Mesa musicians learn rhythm section secrets

  • 2017-07-09
Local musicians, educators, and students are invited to Billy Cobham’s Art of the Rhythm Section Retreat starting in a couple of weeks.

Cobham will be teaching musicians the teamwork and artistry of working with a rhythm section. He will be joined by his band members, including professional drummer and teacher Dom Famularo.

The learning experience will have interactive lectures, video analysis, and discussions. It will also offer playing exercises, musician enrichment programs, and daily jam sessions. The cost of the experience will include a live performance of Billy and his Spectrum 40 Band at the Mesa Arts Center.

Some classes will be focused on gaining and building trust with band mates, listening keenly during a performance, controlling tempo, and presenting harmonious musical character.

Dan Shinder will be presenting a 90-minute talk entitled ‘Social Media on Steroids’. He will be covering such issues as how to grow an audience through creating an online platform, promoting and marketing to target audiences, and how to implement an editorial calendar.

Students will be taking pictures with the artists for future poster printing.

The sessions will be in the Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main Street July 16 through July 22. The opening session a week today will start at 5:30 pm, and the subsequent days will begin at 10:00 am and close at 5:00 pm.