Talking Drums – Community Music-Making with Magbeat Studio

This programme is held in Hungarian.

“Talking Drums” is a liberated community music gathering, an interactive instrument demonstration, a drum circle that inspires both beginners and more advanced players, with the most popular African percussion instrument, the djembe, at its center, complemented by further percussion instruments from all over the world.

Participants are free to choose from the wide-ranging instrument collection of the co-organizer, the Magbeat Studio community rhythm workshop, including West African, Middle Eastern, Latin American, European, Far Eastern, and Australian percussion instruments. Naturally, it is also possible to take part in the program with your own drum.

Following the introductory instrument presentation and the jointly played, attunement-building rhythm games and the teaching of simpler polyphonic rhythms, the workshop culminates in guided community music-making. During this, we shape the parts of the group—transformed into an ad hoc drum orchestra—the ebb and flow of their ensemble playing, and the changes in tempo and dynamics into a spontaneous musical piece without words, using signals and body language.

Due to the open nature of the drum circle, anyone can freely join, either with their own instrument or, within the available limits, with the instruments we provide. Participation requires no musical background at all, only good spirits, openness, and attentiveness to one another—something that always develops quickly from the shared pulse of the drums. In addition to offering a glimpse into the world of folk percussion instruments, the program playfully develops attunement to one another and focus, the ability to direct attention to the “here and now.”

The program is led by Gábor Zsarnai, with the participation of the MagBeat Studio Performance Group team, whose members have been working with percussion instruments for many years and are dedicated to enabling as many people as possible—beginners and more advanced players alike—to experience the community-building power of drumming and the flow of process music that is born in the moment through improvisation.