Jim Donovan Fall 2009 Workshop/Concert Schedule....

Photo by Sean McLeod

Jim Donovan Fall 2009 Workshop/Concert Schedule....

Dear Friends,
One of the many things I love about teaching is that it keeps me on my toes. Visiting your town each year challenges me to learn and develop new material so that we both keep progressing.
I want to thank those of you who always show up. Knowing you'll be there looking for something new to learn is great motivation for me!

With that in mind, I want to let you in on a few details about all of the exciting drumming we'll be doing over the next few months. I've begun offering a full day program in several cities called the Day of Drumming where you'll have the opportunity to experience both the Rhythm Renewal and Yoga of Drum and Chant workshops. Both workshops have been revamped with much new material, exercises, concepts and songs. In Wellsville, NY and Syracuse, NY, my band Drum the Ecstatic will doing evening concerts to top off our day.

Have a look at the schedule below and join us for some great times!
I look forward to drumming with you soon.

Peace, Jim


Fall 2009 Schedule
10.2.09 West Chester, PA : Yoga of Drum and Chant
10.3.09 Skillman, NJ : The Princeton Day of Drumming
10.10.09 Saxonburg, PA : The Saxonburg Day of Drumming
10.15-10.18.09 Pittsburgh, PA : DrumTalk / World Rhythm Festival
10.24.09 Syracuse, NY : The Syracuse Day of Drumming
11.6.09 Baltimore, MD : The Yoga of Drum and Chant details coming soon
11.7.09 Lewes, DE : The Rehoboth Day of Drumming
11.14.09 Wellsville, NY : The Wellsville Day of Drumming
11.20.09 Camp Hill, PA : Yoga of Drum and Chant
11.21.09 Coopersburg, PA : the Coopersburg Day of Drumming
12.4.09 Pittsburgh, PA : Drum the Ecstatic in concert
12.5.09 Johnstown, PA : The Rhythm Renewal Workshop
12.11.09 York, PA : Yoga of Drum and Chant
12.12.09 Binghamton, NY : The Binghamton Day of Drumming

12.31.09 Manassas, VA
New Years Eve bash with Drum the Ecstatic International
Details coming soon....

WInners of the Rhythmic Ear-Training CD Giveaway 9.21.09

Let me just say that you are all winners in my book...

However, the following people are even BIGGER winners :)
Congratulations!

Teresa Cole
Christiana P
Doris L.

Just email me at " info AT jimdonovanmusic.com" (remember to use the @ symbol for the "at")
to give me your mailing address and I'll get your discs in the mail this week.

Stay tuned for future giveaways...this was fun.

One Step...

Taking One Small Step
by Jim Donovan

I have this crazy idea about failure...

Failure simply teaches you how NOT to do something.

When you look at it closely, it is truly nothing more than this. Failure is simply a great teacher.
Learning to overcome this fear and live in your true purpose is sure-fire way to positively transform your entire life.

But what can you do right now to overcome the fear of failing?

Here is another exercise I give to my students...maybe it will be helpful for you too..

Start here:
I'd like you to identify one thing that you know you want in your life very much.
Something that the fear of failing is holding you back from doing or having.

1. Write out what the fear is.
2. Tell me about one small step that you could do that would move you closer to what you want.
3. Take this small step.
4. Write about your experience.


Enter this in comment below if you'd like...
Feel free to comment on each others comments.
We're all here together.

CD Giveaway! Enter to win a copy of my new "Rhythmic Ear Training" audio tool

The Rhythmic Ear Training CD
is an interactive play-along audio learning tool that is designed to give you hours of drumming enjoyment while developing a solid sense of rhythm by helping you to improve your listening and musical reaction skills.These skills are some of the most important building blocks in learning to drum with others and also to creating your own exciting rhythms. This unique audio learning tool is the perfect companion for any hand-drummer, drum set player, music teacher or classroom setting.

To win one of 3 copies of this CD, simply enter a comment (one entry per person please!) below saying "I want to win Jim!" by this Sunday, (September 20th) at midnight EST. If you are posting anonymously, I need you to enter your first name and last initial. Winners will be drawn at random, and the results will be posted here next week.

Best of luck!

Fail

see more Fail Blog

When I begin each semester at Saint Francis University, one of my favorite questions to ask students is "What is your greatest fear?". About 80% of the time their answers have something to do with being afraid of failing somehow. This fear can be so paralyzing that students will often choose a career path that is "easier" even though they really aren't passionate about it.


I am interested to know:
"Can you identify something in your life (something that you really want)
that would you do if you "knew" you could not fail?".
What is it?

Leave your comment below..

Being "All In"

Jim Donovan playing w/ Rusted Root @ 1992 Great Blue Heron Music Festival

Being "All In"
by Jim Donovan

Sometimes strange, seemingly unrelated occurrences connect important ideas together for me.

Case in point:
I was driving home last night after a workshop, it was late and I needed something not caffeinated to help me stay awake. I stumbled onto a station cranking an 80s' metal song called "Last in Line" by Ronnie James Dio...
(Yes I am a child of the Eighties and I have the old sleeveless T shirts to prove it.)

As I listened to him sing it suddenly dawned upon me why I like his singing so much.

When he sings, Dio holds nothing back.
When he recorded that tune he was ALL IN.

As I considered my "realization", I found that all of my favorite artists as well as the people I most enjoy being around share this quality. When I'm teaching, playing drums, or playing with my kids I know from experience that the best stuff happens when I'm ALL IN.

That thought made me curious....
and so
I am interested to know who inspires you by being "ALL IN".

For neatness sake make your response(s) in this kind of format:

"When Dio sung "Last in Line" he was ALL IN."
or
"When Steeler wide receiver Santonio Holmes caught that touchdown pass in the Superbowl he (and his feet) were ALL IN."

Leave it to 80's hair metal to teach me something this important...

The Transformation of Fear

Mandala Art by Stephanie Smith

The Transformation of Fear
by Jim Donovan

Just like all energy, your fears can be transformed and used. They can be re-focused and re-directed. You have the choice about whether you spend your energy in fear of something, or if you invest that energy into understanding, overcoming and transforming it.

Understand that the energy exists either way and it's our thoughts that charge it. The more you decide to live, act, and speak in a way that serves the highest good of all, the less afraid you will become. The more you engage in the service of others, the more you will understand our innate connection with each other, with nature, and with all that is.

It is possible to work for the betterment of yourself and enhancing the life of people around you by aligning yourself with purpose. Resist spending hours in the mundane and instead invest that time into things that feed your spirit.

Now is the time to decide to be in charge of how you frame your beliefs. Decide which of your beliefs serve your higher good and which ones hold you back. Be conscious and aware of how fear drives your day to day decision making processes.


Remember the words of Mahatama Gandhi ..."When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall — think of it, always."