|
|
|
|
Like the PGA Senior Tour the members of the Ottawa Drum Club are out to prove that there is drumming after the age of 40... err... make that 50! The bilingual club is doing its part in keeping Canada's rich history of precision rudimental drumming alive through it’s performance ensemble. The club was formed in 1998 and is comprised of some of the top rudimental and kit players in the National Capital area, some of whom had been friends for over 30 years or back when the “sticks were high and the drums were low”. While it was originally formed as an outlet for fun, relaxation and camaraderie it didn’t take long for the outgoing nature of the club members to surface and soon practice pads were replaced by drums, a musical program was memorized and public performance venues were searched out. The repertoire ranges from the historic classics to more rhythmic world beat sounds of today, some based on the unusual “time signature” works of jazz great Don Ellis.
In the past the club has taken part in a “Concert of Historic and Rudimental Drumming” sponsored by the University of Toronto Faculty of Music Percussion Department. Our invitation to participate came from Russell Hartenberger, Department head and Robin Engelman, Director of the Percussion Ensemble, Faculty of Music. Both are members of the world renowned “NEXUS”. We performed many solos from our historic repertoire along with some of our “world beat” arrangements. We performed at Ottawa’s first percussion festival “Percussion Unlimited” hosted by the Music Faculty of the University of Ottawa. It is safe to say that the Club turned more than a few heads with a thirty-five minute performance by it's eleven members. In a letter to the Club from event organizer Bob Denny of the Ontario Music Educators' Association he said " The high school and university students were just amazed and the professionals among the crowd and performers were absolutely delighted by your club's presentation".
The club has also been honoured to be involved with both the opening of the new Canadian War Museum on Lebreton Flats and the closing of the old museum site on Sussex Drive. The club performed on "Breakfast at the NewRO" in conjunction with a special military concert series being held to celebrate the closing of the old museum on Sussex Drive. We have also performed for "Doors Open Ottawa" in celebration of the opening of the new CBC building on Ottawa's Sparks Street Mall.
|
|
|
|
We have been lucky enough to have opened for and performed with some of the best kit players in the business including JoJo Mayer on his “Reverse Engineering” tour clinic held at Ottawa’s Babylon Club, the amazing Thomas Lang at his “Creative Control“ clinic held at a sold out Barrymore’s, “rock legend” Kenny Aronoff at the Capital Music Hall and in May of this year we were honoured to open for "jazz fusion legend" Billy Cobham at his Ottawa stop on a cross country tour! These clinics have been sponsored by such manufactures as Sonor, Yamaha and Tama drums along with Vic Firth sticks, Remo heads and both Sabian and Zildjian cymbals and have been hosted by Ottawa retailers Songbird, Steve's Music and Long & McQuade and we would like to thank everyone involved for their ongoing support. We were featured performers at FIP (le festival international de percussion) held last year in Longueuil PQ and have performed at the Festival Franco Ontarien.
|
|
|
|
