Search - Sue Balaschak :: Primal Rhythm 1

Drum with the Best!

Boudica | Ohio USA | 10/15/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Sue Balaschak has been teaching music since 1977. She has shared the billing with Michael Glabicki and Jim Donovan (Rusted Root) and opened for the well known author Wayne Dyer. Currently she is the drummer for the band Burning Sage.



The idea of this CD is to provide the novice as well as the expert drummer with an accompaniment. You just bought that brand new drum, had a lesson at the festival, maybe even sat up all night with the drummers and got a first hand experience with a real live drumming circle. Now you are home... what do you do? Or you are an experienced drummer looking for an accompaniment to your practices.



The CD contains nine tracks, for a total play time of just over 45 minutes. The tracks range in time from four minutes to just over six minutes. The CD case is the traditional crystal case, with a nice cover graphic insert and a short note from the artist.



Ms. Balaschak starts with three tracks that provide some basic rhythms that progress to more and more complex rhythms. These are great for the beginner! And it does not matter what kind of drum you are using. The focus is hand drumming and hand drums to accompany the basic rhythms set up in these Call and Response tracks. The first three tracks are a single drum with a rattle accompaniment keeping time. You listen to Ms. Balaschak beat out a rhythm and you respond in the time space provided, using the constant rattle to keep the time.



From the fourth track forward you are able to play along with the multiple drums and regular rhythms. This and the following tracks focus on bringing the drumming circle into your living room. Spirit of Ashika begins to incorporate the rhythms learned in the first three tracks.



None of these tracks are exceptionally long and are nothing like some of the all night sessions that you will encounter at festivals. This allows you to build up your hand strength as you progress with the CD and allows you to progress at your own pace.



Track five Agogo Song incorporates the bells into the drumming, very lightly so as to augment the drumming and not overpower it.



Four Legged Rhythm on track six starts out with single drum and works its way into some good basic rhythms for multiple drums. This track is steady and even. You choose the part you want to play. The beats vary, from group simple to complex.



Fire Dance on track seven is much more energetic, keeping the same beat throughout the piece, accompanied by a tambourine, with a "break" added. This break is a common element in drumming, and is another component that is taught on this CD.



Crooked River on track eight is multiple drums accompanied by a shaker (forgive me, I'm not sure what kind), and again incorporates a basic beat, a variation on the break, and provides another element to drumming.



The final cut, Mother Speaks is a big bass Mother Drum, a pow wow drum, accompanied by rattles, and the idea here is for you to fill in your own rhythms to the Mother Drum! This is an excellent piece that allows you to work with all that you have learned and develop your own style within the accompanying piece.



This CD is a great learning tool, and a great "party on a CD"! This is well thought through, expertly executed, and Ms. Balaschak shows she is an excellent teacher with the production of this CD. It is available at Ms. Balaschak's workshops and at various stores in Ohio and it is also available on-line on her website. I would rate this CD five out of five stars for ingenuity, content and style. boudica"