drumFantasy.14
July 27-31, 2014
Baldwin Wallace University
Cleveland, OH

Drum Fantasy Camp entered its eight year with a bang! The 2014 camp saw some new faces and a new location!

The camp took place at a new facility: Baldwin Wallace University in Cleveland. The univeristy is known for it's music conservatory and the venue served the camp well.

Drumming instructors included Dave Weckl, Virgil Donati, Chris Coleman, and Dave DiCenso. This was Virgil and Dave D.'s first year at the camp. Meanwhile, our Jam Night band featured a new face: the great James Genus (Brecker Brothers/Saturday Night Live). James joined longtime DFC family members Chrissi Poland and Vinny Valentino.



The camp opened with a Noon clinic and an evening concert. The clinic was a great way for attendees to meet the instructors. They ran a three-hour discussion bookended by a huge drum jam. Nothing like having four of the world's greatest drummers on stage together!

The concert featured a special guest: Russell Ferrante (The Yellowjackets) on keyboards! Russell, Chrissi, Vinny and James played a wide range of tunes to a full house. One highlight of the evening: a Weckl and Coleman duet on Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground."

Over the next four days, attendees spent a full day with each of our four instructors. Though each instructor had his own teaching style, the underlying theme of the camp was playing musicially.

Dave DiCenso brought an amazing combination of teaching skills. An eclectic musician, DiCenso splits his time touring with major pop acts (such as Josh Groban) while also carrying a full schedule at the Berklee School of Music. He coached his students to squeeze the most out of the groove.

Chris Coleman arrived at the camp armed with a bass and an amp. He got everyone up to play with him. If the student could complete a set of grooves and fills, Chris rewarded them with a freestyle jam!

Virgil Donati brought a big handout with him and it looked a bit intimidating. Wouldn't you know that he had everyone - including some beginners - playing comfortably in 19/16 within minutes! Virgil's approach was smart, but approachable. Everyone had a great time with him.

Finally, Dave Weckl brought a taste of his well-known one-day intensives to Drum Fantasy Camp. In addition to some lecturing and playing, Dave got each student up to jam with him. Dave analyzed elements of each player's groove, musicality, and technique. It was an incredible opportunity get input from a true master.

Three evenings featured our legendary Jam Nights. Held in BW's Gamble Auditorium, each camper got to jam with concert sound and lights. Meanwhile, James Genus was right there to make the groove sing. Our instructors also enjoyed some fun jams!

On the last night of the camp, Chris Coleman joined Vinny Valentino and B3 wiz Tony Monaco for an organ trio show at Nighttown Restaurant. Chris added saucy grooves and his unique brand of showmanship to every tune! A few lucky people got to join Chris afterward at Cleveland's B&M BBQ!

Our thanks to all the attendees, who came from 15 countries and all over the United States! We could not have done it without you! Click here to return to the top of the page.

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