Sule Gordon’s drum clinic will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the month of November at Maui Music Mission. The clinic will conclude with a live concert at The Outlets of Maui. All ages are welcome.

LAHAINA – Sule Gordon will lead a West African drumming clinic every Tuesday and Thursday in November from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Maui Music Mission.

Gordon is known for his local drumming company called Mana’o Lau Lima (The Power of Many Hands), which formed out of his time spent with the youth of Lahaina as a coordinator at the Boys and Girls Club.

Drums are considered the world’s oldest instruments. African and Indian people have used drums for long-range communication between villages dating back thousands of years.

Today, drumming as an activity is known to be one of the best forms of exercise. Recreational playing of drums also lowers stress in our bodies.?

Caribbean-born Gordon has been drumming since elementary school, where he was classically trained in percussion. The allure of the drum and his Guyanese roots led him into Afro-Cuban styles, as well as ancient Senegalese traditions.

Sule Gordon (second from left) is beloved by his students and regarded for his strict instruction.

Later, while involving African song and dance to his repertoire, he began teaching at performing arts camps

“Sule’s teaching is invigorating. It changes you immediately from unsure to bold in stature, and it is always a camp favorite,” said Reuben Pali of MMM.?

Gordon’s drum clinic will emphasize the practice of playing the ensemble.?

One of the major hurdles young drummers encounter is finding practice space that doesn’t bother family or neighbors. Some resort to electronic drum sets that can be played silently inside the home, but it doesn’t compare to the experience of playing acoustic drums. That’s why Maui Music Mission is hosting this clinic.

For information, call 463-7856.