Back to the top

milestones

milestones

drumset unless otherwise noted

1950-64 – tap dance, solo, or with Ray Hart and Hazel Gay-Hartigan, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York

1957 – November, tap dance performance with Douglas Miller on the Teenage Barn television show, Channel 6 NBC studios, Schenectady, NY

1959-60 – snare drummer for the Boy’s Club Cavaliers drum and bugle corps, Pittsfield MA, marching in parades and playing in drum corps competitions in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York State

1964 – April through August, pianist and leader of Edgewood Trio, Edgewood Club, Lenox, MA

1964 October-May 1965 – pianist in the David Ducham Jazz ensemble, performing in Burlington and northern Vermont

1965 – July-August, piano soloist, Holiday Inn Eagles Nest Lounge, Lenox, MA

1965 October-May 1966 – pianist in the David Ducham Jazz ensemble, performing in Burlington and northern Vermont; organist for selected afternoon and Sunday masses at the Saint Michael’s College Chapel

1965 June-July 1968 and September 1970-fall 1972, snare drummer/percussionist in the Eagles band, performing in parades and concerts in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York State

1965 September-June 1968, performances as tenor vocalist with the Saint Michael’s College Glee Club, New England and New York; repertoire included the Brahms Requiem, Rachmaninov’s The Bells, Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, and Poulenc’s Gloria 

1966 – July-August, pianist and leader of the royal hartigan trio, Avaloch Inn, Lenox, MA

1966 October-May 1967 – pianist in the David Ducham Jazz ensemble, performing in Burlington and northern Vermont; organist for selected afternoon and Sunday masses at the Saint Michael’s College Chapel

1967 – July-August, pianist and leader of the royal hartigan trio, Avaloch Inn, Lenox, MA

1967 October-May 1968 – pianist with trumpeter James Beam’s Jazz Ensemble, performing in Burlington and Northern Vermont; organist for selected afternoon and Sunday masses at the Saint Michael’s College Chapel; volunteer piano teacher for faculty children, Austin Hall, Saint Michael’s College

1967 – November, tenor vocalist with the St. Michael’s College Glee Club, William Tortolano, Director, and Boston Civic Symphony Orchestra, Kalman Novak, Conductor, in a live concert recording of the Brahms Requiem, Jordan Hall, at New England Conservatory, Boston, MA; LP record released 1967

1968 – September, piano performance in concert for/by U. S. Peace Corps volunteer trainees, Kohala Boy’s school, Kohala, Big Island, Hawaii 

1968 – November- March 1970, U. S. Peace Corps volunteer in primary education, Barrio Malued Elementary School and medical-social work at Pangasinan Provincial Hospital, Dagupan city, Pangasinan; and Imelda Marcos Boys’ Training School. Tanay, Rizal, Philippines; while in the U. S. Peace Corps, occasional drummer with the Dady Reyes and D’Jewels ensemble, Dagupan City and Pangasinan Province, Luzon, Philippines

1970-72 – pianist and drummer in various ensembles in Pittsfield and Berkshire County, MA

1972-74 and 1978-80, volunteer mentoring and teaching, piano, drumset, and world percussion at the Harambee Cultural Center, Christian Center, Pittsfield, MA

1972-74 – pianist and drummer in the Berkshire Jazz Ensemble with Clifford Jarvis, John Talarico, Jacob Epstein, and Steven Murray, and other jazz ensembles in Pittsfield and Berkshire County, MA

1974-1977 – drumset in the Jacob Epstein Jazz Ensemble and the Union Break ensemble, Berkshires, MA

1974 – July, percussionist for the Williams Theater Festival production of the Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill musical drama, The Threepenny Opera, Williamstown MA

1976 – percussionist with Clifford Adams for the Berkshire Lyric Theater production of Benjamin Britten’s opera, Noye’s Fludde, at St. Stephen’s Church, Pittsfield MA 

1977 – June-July, percussionist for the production of Igor Stravinsly’s L’Histoire du Soldat, Pittsfield and Lenox MA

1978 – June, percussionist with Clifford Adams for the Berkshire Lyric Theater production of Johann Straus II’s operetta, Die Fledermaus, Berkshire Community College, Pittsfield MA

1978-81 – drumset in Clouds jazz ensemble with pianist Clyde Criner and bassist Avery Sharpe, Amherst, MA; drumset in the Union Break ensemble, Berkshires, MA

1980 – recording of The Call (1980 vinyl, 2008 CD) with electronic music composer Michael William Gilbert, Amherst MA

1980-81 – volunteer piano teacher at the Winchester Square Public Library, Springfield, MA

1982 – recording of In The Dreamtime (1982 vinyl, 2008 CD) with electronic music composer Michael William Gilbert, Amherst MA

1982-84 – drumset with the Himalaya Jazz Fusion ensemble, Albany, NY

1982-90 – drumset with the Hank Nadig New Orleans Jazz ensemble, Western Massachusetts

1983-85 – drums with Bindman/Brown/hartigan Jazz Trio, performing in New England

1983-92 – drumset and African percussion in the Talking Drums African Jazz/Highlife Ensemble, Middletown, CT, performing traditional dance drumming and Jazz/Highlife throughout New England and New York 

1983 – May-June, alternate percussionist for the Goodspeed Opera House production of the Cole Porter/Dwight Taylor/J. Hartley Manners musical drama, The Gay Divorcee, East Haddam CT

1985 – January, recording for Talking Drums cassette/CD at Wesleyan University, Abraham Kobena Adzenyah Recital Hall, Middletown, CT; initial release 1985

1985-90 – drums with the Juba jazz ensemble with Trombonist William Lowe, guitarist Kevin McNeal, bassist Wes Brown, and saxophonist David Bindman, performing throughout New England and New York City

1985 – September, percussionist for the Berkshire Public Theater’s production of Igor Stravinsly’s L’Histoire du Soldat, Pittsfield MA

1986 – June, recording of Look on the Rainbow record with the Juba ensemble (released in 1987)

1986 – summer, assisted master artist Freeman Kwadzo Donkor in teaching West African drumming, dance, and song to high school youth in the Center for Creative Youth program at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

1986 – June-August, performances of West African traditional and African Jazz/Highlife with the Talking Drums Ensemble, New England and New York 

1986 – July, concert with Fred Ho ensemble, as part of a conference on improvisation and jazz, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

1986 – Fall through June 1989, full time music teaching at Hartford Public High School, CT, working with inner city youth choir in jazz, rhythm and blues, and world music, piano lessons, classes, and choir concerts at the school and in the greater Hartford community

1986 – Fall, publication of Ph.D. Dissertation, Blood Drum Spirit: Drum Languages of West Africa, African America, Native America, Central Java, and South India (1986), 1700 pages with 30 audio cassettes; and M.A. thesis, The Drum: Concepts of Time and No Time, from African, Latin American, and African American Origins (1983), 400 pages with 21 audio cassettes, published by UMI/ProQuest, Ann Arbor, MI; www.proquest.com 

1987 – recording of Some Day Catch Some Day Down LP and CD with the Talking Drums African Jazz/Highlife Ensemble, Middletown, CT, (initial release on vinyl LP 1987)

1987 – summer, assisted master artist Freeman Kwadzo Donkor in teaching West African drumming, dance, and song to high school youth in the Center for Creative Youth program at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

1987 – June-August, performances of West African traditional and African Jazz/Highlife with the Talking Drums Ensemble, New England 

1987 – November, Performances with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, including Life on the Water and the New Performance Arts Gallery in his opera premiere, Chinaman’s Chance; and We Refuse to be Used and Abused! repertoire, San Francisco, CA

1987 – November, performances in Milan and recording of We Refuse to be Used and Abused! CD with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, Black Saint/Soul Note Studios, Milan, Italy

1988-93 – performances with the Happy Feet Orchestra of Boston, MA, in Boston and eastern Massachusetts; the ensemble played the 1920s 10-12 piece large jazz ensemble style, mostly works from 1919-35 

1988 – February, performances with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, including Life on the Water and the Herbst Theater, premiering his music drama, A Song for Manong, San Francisco, CA  

1988 – February, recording of A Song for Manong LP/CD with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, AsianImprov, San Francisco, CA

1988 – summer, assisted master artist Freeman Kwadzo Donkor in teaching West African drumming, dance and song to high school youth in the Center for Creative Youth program at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

1988 – June-July, performances of West African traditional and African Jazz/Highlife with the Talking Drums Ensemble, New England; August, national tour, Washington, DC, New Orleans, LA, San Francisco Bay Area and northern California, Houston, TX, and Portland, ME 

1989 – February, recording of Happy Feet audio cassette, with the Happy Feet Orchestra, Boston, MA 

1989 – July-August, Mediterranean Ocean tour with the Hafez Modirzadeh Jazz Quintet on the cruise ship Royal Odyssey, performing on board on the sea and in ports in Yalta, Russia, Istanbul, Turkey, Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, Athens/Piraeus, Greece, Malta, many cities in Italy, including Venice, and Nice, France

1989 – fall, teaching world music class in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at Wesleyan University, CT

1990-92 – performances with saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh’s Paradox ensemble, Connecticut

1990 – Spring semester, assisting Edward Blackwell in jazz drumset teaching, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

1990 – July-August, performances with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, New York, NY, Houston, TX, and Hartford, CT

Fall 1990-Spring 1991 – assisting Edward Blackwell in jazz drumset teaching, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

1991 – March, research trip focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture to the Accra Capitol City and Kopeyia-Aflao village, Volta Region, Ghana, West Africa

1991 – June-July, percussionist for the Williams Theater Festival production of the musical drama, 1776, Williamstown MA

1991 – October, Panelist and lecture/demonstrator on West African and African American Music, “Traditional Rhythms in Ghanaian Highlife” and “Parallels among African and African American Musics,” with master artist Abraham Kobena Adzenyah, International Conference of the Society for Ethnomusicology and International Association for the Study of Popular Music, Chicago, IL, October 1991 

Fall 1991-Spring 1992 – assisting Edward Blackwell in jazz drumset teaching, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

Fall 1991-Spring 1992 – teaching of world music class and world percussion ensemble at the New School University Jazz and Contemporary Music Program, New York, NY

1992 – January and March, recording of debut double CD blood drum spirit with my blood drum spirit ensemble in Albany, NY

1992 – June, percussionist for the Williams Theater Festival production of the Bertolt Brecht/Kurt Weill musical drama, The Threepenny Opera, Williamstown MA

1992 – July, performances with the Bill Lowe-Philippe Crettien ensemble, Toulon Jazz Festival, Toulon, France

Fall 1992-Spring 1993 – jazz drumset teaching, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

Fall 1992-Spring 1993 – teaching of world music class and world percussion ensemble at the New School University Jazz and Contemporary Music Program, New York, NY

1992 – November, tour with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, New York, Painted Bride, Philadelphia, PA, Smithsonian Museum, Washington, D.C., and the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

1993 – April, Articles, “Let Me Play My Drums,” transcription and article; and “The Role of Drumset in Ghanaian Highlife,” transcription and article, Percussive Notes, Vol. 31 No. 4

1993 – summer, teaching world music class in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at Wesleyan University, CT

1993 – October, recording of In Chromodal Discourse CD with the Hafez Modirzadeh Paradox Ensemble, San Jose/San Francisco, CA; AsianImprov Records

Fall 1993-Spring 1999, faculty position with teaching in world music and African American/Jazz history, West African music and dance ensemble, and large jazz ensemble, as well as successful advocacy for, and development of, a unique global curriculum in the Improvised Music Studies Program at San Jose State University, CA

1994 – recording of Strawman Dance CD with the Tyrone Henderson-David Bindman Project, Albany, NY; Konnex Records, Berlin, Germany

1994 – May, recording of Strick: Song of the Andoumboulou 16-25 with poet Nathaniel Mackey and saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh, San Jose, CA; released in 1995 by Spoken Engine Records, Nashville, TN

1994 – July, performances with the Toulon All Stars ensemble, at the Toulon Jazz Festival, Toulon, France

1994 – July-August, research trip focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture to Kopeyia-Aflao village, Volta Region, Ghana, West Africa

1994 – recording of Underground Railroad to My Heart CD with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music ensemble, New York, NY; released by Black Saint/Soulnote, Milan, Italy 

1994 – CD recording with Chen Hongyu, Zhang Weihua, and Fred Ho of Contemporary Compositions Recital by Soprano Chen Hongyu: Six Times Solitude, China Record Corporation

1994 – October, Lecture/demonstration “Edward Blackwell’s Africanization of the Drumset,” International Conference of the Society for Ethnomusicology, Milwaukee, WI 

1995 – Spring, Article, “The Heritage of the Drumset,” The African American Review

1995 – March, Lecture/demonstration “Language and Drumming in Musics of the African Diaspora,” with master artist C.K. Ladzekpo, National Conference of Teachers of English, New Orleans, LA 

1995 – June, performance at the Kool Jazz Festival/New York, with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, Bryant Park, New York, NY

1995 – June, research trip with students, focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture, to Kopeyia-Aflao village, Volta Region, Ghana, West Africa

1995 – Book Review, “New Musical Figurations – Anthony Braxton’s Cultural Critique,” by Ronald M. Radano, World of Music, Vol. 37(2) 

1995, September, concert with poet Nathaniel Mackey and saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh at the Monterey Jazz and Blues Festival, Monterey, CA

1996 – March, performances with Fred Ho’s Afro-Asian Trio and dancer Peggy Myo-Young Choy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

1996 – recording of Iliana’s Dance cassette/CD with the Tyrone Henderson-David Bindman Project, New York, NY; Konnex Records, Berlin, Germany

1996 – June-July, research trip and video recording with students, focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture, to Kopeyia-Aflao village, Volta Region, Ghana, West Africa

1996 – recording of Monkey Epic, Part 1 CD with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, New York, NY 

1996 – October, performances with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, Guggenheim Museum Peter B. Lewis Theater, New York, NY

1996 – recording of Narva ye Mardom/The People’s Blues CD with the Hafez Modirzadeh Paradox Ensemble, San Jose/San Francisco, CA

1997 – February/March, tour with my blood drum spirit ensemble: residency in world music, philosophy in music, and jazz at Seton Hall University, South Orange, NJ; World Music Institute/St. Mark’s Church, New York, NY, with master drummer Abraham Kobena Adzenyah; St. Michael’s College, Colchester, VT; Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA

1997 – recording of Turn Pain into Power! CD with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music ensemble, New York, NY; O.O. Discs

1997 – recording of Monkey Epic, Part 2 CD with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, New York, NY

1997 – August, research trip with students, focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture, to Kopeyia-Aflao village, Volta Region, Ghana, West Africa

1998 – recording of The Mystery of Sama CD with the Hafez Modirzadeh Ensemble, San Francisco, CA; AsianImprov Records

1998 – recording of Yes Means Yes, No Means No! Whatever She Wears, Wherever She Goes! CD with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, New York, NY

1998 – October, performances with Fred Ho’s Afro-Asian Trio, London, England

1998 – recording of Yes Means Yes, No Means No! Whatever She Wears, Wherever She Goes! CD with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, New York, NY; Koch International, New York

1999 – February, performance with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, Merkin Hall, New York, NY

1999 – February, residency with the blood drum spirit ensemble at St. Michael’s College (VT) in world music and jazz 

1999 – recording of By Any Mode Necessary CD with the Hafez Modirzadeh Ensemble, Berkeley, CA; XDot 25 Music

1999 – June-July, performances with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, Brooklyn, NY, and the New Jersey Performing Arts Center

1999 – August, presentation of lecture/demonstrations and workshop in jazz and world music at the Midi School for Music, Haidian/Beijing, China

1999 – August, residency, workshops, and concert with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble at the Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis, MN

1999 – recording and release of Warrior Sisters with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, New York, NY; Koch International, New York 

Fall 1999-Summer 2018 – full time tenured (2003) faculty position with teaching in world music survey, European concert music history (1999-2000), African American/Jazz small ensembles, West African music and dance ensemble, and large jazz ensemble (2002), as well as successful advocacy for, and development of, a unique global curriculum in the college of Visual and Performing Arts/Music Department at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, MA

1999 – Book review, “Thinking in Jazz – The Infinite Art of Improvisation,” by Paul Berliner, The Annual Review of Jazz Studies 9

1999 – Article, “Ghanaba and the Heritage of African Jazz,” The Annual Review of Jazz Studies 9

2000 – summer, teaching world music class in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at Wesleyan University, CT

2000 – July, performance with the blood drum spirit ensemble at the Wesleyan University Summer Music series, Middletown, CT

2000 – September, CD recording of Night Vision with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, New York, NY; Koch International, New York

 

2000 – October, New England tour with the blood drum spirit ensemble, including residency in world music and jazz at St. Michael’s College (VT)

2001 – June, research of traditional Korean Music, dance, and culture at the National Centre for Traditional Korean Performing Arts, Seoul, South Korea

2001 – July, Lecture/performance “Adapting World Music Elements into a Jazz Style” with the blood drum spirit ensemble at the China Conservatory, Beijing, China, July 2001 

2001 – July, performances with the blood drum spirit ensemble in Beijing, China, including the Midi School, Beijing University, Big Easy, and CD Blues Cafe 

2001 – October, Article, “Ongoing Report from Beijing,” with Weihua Zhang, Music in China, Vol. 3 No. 2

2001 – November, concert at Yoshi’s performance space, Oakland CA, with the John Carlos Perea global jazz ensemble

2001 – CD recording of Once Upon a Time in Chinese America with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, New York, NY

2002 – February, performance at Wesleyan University, CT, and residency with the blood drum spirit ensemble at St. Michael’s College, VT, in world music and jazz 

2002 – summer, teaching world music class in the Graduate Liberal Studies Program at Wesleyan University, CT

2002 – October, performances with saxophonist Fred Ho and dancer Peggy Myo-Chung Choy, Seoul, South Korea

2002 – June, field trip to Anyako Village, Volta Region, Ghana, West Africa for video recording with traditional musicians/ensembles for my Dancin’ on the Time and West African Eve Rhythms for Drumset books

2003 – January, my ancestors multicultural concert with my global ensemble and master artists from Chinese, Ghanaian, Philippine, Persian, African American, Native American, and Japanese traditions, at Yoshi’s Concert Hall, Oakland, CA

2003 –February, performances with Fred Ho’s Afro-Asian Trio and dancer Peggy Myo-Young Choy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

2003 – July, CD recording of Collaborations with Dead and Living Males and Females from Different Gene Pools; Fishy Scales, Fuji Scaled with trombonist Michael Heffley, Middletown, CT; heffleyrecords

2003 – CD recording of Black Panther Suite with Fred Ho’s Afro-Asian Music Ensemble; Innova Records, St. Paul, MN

2003 –July-August, assisted master artist Helen Abena Mensah in teaching West African drumming, dance and song to high school youth in the Center for Creative Youth program at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

2003 – August, performance on drumset with the Chamber Orchestra of New England, New Haven, CT

2003 – November, New England tour, including concerts and workshop at Bascom Lodge, Mt. Greylock, North Adams, MA, and residency in world music and jazz St. Michael’s College, VT

2003 – December, performances with the Fred Ho Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, Guggenheim Museum Peter B. Lewis Theater, New York, NY

2004 – January, Re-release of double CD, blood drum spirit on Innova Recordings, including enhanced video, eʋe, on African and African American music and culture (St. Paul, MN)

2008 – May, ancestors concert and local CD release for ancestors and blood drum spirit live in china double CDs, with guest artists Paul Keele, Mabel Hamilton, Jeanette Austin, and the Price Memorial AME Zion Church Gospel Choir, St. Stephen’s Church, Pittsfield, MA

2004 – May, workshops in world music and jazz and performances, including the Midi Music Festival, Haidian/Beijing, China, Beijing University, the Big Easy, and CD Blues Cafe

2004 – May, DVD recording of lecture/demonstrations for Chinese educational distribution “The History of the Drumset,” “African and African-Caribbean Rhythms for Drumset,” and “Contemporary Styles for Drumset,” Midi School for Music, Haidian/Beijing, China 

2004 – June, editor and producer, percussion book by Clifford Adams of Pittsfield, MA, Rudiments on Parade

2004 – CD recording of Voice of the Dragon Part II, Shaolin Secret Stories, with Fred Ho’s Afro-Asian Music Ensemble; Innova Records, St. Paul, MN

2004 – November, Lecture/demonstration “Adapting African Rhythms for Drumset” with master artist C. K. Ladzekpo, Percussive Arts Society International Conference, Nashville, TN

2005 – February, residency in world music and jazz with my blood drum spirit ensemble at St. Michael’s College, VT, including workshops, open rehearsals, lessons, lecture/demonstrations, master classes, and concerts

2005 – CD recording of Classical Stretch with the soundSFound Orchestra, San Francisco, CA 

2005 – June, research trip with students, focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture, to Anyako village, Volta Region, Ghana, West Africa

2005 – November, guest master artist Dean’s grant for teaching and performance; concluding with a workshop and concert at the New School University, New York

2006 – CD recording release of Suraghati with Global Phatness, Dan Newman, and Hafez Modir, San Francisco, CA

2006 – CD recording of Deadly She-Wolf Assassin at Armageddon! With Fred Ho’s Afro-Asian Music Ensemble, New York, NY; Innova Records, St. Paul, MN

2006 – May, China tour with my blood drum spirit ensemble, including performances in the Midi Music Festival (Beijing) and workshops in world music and jazz at the Midi School, Haidian/Beijing, China; and other concerts at Hangzhou’s JZ club, Shanghai’s JZ Club, China, and Hong Kong’s Blue Wall Cafe 

2006 – May, recording of blood drum spirit live in china double CD, Haidian/Beijing, China 

2006 – May, Demonstration, “The History of the Drum Set in the African American Tradition,” at the Jishou Song and dance Company’s studios, Jishou, West Hunan, P.R. China

2006 – May, research and video recording of da liuzi and weigu percussion ensembles in Hunan Province, China, including Jiang Jia Jie, Jishou, Wancun, and other communities

2006 – June, research trip with students, focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture, to Kopeyia-Aflao village, Volta Region, Ghana, West Africa

2006 – October, release of book and DVD, Dancin’ on the Time, on layers of coordinated independence for drumset, Tap Space Publications, Portland, OR 

2006 –Fall, J. William Fulbright scholar award to the Philippines, including Lecture/Demo/Workshops in African, African American, Afro-Latin, and Native American Music cultures as part of my residency at the University of the Philippines: 13 October, 8, 9, 11, and 15 December; 18 December at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines; also, Lecture/Demo/Workshop/Performances in world music, African American traditions, African music and dance and contemporary jazz styles at Ateneo University of Santo Tomas, Manila, on 9 December, and the University of the Philippines, Quezon City, Philippines, on 22 December

2007 – June, research trip with students, focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture, to Kopeyia-Aflao village, Volta Region, and Dagara Music Centre, Medie village, Ghana, West Africa

2007 – October, concert with the Makanda Ken McIntyre Big Band, Roxbury, Boston, MA

2007 – November, articles, “The Beijing Midi School of Music’s Modern Music Festival in May 2006 and royal hartigan’s blood drum spirit ensemble Tour in Southern China” and “A Field Trip to West Hunan Province, P.R. China: Daliuzi and Wei Gu Percussion Music,” with Ethnomusicologist Weihua Zhang, in the online periodical Music in China, Los Angeles, CA

2007 – November, U. S. tour with saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Dakshina ensemble and recording of Kinsmen CD, New York, NY, Smithsonian Museum, Washington, D.C., Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis, MN, Ohio State University, Buffalo, NY, and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst 

2008 – May, release of double CDs, ancestors and blood drum spirit live in china, Innova Recordings (St. Paul, MN)

2008 –  May, ancestors concert and local CD release for ancestors and blood drum spirit live in china double CDs, Pittsfield, MA

2008 – June, workshops in world music and jazz and tour with my blood drum spirit ensemble, including performances at the Midi School, Haidian/Beijing, China; Hangzhou’s JZ Club, Shanghai’s JZ Club, among other performance spaces

2008 – June, Lecture/Demo/Workshops in world music, African American traditions, African music and dance, and contemporary styles at the Midi School for Music, 31 May, Central Conservatory, 2 June, and China Conservatory, 3 June, Beijing, China; and with my blood drum spirit ensemble, at the Midi School, Haidian/Beijing, 23 June

2008 – June, Article, “The American Drum Set: Black Musicians and Chinese Opera along the Mississippi River,” in Afro-Asia: Revolutionary Political and Cultural Connections Between African Americans and Asian Americans, Eds. Fred Ho and William Mullen, Duke University Press, Durham, NC

2008 – release of CD Journey with Paul Austerlitz’ Afro-Universal Jazz Merengue ensemble, Innova records

2008 – Fall, Interview/article on my life as a world musician in Traps, a drumset magazine, San Francisco, CA

2009 – January, research trip with students and master artist Kwabena Boateng, focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture, to Asante Mampong town, Ghana, West Africa

2009 – March, performances and workshops with saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh’s ensemble, San Francisco State University, CA

2009 – March, residency with my blood drum spirit ensemble in world music and African American traditions/jazz at UMass Dartmouth (MA), including a concert at the Zeiterion Theater, New Bedford, MA

2009 – July-August, my Asian Cultural Council Fellowship residency at the University of the Philippines, Quezon City, Philippines with classes and performances, lectures, demo/workshops in world music, African American traditions, African music and dance, and contemporary jazz styles on 18 and 28 August, and the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, on 30 July and 13 August; concerts with Manila area jazz musicians throughout August 

2009 – CD release of Celestial Green Monster with Fred Ho’s Green Monster Big Band; Mutable Music, New York, NY

2010 – February, New England tour, including workshop and concert at the Long Trail School, Dorset, VT, and residency in world music and jazz at St. Michael’s College (VT)

2010 – March, performances and workshops with saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh’s ensemble, San Francisco State University, CA

2010 – May, residency in world music and African American traditions/jazz with my blood drum spirit ensemble at UMass Dartmouth, MA, including master classes, lectures, workshops, and concerts

2010 – May, ancestors concert with my blood drum spirit ensemble, guest artists saxophonist David Bournazian, dancer Kwabena Boateng, Paul Keele, Mabel Hamilton, Jeanette Austin, and the Price Memorial AME Zion Church Gospel Choir, St. Stephen’s Church, Pittsfield, MA

2010 – May, performances with Fred Ho’s Afro-Asian Trio and dancer Peggy Myo-Young Choy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

2010 – June, research trip with students and master artist Kwabena Boateng, focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture, to Asante Mampong town, Ghana, West Africa

2010 – July-August, classes, lecture/demos/workshops, and performances in world music, African American traditions, African music and dance, and contemporary jazz styles as part of my 2010 Whiting and Healey Grants residency at the University of the Philippines, Quezon City; full presentations to the university community on 12, 17, and 20 August; and demonstration/workshops at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, on 22 July and 19 August, and the Ayala Museum, Manila, on 26 August; numerous performances with Manila area jazz musicians

2010 – August, concerts with vibraphonist/marimbaist Hitomi Tono’ka ensemble in jazz clubs and concert spaces in Nagoya, Japan, and surrounding communities; and demo/workshops in African music and dance and jazz drumset adaptations in Nagoya, Japan, at the Groovin’ Blues Studios, and the Japan Percussion Association/Yamaha Music Conference Center, Nagoya, Japan 

2010 – September, publishing of my book and digital video disc, West African Eve Rhythms for Drumset, 365 pages of text, notations, pictures, and adinkra symbols, Print Tech Publishers, Burlington, VT; distributed through TapSpace Publishers, Portland, OR

2010 – release of multiple CD collection by the NYFA Music/Sound Fellows: The NYFA Collection: 25 Years of New York New Music, including selections by Fred Ho’s Afro-Asian Music Ensemble; Innova Records St. Paul, MN

2011 – March, Lecture/Demonstration-Workshop/Performance, Connecting the Voices of the Philippine Magindanaon Kulintang and African American Jazz Ensemble at the Northern California Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology 2011 Conference, San Francisco State University, CA

2011 – March, performances and workshops with saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh’s ensemble, San Francisco State University and Red Poppy Arthouse, San Francisco, CA

2011 – April/May, master classes, lessons, open rehearsals, lectures, workshops, and concerts in week-long residency at UMass Dartmouth with my blood drum spirit ensemble

2011 – May, blood drum spirit ensemble performance at the Stone, New York, NY

2011 – June, research trip with students and master artist Kwabena Boateng, focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture, to Asante Mampong town, Ghana, West Africa

2011 – release of Sunset Park Polyphony double CD with the David Bindman Sextet 

2011 – August, Master classes and performances with my blood drum spirit ensemble in World Music and African American traditions at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines on 17 and 18 August, and at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines, on 18 and 19 August

2011 – August, performances with blood drum spirit as the featured ensemble at the first Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Jazz Festival, Manila, Philippines; educational presentations and workshops as part of the festival in world music and African American traditions, including jazz

2011 – September, creation of video archives of my original concepts, performances and educational demonstrations in African American Jazz and world music cultures, including numerous playlists/sections with a focus on percussion and drumset, at www.youtube.com/royalhartigan; ongoing to the present

2011 – release of CD Big Red, with Fred Ho’s Afro-Asian Music Ensemble; Innova Records, St. Paul, MN

2011 – release of CD Year of the Tiger with Fred Ho’s Green Monster Big Band; Innova Records, St. Paul, MN

2011 – release of CD The Music of Cal Massey: A Tribute/Black Liberation Movement Suite with Fred Ho’s Green Monster Big Band; Mutable Music, New York, NY

2011 – release of CD The Sweet Science Suite with Fred Ho’s Green Monster Big Band; Mutable Music, New York, NY

2011 – December, my book and compact disc, West African Rhythms for Drumset (published by Manhattan Music/Warner Bros., Miami FL, 1995 and Alfred Publishing, Los Angeles, CA. 2004) was chosen as one of the top 25 books in the history of percussion publications by Modern Drummer Magazine (December issue)

2012 – February, master classes, lecture/demonstrations, and concert focusing on world music and jazz in residency at UMass Amherst with my blood drum spirit ensemble

2012 – March, performances and workshops with saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh’s ensemble, San Francisco State University, CA

2012 – April, master classes, lectures, workshops, open rehearsals, lessons, and concerts in a week-long residency at UMass Dartmouth with the David Bindman Ensemble

2013 – May, ancestors concert with my blood drum spirit ensemble, Zion Lutheran Church, Pittsfield, MA

2012 – May, CD release of Post Chromodal Out! (Pi Records) with Hafez Modirzadeh’s ensemble; and release concert at the Jazz Gallery, New York, NY

2012 – June, research trip with students and master artist Kwabena Boateng, focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture, to Asante Mampong town, Ghana, West Africa

2012 – November, memorial concert for the late music faculty member Rick Britto at UMass Dartmouth featuring my ensemble and John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme Suite, with African drumming, dance, and poetry, UMass Dartmouth CVPA Recital Hall

2013 – April, master classes, lectures, workshops, open rehearsals, lessons, and concerts in a week-long residency at UMass Dartmouth with the David Bindman Ensemble

2013 – July, Lecture/demonstration on African music and jazz at the Jazz in July Festival, UMass Amherst

2013 – August, performance at the AHA! New Bedford Festival (MA)

2013 – September, performances as the featured ensemble at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Jazz Festival, Manila, Philippines; educational presentations and workshops in world music and African American traditions, including jazz

2013, October, CD recording (systems Two Studios, Brooklyn) and performance with the Fred Ho Green Monster Big Band (Brooklyn Academy of Music)

2013 November-2014 August – classes in African American music and Jazz history for students, faculty, and artists, and a performing ensemble, as part of my work as a Visiting Professor, Centre for Culture and African Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumase, Ghana, West Africa

2014 – Spring, performances with the Toni Maneison Jazz Ensemble, Accra, Ghana

2014 – May, presentation, workshops and performance as part of the Ghana Jazz Festival, Accra, Ghana

2014 – June, research trip with students and master artist Kwabena Boateng, focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture, to Asante Mampong town, Ghana, West Africa

2014 – August, performance at the AHA! New Bedford Festival (MA)

2014 – August, memorial concerts for my sister, Mary Jane Hartigan, with the Bobby Zankel ensemble, Philadelphia, PA

2014 – September, memorial concerts for the late Fred Ho with members of his Afro Asian Music Ensemble, San Francisco State University and the Oakland Asian Cultural Centre, CA

2014 – October, concerts with the Nana Simopoulos ensemble, Athens Greece

2014 – Memorial concert for the late Fred Ho with members of his Afro Asian Music Ensemble, Brooklyn Academy of Music, NY

2014 – November-2015 August – classes in African American music and Jazz history for students, faculty and artists, and a performing ensemble, as part of my work as a J. William Fulbright Scholar/Visiting Professor, Centre for Culture and African Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumase, Ghana, West Africa

2014-2015 – creation of ensemble class, the sankofa jazz ensemble, at the Centre for Cultural and African Studies (CeCASt) as part of my Fulbright teaching 

2015 – January, tour of Ghana for video recording of performances, rehearsals, and interactions with people and cultures for the Movie, We Are One: Kopeyia-Aflao, Denu, Anyako, Medie, Accra, Kumase, KNUST (with Agya Koo Nimo and George Spratz), Penteng, Mampong Asante, Ntonso, among other communities, supported by the U. S. State Department

2015 – February/March/May/July, curated Jazz Series at the Faculty Club, KNUST, Kumase, Ghana; concerts on alternate Saturdays hosted by my sankofa ensemble, composed of students and community people

2015 – March, Presentations at the Centre for Cultural and African Studies International Conference on Science, Technology, and the Arts, at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumase, Ghana, 19 March. The two presentations with performance demonstration and video documentation were entitled the pulse of adinkra and vugbe, the rhythmic heartbeat of the eve people 

2015 – March, concert with my sankofa jazz ensemble and guest artists Agya Koo Nimo, John Collins, and George Spratzi, Faculty Club, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumase, Ghana

2015 – March, concert with guitarist George Spratz Ensemble at the National Theater, Accra, Ghana, West Africa

2015 – April, Memorial Tour for the late Fred Ho with members of his Afro Asian Music Ensemble, Brooklyn, NY, Baltimore, MD, Pittsburgh, PA, Chicago, IL, and Dorset, VT

2015 – May-July continuance of my KNUST Faculty Club Jazz Series with the sankofa jazz ensemble hosting international guest artists from the U. S., Japan, and Ghana 

2015 – August, performance with poet Kwame Aidoo Write, dancers, visual artists, and other multimedia artists, and my sankofa jazz ensemble at the Chale Wote Festival, Jamestown, Accra, Ghana 

2015 – September, recording of CD Skins with the Nana Simopoulos Ensemble, Brooklyn, NY 

2015 – October, Lecture and performance on the music and culture of West Africa from my Fulbright research during my sabbatical and Fulbright leaves 2013-15 in Ghana, West Africa, for the here and elsewhere exhibit reception at the College of Visual and Performing Arts Gallery, UMass Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA

2015 – October, video recording for our We Are One movie, UMass Dartmouth (MA) and New York, NY

2015 – December, concert and video recording for our We Are One movie, Soup and Sounds series, Brooklyn, NY

2015 – December 28-30, CD recording for Time Changes double CD at Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, NY

2016 – January 25, CD recording for Time Changes double CD at Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, NY

2016 – February, accepted as a J. William Fulbright Senior Scholar, U. S. State Department

2016 – March, concerts and CD recording of composer Brent Heisinger’s Ekta Trilogy, Part III piece with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Barbara Day Turner, Le Petit Trianon Theater, San Jose, CA

2016 – March, concerts with my akoma ensemble San Francisco State University, the Center for New Music, and Freedom Archives, San Francisco, and the Pink House, Saratoga, CA 

2016 – March, concert and workshop with the David Bindman Ensemble at the Artist Tree, Dorset, VT

2016 – March, residency with the David Bindman Ensemble at UMass Dartmouth, MA, with concerts, classes, educational presentations, workshops, lessons, and open rehearsals in world music, experimental music, and African American/jazz traditions

2016 – April, performance with the David Bindman Ensemble at the Stone, New York, NY

2016 – May, ancestors concert with my blood drum spirit ensemble and guest artists, dancer Olivia Ilano and saxophonist Jacob Epstein, Zion Lutheran Church, Pittsfield, MA

2016 – July, workshop and performance with my blood drum spirit ensemble at the Solarfest Festival (VT)

2016 – August, performances as the featured ensemble at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Jazz Festival, Manila, Philippines; educational presentations and workshops in world music and African American/jazz traditions at the festival and at the University of Santo Tomas, Ateneo University, Philippine Women’s University, Cento Escolar, Philippine High School for the Arts, Philippine Women’s University, and Santo Isabel College, Metro Manila Region, and other universities in Manila and the Mt. Makiling Festival, supported by the U. S. State Department

2016 – September, workshop in Jazz and improvisation at the Midi School, Haidan/Beijing, China, and concert at the Midi Festival-Tenglong Cave, in Hubei Province

2016 – October-November, video recording for our We Are One movie, UMass Dartmouth (MA) and New York, NY

2016 – release of CD Skins, with the Nana Simopoulos Ensemble, Na Records

2016 – December, Article, ‘The Pulse of World Music: Fontomfrom Drumming for Drum Set’ for the Percussive Arts Society’s peer-reviewed online magazine, Rhythm! Scene 

2016 – December – video recording with violinist Derrik Jordan, pianist Matan Rubinstein and bassist Wes Brown for World Fusion Show, Brattleboro/Vermont Community TV, Brattleboro, VT

2016 – Article, a Fulbright Scholar Story, ‘Thinking Critically and Creatively: Teaching, Researching, and Performing Jazz in Ghana,’ J. William Fulbright Program, U. S. State Department, selected as one of top 10 Scholar Stories for 2016

2017 – February, concerts and educational presentations and workshops in world music and African American/Jazz traditions at Metro Manila universities, including the University of Santo Tomas, the University of the Philippines, Ateneo University, the Philippine High School for the Arts and the Mt. Makiling Festival, supported by the U. S. State Department

2017 – March, workshops and performances on African music and Jazz, De Anza College, Cupertino, CA, San Francisco State University, the Art Boutiki, San Jose, CA, and the Pink House Saratoga, CA, March 2017

2017 – March, residency with the David Bindman Ensemble and visual artist Malin Abrahamsson, at UMass Dartmouth, MA, with concerts/video projection, educational presentations, classes, workshops, lessons, open rehearsals in world music and African American/jazz traditions

2017 – April, concert with the David Bindman Ensemble at Marlboro College, Marlboro, VT

2017 – release of CD of composer Brent Heisinger’s Ekta Trilogy, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, San Jose, CA; (Art Lund/Hugh Stuart Center Charitable Trust)

2017 – May, ancestors concert with my blood drum spirit ensemble, and guest artist, dancer Olivia Ilano, St. Stephen’s Church, Church, Pittsfield, MA

2017 – May, Article, ‘Adapting Three Asante Spiritual Music Styles for Drumset’ for the Percussive Arts Society’s peer-reviewed online magazine, Percussive Notes

2017 – June, release of We Are One (1:07), a feature-length movie with my blood drum spirit ensemble, directed by Sara Pettinella (www.weareonethemovie.com). The film has won numerous awards, including Best Feature Documentary (Jukebox, 2018), Best Musical Score, (Moscow, Russia, 2018), and finalist in the Calcutta, India, International Cult Film Festival (2018)

2017 – research in Asante dance drumming, including the court music known as Fontomfrom, Centre for National Culture, Kumase, Ghana; traditional. Drumming performances with the Center’s affiliated ensemble, the Amamreso Agofomma Ensemble in the Kumase area

2017 – August, blood drum spirit ensemble tour of Ghana, West Africa, with master artists Kwabena Boateng, Kobena Adzenyah, Tijan Dorwana, Isaac Birituro, and Sulley Imoro, for premiere of We Are One; movie screenings, workshops, and performances/ritual for elders and communities: Kopeyia-Aflao, Anyako, Medie, Accra, Kumase, Penteng, Mampong Asante, Ntonso, University of Ghana (Legon), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Kumase), Cape Coast University, the United States Embassy, plus workshop and concerts at the Chale Wote Festival, Jamestown, Accra, Alliance Francaise, Accra, and the +233 Jazz Club, Accra; supported by the U. S. State Department

2017 – release of CD Ten Billion Versions of Reality, with the David Bindman Ensemble

2018 – January, We Are One documentary film is an official selection of the Logcinema Music Film Festival, Florida, USA

2018 – January, Ph.D. ethnomusicology dissertation (Wesleyan University, CT, 1986), Blood Drum Spirit – Drum Languages of West Africa, African America, Native America, Central Java, and South India (1700 pages with 30 audio cassettes) is published in the online research archives of the Percussive Arts Society

2018 – March, concert and U. S. premiere of our We Are One movie, Cambridge (MA) Multicultural Arts Center, with my blood drum spirit ensemble and master artist Kwabena Boateng

2018 – March, concert with the Matan Rubinstein Trio, Marlboro College, VT

2018 – March/April, residency in world music and African American traditions/Jazz with my blood drum spirit ensemble and master artist Kwabena Boateng and film director Sara Pettinella, with lectures, open rehearsals, lessons, master classes, workshops, film screenings, and concerts, at UMass Dartmouth, MA, USA, on bew concepts for improvisation and the history, styles, and adaptations of traditional West African music for jazz ensemble and drumset

2018 – April, We Are One documentary film is an official selection of the Roma Cinema DOC, Italy 

2018 – April/May, CD recording sessions with Matan Rubinstein Trio, Brattleboro, VT

2018 – May, Jazz Mass and concert performances, workshop, and film screening with my akoma ensemble at St. Michael’s College , VT

2018 – June, concert with blood drum spirit ensemble at the Cambridge River Festival, Cambridge, MA

2018 – June, research trip with students and master artist Kwabena Boateng, focusing on traditional music, dance, and culture, to Asante Mampong town, Ghana, West Africa

2018 – August, We Are One documentary film is an official selection of the Nisville International Jazz Festival, Serbia

2018 – August, residency, including educational workshops, concerts, and We Are One movie screening with my blood drum spirit ensemble at the at the 3 R’s SALT Youth Camp Ayurvedic Educational Program, Couva, Trinidad and Tobago 

2018 – August, workshops in world music and African American traditions, concerts, and our We Are One film screening at the Jukebox International Film Festival, Carson City, NV, USA. The movie earned Best Documentary award at the festival

2018 – September, We Are One documentary film is an official selection of the IndieFest Film Awards, La Jolla, California, USA

2018 – October, We Are One documentary film is an official selection of the Moscow Indie Film Festival, Russia

2018 – October, We Are One documentary film is an official selection and finalist at the Calcutta International Cult Film Festival, India

2018 – October, CD release of Water Prayers for Bass Clarinet with the Paul Austerlitz Ensemble, and concert at El Taller Latino Cultural Centre, New York, NY 

2018 – October, concert with South African trumpeter Feya Faku at the AHA! New Bedford Festival, New Bedford, MA

2018 – October, concert with the Makanda Ken McIntyre Big Band, Boston, MA

2018 – November, Lectures, workshops, video screening, open rehearsals, and concert with master artist Kwabena Boateng, at UMass Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA, USA, on the history, styles, and cultural context of traditional West African music

2018 – November, week long residency with concerts, classes, open rehearsals, lessons, mentoring, We Are One film screening, educational presentations, workshops in world music and African American traditions, and concerts with my blood drum spirit ensemble, master artist Kwabena Boateng, and film director Sara Pettinella, at St. Michael’s College (VT). 

2018 – November, performances with my blood drum spirit ensemble and master artist Kwabena Boateng, of my arrangement of the Missa Luba that includes African drumming and Jazz ensemble, with the combined choirs of Northern Vermont at Middlebury College, Castleton State College, and St. Michael’s College

2018 – November, We Are One documentary film is selected by the Roma Cinema Doc Festival, Italy

2018 – CD release of Voices Unveiled (Life Force Jazz) with Hafez Modirzadeh’s ensemble; my contribution was track 8, Phenomenal Woman

2019 – January, workshop in African drumming, song, and dance, followed by a concert with the Nana Simopoulos Ensemble, at the Stationery Factory performance space, Dalton MA  

2019 – February, release of our double CD time changes

2019 – February, workshops, rehearsals, and concert with a student jazz ensemble, in a residency at the Mt. Makiling Festival, Tagaytay, Philippines

2019 – February, workshops, demonstrations, and jazz concerts with traditional West African rhythms and time cycles from India for jazz ensemble and drumset, at the Tago performance space, Quezon City, Philippines

2019 – February, concert with dancer Sasa Cabalquinto, saxophonist Rick Countryman, Datu Arellano, and other artists at the Limbo and 51 performance spaces, Manila, Philippines

2019 – February, lectures and workshop on traditional West African music at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines

2019 – February, lecture, master classes, workshops, and video screening, on the history, styles, and adaptations of traditional West African music for Jazz ensemble and drumset, in a residency at the University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines

2019 – February, We Are One documentary film is an official selection of the West African Film Festival, Houston, Texas, USA

2019 – March, Article, ‘The Evolution of the Drum Set in the African American Tradition’ for the Percussive Arts Society’s peer-reviewed hard copy and online magazine, Percussive Notes

2019 – March, concert with the Hafez Modirzadeh ensemble at San Francisco State University

2019 – March, concerts with my akoma ensemble at the Freedom Archives, San Francisco and Art Boutiki, San Jose, CA

2019 – March, workshop in African music and dance in honor of a deceased student in African music and dance from San Jose State University at Cupertino College, Cupertino, CA

2019 – April, residency in world music and African American traditions/Jazz with my blood drum spirit ensemble and master artist Kwabena Boateng, at UMass Dartmouth, MA; this included lectures, master classes, workshops, lessons, video screenings, open rehearsals, and concerts 

2019 – April, performance at the AHA! New Bedford Festival, MA with my blood drum spirit ensemble

2019 – April, video recording at Williams College (Williamston, MA) and concert at the Iron Horse Music Hall (Northampton, MA) with the Avery Sharpe Ensemble

2019 – May, ancestors concert and time changes double CD release with my blood drum spirit ensemble and guest artist, dancer Olivia Ilano, at the Zion Lutheran Church, Pittsfield, MA

2019 – May, ancestors concert and time changes double CD release with my blood drum spirit ensemble at the Zion Lutheran Church, Pittsfield, MA

2019 – May, concert with the Mixashawn Rozie Afro-Algonquin Ensemble at Western New England College, Springfield, MA

2019 – June, blood drum spirit ensemble with master artist Kwabena Boateng and film director Sara Pettinella, workshops in African music and dance, We Are One film screening, discussion, concert and New York release for the double CD time changes at the Flatlands Dutch Reformed Church, Brooklyn, NY for the Soup and Sounds/Brooklyn Culture Continuum music series

2019 – June, We Are One documentary film is an official selection of the Dumbo Film Festival, Brooklyn, New York, USA

2019 – June, concert in the Woods Hole Jazz Series with the Stan Strickland/Frank Wilkins Jazz Ensemble

2019 – September, presentation and workshop/demonstration in world music and jazz at the arts conferences on the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Cultural Centre of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines

2019 – September/October, performances at Catch 272, Limbo, Dulo, and Balete at Kamias spaces, Manila and Quezon City, Philippines

2019 – October, video recordings with dancer Sasa Cabalquinto, Manila and Quezon City, Philippines

2019 – October, presentations and performances at the Yilan International Art Festival, Yilan, Taiwan

2019 – November, concert with the Frank Wilkins Ensemble at the Woods Hole Jazz Series, Woods Hole, MA

2019 – December, concert with the Stefan Bauer Quartet at the AHA! New Bedford Festival, New Bedford, MA

2019 – December, recording of videos on early African American/Jazz drumset styles for global online access at my YouTube royalhartigan channel, North Dartmouth, MA

2020 – January, recording of videos on early African American/Jazz drumset styles for global online access at my YouTube royalhartigan channel, North Dartmouth, MA

2020 – February, concert with vocalist Sheila Jordan’s ensemble at the Iron Horse Concert Hall, Northampton, MA 

2020 – February, concert with the Avery Sharpe ensemble in his 400: an African American Musical Portrait, Williams College, (MA)

2020 – March, concert with the John Kordalewski trio as part of the Mandorla Music Series, at the New School of Music, Cambridge (MA)

2020 – Book with DVD, Sense of Sound, African philosophy, musical expression, and adaptation to African American music and jazz drum set, West Africa and the U.S. (pending)

designed by little comb productions © royal hartigan 2019-2020