The story behind DFOA
Workshop Instruction
Event Facilitation
Private Lessons
Live Performance
Drum Repairs
Dave lead his first public drum circle in Milford MA in 2001. From those humble beginnings his circles continued every month up to the present day. Now it's typical for Dave to be leading as many as 20 events per month, with no signs of slowing down. Where Dave's initial interest was in West African drumming, he has since expanded his skills to include Middle Eastern doumbek and frame drumming, as well as forays into Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and other ethnic traditions. Dave comes from a musical family so initially he relied on his general musical instincts to become a self-taught hand drummer. Along the way, he has learned from well-known drummers such as Arthur Hull, Issa Coulibaly, Sayon Camara, Glen Velez, Shane Shanahan, Carmine Guida, and many others.
Dave is a co-creator and co-organizer for the annual Eastern Mass Rhythm Festival, which is now entering its 19th season (for more details go to www.rhythmfestival.org). Dave is also the artistic director of the Drum Nomads performance ensemble which specializes in live performances of hand drumming and percussion from around the world.