RIP, Taylor Hawkins (1972 - 2022)

Earlier this week Taylor Hawkins passed away unexpectedly only hours before the Foo Fighters’ scheduled appearance in Bogota, Colombia. Tributes came pouring in from all over the music world, and every major news outlet has reported on his passing. He was at the top of his game, playing arena concerts in one of the biggest rock bands on earth.

I’m so sad about this man.
coolest dude ever.
god bless & comfort his family, his bandmates, his friends & all his loved ones.

Taylor Hawkins.
Rest In Beats.#TaylorHawkins https://t.co/bOBv0l4K9r

— Questo (@questlove) March 26, 2022

My thoughts go out to the Hawkins family and to all of the FF who were called the Foo Family by many people!
Taylor will be greatly missed and there will be a huge loss in the world of Rock drummers.
RIP.
~Carl

— Carl Palmer (@ELP_carl) March 27, 2022

Taylor Hawkins — the hard-hitting, charismatic drummer for Foo Fighters — has died at 50. In an interview with The Times last year, Hawkins was direct about his hopes for the band's future. "I want to be the biggest band in the world," he said. https://t.co/mbEAOSxyI0 pic.twitter.com/IhEM8AppbM

— The New York Times (@nytimes) March 26, 2022

This is yet another reminder for us to pursue our goals and dreams and not procrastinate or waste time on things that distract us from our calling. Life is incredibly short. Artists are remembered not only for how they interacted with people, but by the body of work they left behind.

Great songs and great art live forever.

-BT

Djembe Master Class Notes

Last night an enthusiastic group gathered here at the studio to learn from djembe master Pape Demba Samb. We spent a fun and energetic 90 minutes together communicating through drumming.

It really is something you have to experience live, and whatever you may have heard on a recording, hearing the sound of all those hand crafted Senegalese instruments played in a group really is an incredible experience.

Pape teaches individual lessons here at the studio. Please email me for more details.

We are planning on running another master class in April. Please join our email list by texting GROOVEKSQ to 66866 on your smartphone to stay up to date with the studio’s events.

Djembe Master Class Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: I don’t have an instrument, can I still participate?

A: YES!  We will have drums available here - and they are all hand made by Paco’s family in Senegal and are just incredible drums. There is a rental fee of $10 for the instrument but trust me it is worth it. The rental fee for current high school students is included in their ticket.

Q2: I am a beginner, would this class be for me?

A: The studio’s educational philosophy is that our doors are open to ANYONE who wants to learn.

Q3: Is there a discount code for high school students who want to attend?

Yes- for current high school students, use the discount code STUDENT when you purchase your seat.  The link to reserve your seat at this event is here. As of now we have 6 seats left. 

New Faculty Spotlight: Introducing Pape "Paco" Samb

Pape Demba "Paco" Samb comes from a family that have been griots in his native Senegal for hundreds of years. As a griot, Paco is one of the keepers of the ancestral history, stories, and music of his Wolof peoples. As a master hand drummer, Paco not only plays the instruments but he and his brothers build several types of drums as well. He performs both contemporary and traditional Senegalese music, as well as reggae, rap, funk, jazz, pop and a variety of other styles. Paco heads his own drum ensemble called Super Ngewel and released his first album in 2014.

Calling All Friends of Groove: Our Year End Fundraising Campaign

This last year, the studio provided free after school programming to middle school students in collaboration with After the Bell and also produced a live performance event at no cost to the students. In order to expand the studio’s low-cost or no-cost programming for middle and high school students in 2022, please consider making a tax deductible donation to the studio.

Are you a Friend of Groove? Consider making a tax-deductible donation though our Fractured Atlas site, and check out the thank you gifts!

$50 - an acknowledgement on social media and a listing on our website on the Friends of Groove page;

$100 - everything above plus a new hand drawn logo tee;

$250 - everything above plus a groovePAD;

$1000 - everything above plus a 90 minute private house concert by Bryan’s jazz trio at a mutually agreed time.

The Odd Time Playlist

In my discussions with many of you throughout the last few weeks, we have addressed quite a few songs that are in odd time signatures (i.e. not in 4/4 or 2/4 time). I started a playlist of songs that I think are worth your time. One of the characteristics of these songs is that they don’t feel like they are in 5 or 7 or 13. That is the mark of skillful songwriting and arranging.

What songs would YOU add to this list? I want to hear from you. Email me here.