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The Clem Burke Drumming Project (CBDP) was launched in July 2008 as a collaboration between Clem Burke, the University of Gloucestershire and the University of Chichester. The seminal research revealed that professional drummers had a heart rate profile similar to professional footballers and expended a significant amount of energy per performance.

The award recognises not only his musical excellence, but also the pioneering work he has undertaken to explore the physical demands of drumming and the uses of drumming to promote physical and psychological wellbeing.

Subsequent work by the Project has included the positive effects of drumming amongst primary school children with a range of educational needs and drumming as an intervention to super-obese children. The Project is also about to publish data on 15 professional drummers that shows that the initial findings on Clem’s performance are typical. Darrin Mooney, drummer for Primal Scream, Matt Tong from Bloc Party and Rob Rolfe of Enter Shikari have been working with the research team in physiological testing that measures heart rate, oxygen uptake and blood lactate levels in rehearsal testing and during live shows.

Dr Steve Draper, Co-founder of the CBDP, University of Gloucestershire said:
“This is a proud moment for all involved with the Clem Burke Drumming Project and a fitting recognition of the achievements of its figurehead. Clem is a respected, world renowned and Grammy Award winning artist who has enjoyed a long and varied career in music. It has, and continues to be, a privilege to work with him.”

Co-founder, Dr Marcus Smith from the University of Chichester added:
“The award of an Honorary Doctorate of Music to Clem Burke recognises not only his longevity and excellence as a musician but also his willingness to engage with academics to investigate the science of drumming.

“Over the past 12 years our understanding of the physiological demands of playing the drums has become clear and the potential role drumming may have as an intervention to enhance health and wellbeing.”

Clem is delighted with the awards. He said:
“I would never have expected that my work with the Clem Burke Drumming Project would result in such an award. It is truly a great honour and I accept this award on behalf of my brother drummers everywhere in the world”

The honorary award will be conferred on July 30 at the Rhythmfest drumming summer school taking place at the University of Gloucestershire’s Park campus in Cheltenham.

More information about the CBDP can be found at http://www.clemburkedrummingproject.com/

M16 Evelyn Glennie & Festival Academy
Cheltenham Town Hall Main Hall Friday 1 July – 19:30 £20
Percussion instruments come in all shapes and sizes, and Glennie’s kitbag for Joseph Phibbs’ new concerto will be full to bursting—including a cocktail shaker for this colourful celebration of cocktails from around the world. In contrast, Joe Duddell’s Snowblind focuses on the expressive possibilities of the marimba coupled with strings.

M24 Fitkin Ensemble
Parabola Arts Centre Saturday 2 July – 21:45 £15
There are moments in any performance featuring Graham Fitkin and his band where you almost expect someone to leap in the air in response to the propulsive rhythms and punchy riffs that permeate his music. Colours and textures are immensely engaging too, with a micro big-band of saxophones, trumpet and trombone joining three percussionists, Ruth Wall’s exotic harps and Fitkin himself on piano.

M27 Kuniko Kato plays Reich
Parabola Arts Centre Sunday 3 July – 15:00 £15
Japanese-American percussionist Kuniko has a unique relationship with Reich’s music and has developed these new Counterpoint arrangements in close collaboration with the composer. Each Counterpoint has been adapted in a way that resonates with the particular sonic qualities of the original instrumentation, and Kuniko’s use of multitracks makes her soloist in her own ensemble. In Six Marimbas—a transcription of the original Six Pianos—Kuniko uses a recorded track and new marimba solo that harnesses Reich’s fascination with the ‘psychoacoustic effects’ of repetition.

M29 Drumming
Cheltenham Town Hall Main Hall Sunday 3 July – 18:00 £20
At its premiere in 1971, Drumming received a standing ovation from the audience at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. One reviewer described it as a piece that was ‘refreshing to ears grown weary of dissonance’, a ‘joyous blend of marimbas, glockenspiels, drums, and voices’. 40 years later, a performance of Drumming remains a fascinating and stimulating event to witness—hugely engrossing for both the ears and eyes.

M2 Rhys Matthews
St Swithins, Quenington Wednesday 29 June – 15:00 £10
Young percussionist Rhys Matthews has put together a tantalising programme of popular classics and percussive surprises (ever seen four flowerpots in a performance?). Arrangements of short works by Bach, Monti and Rimsky-Korsakov—that demand incredible virtuosity even from the instruments they were written for—are sure to show off Rhys’ skill, while a peppering of modern works will give audiences a flavour of the range of sounds one percussionist can make

M65 The Swingle Singers
Cheltenham Town Hall Main Hall Saturday 9 July – 19:30 £12-28
Ever since their groundbreaking, jazzed-up reworking of JS Bach in the 1960s, The Swingle Singers have been at the forefront of virtuoso a cappella performance. Continually re-inventing themselves, their latest line-up is the slickest and most contemporary yet, adding a new range of cover songs to their core classical repertoire and wowing audiences with their remarkable ‘ vocal percussion’.

M62 Swingle Singers: Beatbox masterclass
Cheltenham Town Hall Saturday 9 July – 13:30 £6, £4 (Children)
The Swingle Singers’ beatboxy vocal percussion has to be seen and heard to be believed. Come and find out how they do it, and try it yourself in this Swingles-led workshop

For the full programme visit cheltenhamfestivals.com or call 01242 505 444.

Chad is best known for his 7-year association with Frank Zappa, which would be reason enough to move heaven and earth to study with him. However, he has also recorded 6 albums and toured with guitar legend Allan Holdsworth, played on the ‘One Voice’ album and video with Barbra Streisand, and recorded albums and toured with artists as diverse as Steve Vai, Andy Summers, Men At Work, Ed Mann, Albert Lee, Colin Hay, Dweezil Zappa and Tom Grant.

Chad will be with us for 2 days, hosting masterclasses and workshops for Rhythmfest attendees

We are currently securing a couple of big-name artists — watch this space for news…