Future Books/DVD

I have been playing the Doumbek for the past 15 years. I really have come to respect the joy, love and the spirit that the Doumbek has had to offer me in the past two years. From January to June of 2004 I spent time in the hospital. I had a major brain operation and afterwards I had to relearn how to walk and to function both physically and mentally. Once I became well enough, with the permission and the encouragement from my beautiful wife Anna and my recreational therapist Sue, I had my wife bring in my Doumbek. Every night I began to practice and spiritually connect with my Doumbek. My doctors and therapists noticed a big change in my health conditions. I even noticed a tremendous improvement in my spirits and health.

The other remarkable aspect of playing the Doumbek is that the Doumbek is very portable to carry around and play in a variety of different surroundings. It’s kind of like playing a flute for a drummer. * On a beautiful day my good friend Emilio and I met at a park, we sat together and communicated our ideas through playing our Doumbeks. Emilio is a talented Doumbek player who taught me a great deal about his approach to playing/teaching cultural specific Middle Eastern Rhythms. * After a performance of the Baladi Belly Dance, where I had the opportunity to perform with Emilio and his students, I told everyone to bring their Doumbeks to the planned reception at a café so that we could have a musical conversation. We had a fabulous time along with the cafe’s customers.

My book begins from proper sitting postion to hand positions, tone production, reading of music and into a variety of cultural specific Doumbek grooves that range from the traditional Balladi types of rhythms to other cultural forms of music that range from Chilean South American to African Dance grooves. The "Art of Playing the Doumbek" also provides Doumbek arrangements that can be performed with ensembles along with instructions to how to play the Riqq/Tar. An instructional DVD is also provided along side with my book. So that you can play along or observe how to play a wide variety of Doumbek Culturally Specific Grooves and to have FUN!