 8-18 year old musicians and dancers carving their own path alongside in the Jubacana project.
Access:
If you have any access requirements to be able to attend, please complete the form at the base of this page, or let us know via email or phone ([email protected] / 01618706895).
Images – Sara Kinas and Dan Wiebe
