My Students Opening for the Clarks in Italia..

One of my favorite things to do to my students is to make them perform in public after only playing for a short time...The students you see here were in my hand drumming class during a semester in Parma, Italy in May 08.
After 5 days of working with them for 2.5 hrs per day, I told them we would be performing live doing an opening slot for the band The Clarks in front of an Italian audience...

The students of course weren't so sure they could pull it off...I knew they would be fine...they did spectacular. the shades were there idea...

The Maestro in Parma

Photo by Eileen Hertweck I think..

I along with Rob James from the Clarks and Chuck Olson are innocently jamming at Le Bistro, a wonderful restaurant and home away from home in the center of Parma, Italy.

All of a sudden I have this wild looking, intoxicated Italian man telling me to stop drumming. He actually goes so far as to take my hands off of the djembe!

I find out later that is is the ex-conductor of the symphony in Parma....

I'm sure it won't be the last time someone tells me to play more quietly..