Sunday, October 5, 2014

Getting to Know...Michael Fitzsimmons!

In early September I attended the annual Youth Services Retreat for Children's/Young Adult librarians in the Omaha and Lincoln areas.  It is held each year at Carol Joy Holling Retreat Center near Ashland, Nebraska.
One of the enrichment programs was presented by Michael Fitzsimmons of Dancing Man Music.
This is the second time I have had the pleasure of attending his workshop.  Michael is a very talented, versatile musician whose accomplishments are too numerous to list here. Take some time to visit his website to learn more about Michael and his music.

Here are some video clips of Michael performing at our retreat.



Featuring: Flute, Drum, Tambourine, and Ankle Bells




Featuring: Kalimba



Featuring: Flute and Ankle Bells





Featuring: Hang



Never heard of a Hang?  Neither had I before attending Michael's workshops!  I found some interesting information on Wikipedia about the history and playing of the Hang.



Later in his workshop, Michael showed us how to make a simple, (but very effective!) drum using a wood frame and packing tape.  He then set us loose to make our own drums.


Decorating and taping our drums



Let's hope the drums make at least as much sound as what is produced by all those rolls of tape!






The next step was for us to experiment with our drums.  We were challenged to try various ways of striking the drum, in order to produce a variety of sounds.




With Michael as our conductor and lead drummer we 
joined in some "in the moment" drumming!




"In the moment" drumming, part 2


I highly recommend Michael Fitzsimmons' music and hope that you will find an opportunity to attend one of his performances or workshops!

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