„The course instructor was a really fascinating person, you could feel his charisma outside the building already. I’m sure he managed to convey the magic of what he’s doing even to those who were not involved in the subject at all.”

Drumming is one of the most ancient ways of self-expression and the most obvious musical instrument at hand is our own body. Due to our inhibitions, however, we tend to take the harder way and hide behind complicated musical solutions and instruments, even if there’s no need to do so. The absence of tools at the workshops creates an austere environment, where we can focus on what’s essential and make music inspired by our surroundings, relying on nothing else but our creativity. Purity and simplicity are key principles of body percussion. It focuses on the individuals and their relationship with themselves and their environment. It is a profound experience to see that serious and complex works can also be created using the simplest motifs and the most trivial tools. The improvisation based on these motifs says a lot about the group’s dynamics and our own limits as well.

András Dés regularly gives courses and workshops to musicians and nonmusicians, to children and adults, in Hungary and abroad. He is an external lecturer at the University of Theatre and Film Arts Budapest. His workshops focus on body percussion, where playfulness, improvisation and pushing the envelope all play an important role.