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Fever Pitch Magazine

Issue #9
INTERVIEW WITH GHANAIAN MASTER DRUMMER EMMANUEL AGBELI
by Mark Powers

Africa. The Mother Ship. The birthplace of much of the music that most of us jam, kick back to and get jiggy with. A dream destination for nearly every Western percussionist. For me, a dream come true.

Exactly ten years after the idea was first planted in my head . . . I'm in the village of Kopeyia, Ghana, West Africa. I'm waking each morning to the sound of a gakogui bell. I'm studying Ewe drumming several hours a day. I'm hoping these blisters will have time to heal and callus. I'm interviewing Ghanaian master drummer/ dancer/ teacher Emmanuel Agbeli, Director of the Dagbe Cultural Center. Those of you who haven't been there don't know what you are missing. Those of us who have, understand how little we'll ever know.

Mark Powers: You mentioned to me once that much of the world has a misunderstanding of the talking drum.

Emmanuel Agbeli: I always correct my students. I can't educate everyone in the world to say the right thing concerning drums. Mostly when you ask people- not only the Americans, not only the students, not only the outside country people, but even in Ghana, even in this village, when you ask them what are talking drums, they will say atumpan and dondo. They will say those are the talking drums. But ALL drums are talking drums. All drums. Any instrument you call a drum, where our tradition is concerned, is a talking drum. Kroboto is a talking drum, totodzi is a talking drum, kagan is a talking drum. Even tingo, the bell, is a talking drum. Even axatse [rattle]- pa, pa, ti, pa- pa, pa, ti, pa- it is speaking. Kidi is a talking drum, because it says so many words. Atsimevu is talking. When you get into the notes, atsimevu has more notes than atumpan. More notes to talk, to pronounce words, than the drum they call the talking drum. So all drums are talking drums.

Mark Powers: What about the spiritual powers that exist in the drumming and dancing you do?

Emmanuel Agbeli: We have three specific dances which are war dances, recreational dances and fetish dances. There are three ways of our tradition. The fetish dances are based on possessing- spiritual music. War dances have no spirit to push you to do anything. You plan for yourself that this is what I'm doing because I want to kill , because I want to defend. Recreational dances- no force. No spiritual force from anywhere, into you. You're trying to get in touch to show love relationships through music. No force from anywhere. But when we mean fetish dance, there is a force, a spiritual force from somewhere which, even if you are not ready, it's coming. For war dance, you have to get ready to do it. For recreational, you have to get ready to do it. But a fetish piece, you may not be ready. Then the possessing comes on you. You have to possess and speak what the god says. It stays on you for some few minutes and then it goes.

Mark Powers: It's not uncommon to see war dances being performed at funerals. Weren't these dances originally created for only war purposes?

Emmanuel Agbeli: They used [to use] a specific piece for a specific time. When they are playing Atsiagbekor, a war dance, they mean something. They mean war. They mean they are getting ready to do something. To fight some people. When they play Gahu, they mean they want to have fun. They want to be with their lovers. They want to get new friends. But in this modern system, it's not so. In the old days, Atsiagbekor can be played only when there is danger. Agbadza, which means 'gun belt,' can only be played when there is a funeral, when somebody died. Agbadza cannot be played in parties, in those days. Agbadza cannot be played at birth ceremonies. But in this modern system, you can play Agbadza in the church room. You can play Agbadza at weddings or births. You can play Gahu in funerals. Because people are trying to avoid wars and don't want to separate things. We need our music. The music pushes us to feel zeal, to work also. [People say that there are] no wars, so we should forget about Atsiagbekor. We should forget about Agbadza and all those things. But we need those musics. They are lovely. We don't want to leave them, but we don't want those things. So we decided that we should keep them going, but we don't mean to play them because we want them to happen. That is why we have changed the traditional ways of the music.

Mark Powers: Speaking of tradition, I see very few women playing drums. Is it, or was it ever, forbidden?

Emmanuel Agbeli: In those days women were not allowed to touch drums. Most of the drums had herbs- spirits. The women are not allowed to touch them because as a woman, if you are in your menstruation time and you touch any spiritual thing, any herb, it kills it. So husbands and fathers don't believe women, because they don't know when will be that time for you. They just cease it- you can't touch a drum. These days, we don't have strong herbs or spirits in the drums like before. Due to that, women are allowed to play drums.

Mark Powers: Do people still subscribe to many of these traditional beliefs, or are they changing due to the introduction of Christianity and other religions?

Emmanuel Agbeli: My parents belonged to the Thunder God. I was born in that and I've been taken care of by that god. I'm even given a name after that god. There is no way I can change my religion to Christianity. It affects me. I'll go mad. It's very simple to change from a Christian religion to a traditional religion, than to change from a traditional religion to Christianity. That is why people decided to, in modern times, train all students in Christianity, to give them the Christian life. When they grow up they can decide, which will not harm them. In Ghana we have three religions. We have the fetish religion, we have the Christian religion and we have the Muslim religion. The Christian religion compared to the fetish religion- they are both almost trying to say the same thing. The only difference is Jesus Christ. The fetish people do not believe in Jesus Christ. They know that Jesus Christ is the son of God, as they are also the son of God, so Jesus Christ is their brother. Before they pray in their shrines, they make mention to the Almighty God, the Creator. Christians always say that the fetish religions are no good. And fetish say Christian religion is bad. Most of the fetish people do not go against the Christian religion. But my experience is that Christians speak badly against the fetish religion. In the fetish religion, whatever you do here, you get your result on earth. And so doing, there's a respect. Once you believe it, you cannot steal. Fetish people, into the spirit, their wives cannot have sex with other people. When they have, they cannot come into the house or may not have sex with them again. As soon as you do that, you go mad. In the Christian religion you don't get it right away.

Mark Powers: After death.

Emmanuel Agbeli: After death. And who knows after death. We don't know if they do have it or not. They are talking about hell. Who can tell you hell? No, but the fetish people can tell you hell on earth. Like, 'you see what is happening to you? You see how you are suffering? You see how you have boils all around because you are stealing? You see how you are going mad because you have caused an adultery?' You can see your hell right away on earth. But in the Christian way, you can't see it that way. That is what I like and believe more, because by so doing, there will be no bad things on earth. But when I'm in the Christian religion and I want to go according to their laws, I know I won't get it now. And I don't know how it is going to look like so I may do it. I may do it. My dad used to say that it's like using a ball to hit a wall. In the fetish religion, when you use the ball to hit the wall, it's coming [back] to you right there. You see it. When you hit it strong, it's coming strong, to hit you. But in Christian religions, when you hit it, the ball may stay there, which is not normal. You can't use a ball to hit a wall where it stays there and waits for you to go behind the wall before it will come and hit you. Or you cannot use a ball to hit a wall where it will penetrate, then when you leave the earth and go to your death (the back of the wall), then it will hit you.

If you are interested in studying at the Dagbe Center in Ghana, contact Emmanuel Agbeli at: dagbekopeyia@hotmail.com

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The Healthy Independent

DRUMMING FOR FUN AND . . . HEALTH?
Volume 2, Issue 3- Spring 2005
by Mark Powers

The changing of the seasons. The shuffling of shoes in the mall. The vibrations of your closed eyelids. The sensation of 'Pop Rocks' candy in your mouth. Rhythms exist in every part of our lives- in our bodies, our environment, our relationships with others. Taking time to become aware of these rhythms, and creating our own, is an excellent exercise with many benefits.

Along with singing and other vocalizations, percussion instruments(anything struck to create sound) were used in the earliest forms of communication and music-making. The primal nature of drumming makes it an easily accessible way for anyone to have fun, relieve stress and promote the development of personal and community wellness.

Rhythm-based events are being used for these purposes in a variety of situations. At-risk youth are being allowed to safely take out their frustrations on buckets and garbage cans. Alzheimer's patients can learn to repeat rhythms and even remember them for a period of time. A drum's vibrations can help an autistic child to focus his/her attention and interact with others. An increasing number of companies are using rhythm-based team-building workshops to boost employee morale, develop communication skills and stimulate creativity. Some individuals incorporate drumming into their personal meditation practice. Drum circle facilitators bring together large ensembles made up of complete beginners, seasoned music professionals, businesspeople, children,elderly, punks, yuppies, hippies- all gathered for the same purpose, to drum as one unit. The diverse groups not only create huge rhythms, but also build a strong sense of community- breaking down racial, economic and generational barriers.

No experience required! You don't need to already be a 'drummer.' You don't need any musical background whatsoever. Whether you realize it or not, you are already contributing to, and experiencing, the many rhythms of the world. How closely have you listened today? Did you pick up on the steady clicking of your computer keyboard this morning? Or the rhythm made by the load of laundry being tossed around in the dryer- occasionally accented by a pants button hitting the interior wall? Right now, how quickly (or slowly) is your heart beating? How fast is your significant other's beating? Stop. Breathe. Listen closely. Become aware of the rhythms cycling around and through you. They are there every moment of every day.

Inquire about hand drum lessons at the local music store. Inquire about drum circles at the local coffeeshop. Purchase a drum. Hit it. Slam the refrigerator door. Again. One more time. Clap your hands. Feel the rhythm. Share the rhythm.

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Salem Monthly

The Basics of Hand Drumming
Volume 3, Issue 7- October 2006
by Mark Powers

Playing a repetitive rhythm on a hand drum can release stress and lift your spirits. Here are a few tips and some basic strokes that will help get you started.

Elevate your drum by either mounting it on a stand or holding it between your knees and feet. This allows the air to escape from inside the drum, producing a full, rich tone.

The first stroke, the bass tone, is played by hitting the center of the drum with your palm, keeping the entire hand flat, with fingers gently held together. Let your hand bounce away from the drumhead, pulling the low-pitched bass tone out of the instrument. Stay relaxed and practice the stroke with both hands, striving to make the strokes sound identical.

Noticeably higher in pitch is the open tone, produced by using the fingers as a paddle and striking near the edge of the drum. Aim so that the rim of the drum connects with the hand at the base of the fingers. Remain relaxed and pull away immediately after contact. Let the open tone ring out and keep the sound consistent between the right and left hands.

The slap is the third and often most difficult stroke to develop. When playing a slap, the base of your palm will make contact with the rim of the drum and your fingers will fall near the center of the drumhead. Instead of bouncing away, as in the bass and open tones, let your hand remain on the drumhead. At the moment of contact, your fingertips should slightly tug or grip at the head. Executed properly and quickly, the slap stroke will create a short, loud, high-pitched crack. Practice each of these three hand drum strokes repeatedly with both hands.

Feel free to conjure up your own combinations of basses, opens and slaps. Listen to your favorite music and let the sounds you hear lead you into patterns. Jam with a friend or two. Take your drum to a local drum circle and be guided by its energy and spontaneity. If something more structured suits you better, inquire about hand drum lessons at music stores in your area.

Hand drums such as Latin congas, Middle Eastern dumbeks or African djembe or ashiko can be found at nearly any music store and are excellent choices for the beginner.

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Salem Monthly

MUSIC LESSONS? AT MY AGE?
Many adults say it’s never too late to hone a new skill
Volume 3, Issue 10- January 2007
by Mark Powers

“To learn is to grow is to live.” This phrase seems to sum up the reasons why many adults are choosing to pick up a musical instrument, perhaps for the first time ever, and even seeking out private instruction. Many adult students with a love of music go about their non-musical routines for years, taking center stage only in the safety of their cars or showers. At last they take the steps to get that guitar, drum set or violin and make the commitment to learn how to play it. Some are inspired by witnessing the growth and enjoyment that instrumental lessons bring to their children. Some, like social worker and self-proclaimed “closet drummer” Rod Schraufnagel, simply desire an escape from work and the daily grind. Others already have an instrument sitting at home waiting to be played. Nancy Perna has studied piano with Salem instructor Dave Louthan for over four years. Perna sought lessons after acquiring a baby grand piano to “warm and complete” her living room.

“Then I wanted to learn to play it, and had no idea just how important it would become in my life. I also know that mental exercise is even more important as we get older. That reinforced my desire to play.” Studying an instrument is certainly not without its share of difficulties. But compared to younger students, adults find additional challenges to overcome. Adult students often become impatient with themselves. In many instances, they comprehend and “hear” the desired end result of a musical exercise more quickly than they can perform it. Adult students can get frustrated that memorization and muscle memory do not happen overnight. Larry Harker states that his year and a half of guitar lessons with Mike Magee at Weathers Music have given him a greater appreciation for music and the time it takes to become a good musician. Sixty-two-year-old piano student Pat Wenckus agrees.

“I have gained great respect for anyone who plays any instrument well. Unless you’ve dabbled in it, you have no idea of the complexity and dedication it takes.”

Probably not surprisingly, one of the biggest challenges adults face is squeezing time for lessons and practice into already busy schedules.

“Adult children spread across the country, grandchild number one, aging parents needing attention and a newly retired husband occasionally put a strain on my practice time,” Wenckus said. “Dave [Louthan] is very understanding, knowing adults have lots on their plates.” Whatever obstacles may arise, choosing to dive into the adventure of making music can bring many rewards. Dentist by day, Mike Hanneman considers drumming and private lessons his “diversion and release from everyday routine.”

The rhythmic challenges that Hanneman has encountered do not discourage him because he reminds himself that his pursuit is solely for “pleasure and relaxation.”

Percussion student Jerry Draws was first introduced to hand drumming just a few years ago at a Native American spirituality program. Initially seeking instruction in meditative drumming techniques, he has continued on to conquer several styles, including Afro-Cuban rhythms and other techniques.

When asked what he has gained from his studies, Draws says, “self-discipline and a realization that as one gets older, new things come much slower, but they do come with perseverance.”

Most adults find that the greatest rewards attained from focusing on a musical instrument are not musical in nature at all. Instead they are personal achievements, which matter a great deal more than simply gaining the ability to pluck a little melody or beat a steady rhythm. It is often the realization that regardless of age, there is still much to learn and that one can continue to learn and live life to its fullest.

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Salem Monthly

DRUM DRUM DRUM
How to beat out a groovy rhythm
Volume 3, Issue 12- March 2007
by Mark Powers

In the October issue of Salem Monthly Newspaper, we took a look at some of the basic strokes that can be played on nearly any hand drum you might have hiding in the corner. This month it’s time to put those sounds together and make some music! The strokes (bass, open and slap) can be combined in numerous ways, creating a variety of great sounding rhythms.

First, a quick review. Remember that the low-pitched “bass” stroke is produced by striking the center of the drum with the entire palm of your hand. Using your fingers as a paddle, the higher “open” tone can be created by hitting nearer to the edge of the drum, with the hand making contact with the rim along the base of your fingers. The “slap” stroke is made by striking the drum so that the rim meets the base of your palm, close to the wrist. Instead of pulling the hand away, stay affixed to the drumhead and give it a slight gripping tug with your fingertips. With practice this will produce a loud, high-pitched “crack.” Be sure to remain relaxed and take the time to develop each of these strokes with both hands, striving to make your right and left hand strokes sound identical. For the full article, visit www.salemmonthly.com.

Notation is as follows: “B” stands for the bass tone, “O” denotes an open tone, and “S” symbolizes the loud slap stroke. A dash (-) in the notation means that we will leave a short pause, or “rest,” in the phrase. Ready? Here we go, beginning with only “bass” tones and rests.

B B B – B – B –

Spoken, this pattern is “bass, bass, bass, rest, bass, rest, bass, rest.” Start slowly and repeat the phrase over and over until it feels smooth and comfortable. When it does, try this one:

B – – B B – B – (bass, rest, rest, bass, bass, rest, bass, rest)

Let’s add some “open” tones to the above rhythms.

B B B – B O B O (bass, bass, bass, rest, bass, open, bass, open); and

B O O B B – B – (bass, open, open, bass, bass, rest, bass, rest)

Finally, add “slap” strokes to our hand drum grooves.

B B B S B O B O (bass, bass, bass, slap, bass, open, bass, open); and

B O O B B S B S (bass, open, open, bass, bass, slap, bass, slap)

There you have it — it’s as easy as that. The bass, open and slap strokes can be combined in any way that you like. The options are limitless. Grab a friend, invent some of your own rhythms, bang away and have fun. Here are a few more rhythms to help get things started.

B B O O B B S S (bass, bass, open, open, bass, bass, slap, slap)

B – – S – O O O (bass, rest, rest, slap, rest, open, open, open)

B – S B B – O O (bass, rest, slap, bass, bass, rest, open, open)

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Statesman Journal

January 28, 2009
MUSICIAN SHARES HIS PASSION WITH STUDENTS
by Chris Hagan

(click here for downloadable/printable PDF version)

Mark Powers lives his life by rhythm.

Be it the rhythms he pounds out on his drums, the rhythms he feels between people or the ones that have carried him from rural Wisconsin to Africa and finally to Salem.

"Sometimes I look at what I'm doing and it seems like it's so unconnected, but it all relates to percussion one way or another," Powers said.

A teacher at Weathers Music in South Salem, Powers has built an impressive résumé that includes nearly 50 students at the shop, performances across the country, school residencies and even a corporate leadership program called Rhythms at Work.

"He can wear so many hats and wear them very well," said Weathers owner Keith Weathers. It's led Powers to develop a wide network of colleagues in Salem since landing here in 2006 when Weathers was the first music store between Eugene and Portland to call the number on his business card.

"Having a guy like Mark in the Salem community is real lucky," said Sprague band director Brad Howard. "He could play anywhere — and he has played a lot of places — but he chooses Salem to call home right now."

The music career came as a last minute reprieve days before he attempted to fulfill his high school nickname of Doogie Howser. After finishing high school at age 16, he was set to start a pre-med program, but opted for a music school at the last minute.

"Literally at the 11th hour I was supposed to go for an orientation and I asked my mom if I could go to Minneapolis for an audition at this music college," Powers said.

He started college as a heavy metal fan (he even admits to cut-off leather gloves) but was persuaded to diversify. The events reattached him to the rhythms that originally got him into music as a child.

"I honestly think the reason I picked percussion was growing up in Bayfield, Wis., up in northern Wisconsin, we were three miles from the Red Cliff Indian tribe," Powers said. "I remember going to powwows as a kid and loving the drumming which was more simple and trancelike. And the dancers with all the bells and rattles on their legs, which I totally do at all of my jazz gigs."

That led him to pursue the source of his favorite beats, traveling to Ghana to study under local drummers.

"I teach the West African style here, but I didn't want to study it from a guy like me," he said. "I wanted to go to the source."

Since then, he's tried to give that information back as much as possible, starting school residency programs, writing magazine articles, an instruction book he's looking to publish and even a YouTube channel.

Last year he and Howard, a fellow percussionist, helped put together a percussion seminar for Salem-Keizer teachers. The two even share some students, a situation Howard takes advantage of occasionally.

"I ask (my student) what he's doing in his lessons, what has Mark shown you, and I'll give my student things to take to Mark because I know he has different approaches, ways to take that problem apart and from different angles that I haven't thought of," Howard said. For Howard, Powers is a unique combination of well-trained musician who can explain what he's thinking to students.

"Sometimes you'll come across great players who can't articulate what they're doing because it was natural and they've never had to think about it," Howard said. "What he does well is he has tremendous ability, but he also knows what it means to work on things and he's able to communicate on a wide range of ages and ability."

Besides his own teachings and programs, Powers is a freelance drummer, hooking up for one-off shows all over the country.

"A lot of this stuff is fly-out dates so I'll go to San Francisco or Austin, Texas, and I can just bring my laptop and my sticks and there will be a kit there waiting for me," he said. "And it's a situation where I'm not in a band, so if I can't do it they'll just find a different drummer."

Powers also is working on an instruction book and writing magazine articles, including for the Mel Bay Web site.

But his main goal is to continue to travel. His next targets are Brazil and Cuba.

"Someone coined a term for me once, like ethno-percussionologist," Powers said, "because I really enjoy studying percussion's role in different cultures. I really have a fascination for that and that's what I want to teach."

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Salem Monthly

Volume 6, Issue 5- August 2009
RHYTHM RX
by Michelle Andujar

According to holistic theory, when there's disease in the body, its vital force has been blocked.

Drum therapy proposes that drum vibrations can penetrate the electromagnetic field around us, creating a better balance with their positive rhythms.

"Music can be the vehicle for some people to really express themselves, people who otherwise may have trouble adapting or communicating with the rest of the world," said local percussionist Mark Powers, who has used drum therapy with autistic children and inmates. "I've created a number of rhythmic games to get autistic kids to focus on one steady beat for a length of time."

Drumming exercises have helped Alzheimer's patients communicate better with their family members, he added.

Having someone drum over the affected part of the body, close enough for the patient to feel the drum's pulsations through the hollow bottom of the instrument, is thought to help speed the recovery process.

"The deep, resonating sound waves literally go into the body, making the immune system kick into gear and start the healing processes," said Steve Koc, a chiropractor at Riverfront Wellness Center, who maintains a gong and a hand drum at his work station, and drums over clients upon request.

Some people have experimented with drumming as a form of prayer.

"When our friends are ill, we play for them, and a lot of times it works," said Rick McKenzie, local drum maker and one of the founders of the Salem drum circle at Riverfront Park.

Besides being drummed over or drummed for, the act of drumming has its own beneficial effects.

"Moving the arms causes the lymphatic system to flush through the chest and the axila," Koc said.

As a Marine, Wendy Graves was almost paralyzed from Persian Gulf Syndrome, nerve damage from exposure to chemicals during the Desert Storm and Desert Shield military operations. She can walk now, thanks to physical and drum therapy, she said.

"Since I started drumming, I don't have to work so much with a physical therapist. My balance is better. I don't know if it's the exercise, the energy, or both. Drumming has made me much stronger. It's a great upper-body exercise, and it's fun," Graves added.

Drumming may have many mental and emotional impacts.

"It's a form of meditation," Koc said. "We get stressed out mulling over the past. Sound only exists in the present. You can't hold on to it. With drumming, you focus on what you're doing, and move on. It's a natural high, without the addiction and hangover factor of other escapes."

Powers teaches a workshop once a month called "Inner Rhythms Percussion," which endeavors to help people have better relationships. "It is based on the idea that if you become aware of the rhythms in your own life and in your relationships, you'll be in a better position to make changes where it's needed," he explained.

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News Review

(a publication of the Correctional Education Association of Wisconsin)
March/April 2004
Volume 18, Issue 5
by Rich Norenberg, WRC

The Wisconsin Resource Center's multicultural program sponsored "Drums of Africa" on February 18. This centerpiece to WRC's Black History Month celebration was provided by local percussionist Mark Powers. Mark recently traveled to Ghana, Africa to learn local drum making, drumming traditions and styles of such as Gahu, Tokoe, Achiagbekor and Kinka pieces with the Ewe people of the Volta Region. He returned with locally hand made drums and in addition to his already diverse and strong percussion background, new traditional African drumming methods. Mark presented this experience and entertained inmates and staff during his 90-minute show.

Mark opened his presentation with an attention-getting drum roll on a wooden African xylophone. The sound centered the audience's attention and many moved to the edge of their chairs to focus on his work. With audience in tow, Mark led a brief overview of what was to be expected in his show.

The ensuing slide show visually represented his three months stay in Ghana,Africa. This led to an attentive audience engaged in a lengthy question and answer session. "Drums of Africa" was wrapped up with a lecture and powerful demonstration on the drums. Some drums Mark played included the Djun-Djun, Talking Drum, Kpanlogo, and Master Drum. With several more drums on hand, Mark ensured all were played for their unique sound and a description of each piece was provided. Needless to say, Mark's drumming wowed the audience.

Some of Mark's recent accomplishments include being officially entered in the Guinness Book of World Records, 2000 Wisconsin Band of the Year, 1999 Central Wisconsin Band of the year, 1998 Horizon Award, 1995 Minnesota Band of the Year and 1995 Minnesota Academy of Music Award. Mark also plays for several local bands and has worked with Hollywood Images, Ronald McDonald House and the Minnesota Twins. He is planning a return trip to Africa in September 2004.

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IntuneMag.com

(online publication for Musictech College)
Spring 2004
by Cory Clay

After graduating from high school in Grand Marais, Minnesota, Mark Powers attended Musictech College from 1993-1995, and graduated with a degree in performance. "My percussion addiction probably began as a result of attending Chippewa pow-wows as a child," Powers says. "Without a thorough understanding of the culture behind the music, there was no way that I would have been allowed to participate, but the intensity of the gathering drum rhythms definitely permeated my being and triggered a future of hitting stuff."

On September 11, 2003, Powers and his three drummer buddies, Peter Buxman, Patrick Flanigan, and Namiah Tribolini, set out to break the record in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest drum roll by a group. The friends played a non-stop buzz roll on a 12- inch DW snare for 12 hours. From 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., they alternated shifts in 10 to 15 minute increments. The day was a success! Not only did Powers and his drumming partners break the world record (previously held at nine hours), but they also raised over $1,200 for local school music departments and the Wisconsin PAS chapter.

Currently, Mark is freelancing with several jazz, rock, and country bands, teaching private drum lessons and community percussion programs, and participating in the artist-in-residence programs in area schools. Powers also recently returned from a two-and-a-half month trip to Ghana, West Africa, where he studied the drumming of the Ewe and Ga people. One of Powers' songs, featured on Just Drums II, will be available this spring through Fever Pitch Records. And an interview Powers did with Ghanaian master drummer Emmanuel Agbeli is featured in the April issue of Fever Pitch magazine.

Powers says that music is his passion because, "Rhythm is everything that I am . . . everything that we are." He offers some good guidance to Musictech students by saying, "Diversify! Play all styles. You'll learn something every time. And teach. In music and in life, the process of giving what has been given is a rhythmic cycle that is important to nurture for the betterment of all."

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Appleton Post-Crescent

March 18, 2004
EVENINGS AT THE IMPROV
by Jim Lundstrom

view cover photo (Post-Crescent photo by Kristyna Wentz-Graff)

Jazz is suddenly a happening thing in Appleton. You could even say a jazz orgy is taking place here. Multiple venues are offering a variety of jazz, from a piano/bass duo to big band. Almost as a symbolic standard bearer of the growth of live jazz in Appleton, the Oshkosh based trio Jazz Orgy recently set up its weekly jazz jam shop in the front window of Ravens in downtown Appleton on Wednesday nights.

The trio- Mark Powers on drums, Andy Mertens on upright bass, and Mark Martin on keyboards- recently celebrated its fourth year of jazz orgies every Sunday at Peabodys Ale House in Oshkosh. but started playing Ravens just last month.

Already word has spread that Jazz Orgy is in town, and others come to play with the Orgy.

On a recent night you would have found at Ravens several members of the Groove Hogs horn section, a crack drummer in the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble, guitarist Chris Aaron, piano/bass duo Helen Exner and Jason Brown, and a number of other players all waiting their turn to get in on the Orgy.

"As it stands right now, they're my favorite nights." said Ravens' owner Clint "Howie" Gennett. "They play with so much energy, and it's brought in so many new people. Everyone who comes loves the vibe. It's just going to get better. I'm excited every Wednesday."

Bass player Mertens, an LU graduate, is happy to be in Appleton as well. "I love it." he said. "It's awesome being back in the old haunts."

The band really does seem inspired, flying along with all pistons kicking in- Powers, machinelike in his precision but incredibly human in the percussive colorations and textures he provides from whatever part of his cocktail kit he chooses to make music on; Mertens, who is endlessly inventive on the bass and moves easily from a blistering barrage of bass filigrees to achingly mournful bowings; Martin, who conjures up a world of sound on his RD-600 Roland digital piano and Hammond XK-2 organ.

"Playing with the two Marks is just so cool," said bass player Jason "Red" Brown after playing a lickety-split version of Chick Corea's "Spain" with Martin and Powers. "They both have great ears."

"A lot of what we do is on the fly. We just yell out ideas to each other," said drummer Powers. "Money can't buy chemistry like that."

When The Jazz Orgy came to town, the band knew it wanted to play a similar format to it's Sunday nights in Oshkosh, with different players drifting on stage throughout the night. "Absolutely, we want it to be a jam," Martin said. "That's why we call it the Jazz Orgy."

"It's such a great thing when musicians have a venue to come to where they can just meet and play," said Dan Crane, an Evanston, IL native and Lawrence University senior who drums in the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble. "It's great to meet all these other musicians. They're playing standards, so if anyone knows their stuff they can play."

"This is great. I'm in full support of the Jazz Orgy," said Steve Cooper, tenor sax player in The Groove Hogs. "I've been going down to Peabody's for years. When I heard these guys were coming up here, I knew I'd have to come down and support them. As long as they're here, I'll be coming down.

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The Compass

(Official Newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay, Wisconsin)
February 13, 2004
AFRICAN DRUM BEAT COMES TO OSHKOSH PARISHES:
MUSICIAN STUDIES DIFFERENT WAYS TO GIVE VOICE TO PRAISE
by JoAnne Flemming, Compass Correspondent

Oshkosh drummer Mark Powers is on a mission to study percussion instruments in different parts of the world.

He spent two and a half months last fall in Ghana, West Africa, studying drumming techniques. Since his return in December, those techniques have enriched liturgies at St. Mary Parish in Omro and St. Raphael Parish in Oshkosh. Powers also brought back two dozen, handcrafted African drums. These included djembe drums carved with traditional symbols. The ones he presented to the parishes include Ghanaian symbols for God Omnipotent.

Powers started playing drums in fifth grade, in his native Bayfield, where he was intrigued by the drumming he heard at Native American powwows. After graduating high school at age 16, he attended music school for two years in Minneapolis. While in Minnesota, he met a Ghanaian who introduced him to drumming from his country. Because of that friendship, Powers became determined to go to West Africa.

Realizing that goal took 10 years.

In the meantime, he moved to Oshkosh, where he set up a downtown studio. Besides giving percussion lessons, he plays with various bands. African drumming has been included in the music which the band, Revelation, plays at St. Raphael's Lifeteen Masses and with what the Ruah Trio performs weekly for St. Mary's Sunday Masses. Powers belongs to both groups.

He has also developed three programs he does as artist in residence at parochial and public schools:

  • - "Hands Around the World," an introduction to percussion instruments from different countries.
  • - "Junk Jam," lessons in music performed on such non-musical devices as garbage cans, brake drums and buckets.
  • - A West African program that centers on Ghana.

Because of a student's mother, he became involved with the music group at St. Mary. St. Raphael's group includes area musicians, both Catholic and non-Catholic.

When he set out on his long-awaited journey to Ghana last October, Dane Richeson, a percussion professor from Appleton's Lawrence University directed Powers to places where he could study drumming: these included the villages of the Ewe and the Ga tribes.

His first stop was with the Ewe at Kopeyia, the village which is the home of the Dagbe Cultural Center. While the center does not hold formal drumming classes, it "is a destination for Western percussionists," Powers said.

The Ewe, he explained, have a several styles of drums, built with staves and resembling different sized and shaped barrels. They are played with two sticks, or with one stick and a hand.

Powers learned how to make various tones on the drums, but said he also learned how drumming permeates Ghanaians' lives. While drums are played for social occasions, they are also used for events such as funerals. He joined a group that performed for a hospital opening. Drums can still be used for communication, as much today as in the past.

While studying at the Dagbe Center, Powers often heard someone running through the village playing double iron bells: one high, one low. These were gakogui, he was told, and they served as newspapers. The different tones announced the times and locations of events, usually funerals.

When Powers later visited the Ga people along the Ghanaian coast, he heard bells played while fishermen dragged in their nets. He learned that the music made from these banana leaf-shaped bells kept people motivated at their work.

He said the Dagomba region in the north is known for "talking drums." These are shaped like hour glasses, with tops and bottoms connected on the outside with strings. In playing them, a drummer squeezes the drum under his arm to contract the strings and change the instrument's tone as he hits it with a curved stick. The resulting changes in tone are supposed to be like "inflections in the human voice," Powers said.

However, a "talking" drum often speaks to the village chief and, since the place where Powers was visiting had no current chief, drumming there was temporarily forbidden.

Even though he couldn't play any Dagomba drums, he was able to study Ga hand drumming techniques. These include different strokes resulting in slap tones, open tones, bass tones, light finger and palm tones. Combining these tones creates various rhythms.

Besides drums, Powers studied other percussion instruments. He explained that, musically, any instrument struck to produce a tone is considered a percussion instrument. This includes the xylophone he discovered in northwestern Ghana. While similar to a Western xylophone, it had gourds hanging from its bars.

He traveled around the country by tro-tros, small European vans used as public transportation. He described them as "really smelly, really dirty." They were over-packed. It wasn't unusual, he said with a laugh, to sit next to a woman with "live chickens between her legs."

Powers plans to continue to study hand drumming. Early next year, he will spend a month in Thailand. He also wants to study drumming in India and South America.

© Catholic Diocese of Green Bay
1825 Riverside Drive | P.O. Box 23825 | Green Bay, WI 54305-3825
Phone: 920-437-7531 | Fax: 920-437-0694 | E-Mail: diocmail@gbdioc.org

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Oshkosh Northwestern

September 12, 2003
DRUMMING FOR WORLD RECORD
12-hour drum roll lands title
by Doug Zellmer

Their hands may be a little sore, but four men have laid claim to a new Guinness Book of Records for the longest continuous drum roll.

The 12-hour marathon started at 8 a.m. Thursday in New Moon Coffee Co. in downtown Oshkosh. It was completed at 8 p.m. when the last smack of drumstick to snare drum took place.

"I'm in awe and very excited. It's just huge for my life," said drummer Patrick Flanigan.

Although they drummed for 12 straight hours, the four set the world's record shortly after 5:11 p.m. as onlookers applauded when they bested the current mark listed by Guinness of 9 hours, 11 minutes and 1 second. The record was set March 26 of this year by 11 students at Maple Street School, Contoocook, N.H.

"It's a huge sense of accomplishment for four small town guys. I knew we could do it," said drummer Namiah Tribolini.

The longest continuous drum roll, however, must be verified by Guinness Book of Records. Five people witnessed the entire 12 hours to verify the accomplishment and the event was videotaped.

Joining Flanigan and Tribolini in the continuous drum roll were Mark Powers and Peter Buxman. Buxman hails from St. Paul, Minn. The other three are from Oshkosh. The four alternated with each drumming for 10 minutes at a time.

Powers said the Guinness record set by the New Hampshire school children was in memory of people who died in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D. C.

"We wanted to commemorate 9-11 and also acknowledge moving onward," Powers said.

Powers said he also set up the drum roll as a way to have fun with friends and to promote the percussive arts.

"It was a great event to do it with some of my best friends and some of the best drummers in the area," Powers said. "We were confident that we could pull it off."

A massage therapist was present to keep the drummers hands and wrists in shape for the marathon drum roll.

Claiming the longest continuous drum roll is the second recent attempt in Wisconsin to set a new Guinness Book of Records. Carroll College student Rey Monis, a disc jockey at the campus radio station, recently broadcast nonstop for 104.5 hours.

Doug Zellmer: (920) 426-6667 or dzellmer@thenorthwestern.com.

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Oshkosh Northwestern

July 11, 2003
Oshkosh Man Drums Up Trip To Africa
by Doug Zellmer

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