It was hard to imagine how Al-Bustan’s Community Percussion Ensemble could engender the same sense of togetherness and collaboration through a computer screen, but under the dedicated instruction of Master Percussionist Hafez Kotain, our drummers continued to create beautiful compositions together this semester, even while physically apart.
On December 14 and 15, Al-Bustan’s first full semester online of the Community Percussion Ensemble came to a satisfying end, as ensemble members—novice and returning — learned a whole new set of skills.
Members of our Beginner Ensemble were taken with Hafez’s skill as a musician and as a teacher, even over Zoom. In this class, students were introduced to the basics of Arab percussion, following the lessons in Volume One of Hafez’s Percussion Booklet. One member wrote,
Hafez El Kotain is a wonderful, charismatic instructor with extensive knowledge of music theory and pedagogy. It’s so much fun to learn with others, even in this on-line environment.
Another member commented on the new opportunities that come with an online ensemble, explaining,
For me the opportunity to participate in the virtual class is the thing that actually made it possible… I have wanted to take a percussion class with Hafez for many years, so I am very grateful for this opportunity!
It was a joy to have many of our past members return to participate in the virtual ensemble. Watching drummers who have learned and performed together under the guidance of Hafez Kotain for years was fascinating, as members anticipated each other’s beats and rests in perfect coordination. One longtime member of our Community Percussion Ensemble exclaimed,
I think the virtual percussion ensemble has worked out sweetly from the teaching point of view. Hafez is such a generous, heartening teacher. We get to learn with this master and see one another which is amazing. Hafez has added videos to help us practice….I think the virtual class is a huge success—and a boon to all of us.
All of our ensemble members were able to demonstrate what they had learned over the course of the semester in a video, which layers the individual sounds of our drummers to create a virtual performance!
Check out the Beginner Group here:
Check out the Returner Group here:
