Jana Broder’s seven-year-old Drum Magic business is the product of two key moments. On a cold hard working Christmas Day, Atlanta native Broder realized that twenty-years of managing the family catering business had come to an end. A short time later after a cross-country road trip, she enrolled in a drumming class in Berkeley California. It was during this class that she understood what she wanted to do for the rest of her life.

Business success for Broder is measured in numbers. At the end of the day she asks herself, has Drum Magic introduced more people to drumming? Most days, the answer is a resounding “yes.” Since 2001, Drum Magic has introduced people who have never tried drumming to its physical and mental health benefits. Among the many groups that have profited: corporations, social service agencies, schools and arts agencies. Broder’s drumming circles are also in demand at national festivals and local community events, non-profit fundraising events and private gatherings.

Broder is a certified drum circle facilitator with a passion to create fun, engaging and powerfully transformative drumming events accessible to everyone regardless of experience, physical abilities, age or talent.

Broder, who estimates that she is one of only a hundred drum circle facilitators nationwide, has been named Volunteer of the Year by Tampa Metro YMCA and Ambassador of the Year by the Brandon Chamber of Commerce. The Brandon Chamber also awarded Drum Magic the title of Small Business of the Year. Broder is an active member of the Tampa Bay community, serving on the Neighborhood Advisory Board.

When not teaching drumming, she is an avid sailor and scuba diver who can be found most Sundays sailing the warm waters of Tampa Bay on her beloved sailboat Moonshadow.

Steve Turner, owner and founder of Giving Tree Music Inc. has been playing drums for over 20 years, making them for 17. His passion for drumming is matched only by his love for sharing the gift of rhythm with others, especially children.

His teaching style is based on his belief that all people have a natural sense of rhythm, stemming from their own heartbeat; all it takes is to believe in yourself and allow the music to flow through.

His teaching mantra - “drumming is easy” which he encourages all participants to say many times during his presentation. This invites participants to overcome insecurities and truly have an “in the moment” experience.

He is active locally and around the United States performing, teaching, and providing rhythm based events to businesses, schools, special needs groups, festivals, and corporate team building seminars.

As an active boy, Pierre trained in martial arts since a young age. Then as an adult black belt, he taught classes for a number of years. However, music had always been an important aspect of his life. His study of dance began at age 11 in New York where he also discovered a love for African drums. He danced for the Apollo Theater and also studied dance while attending college.

After 25 years of banging on whatever he could, he began African djembe lessons with Jana in 2005. His love of drumming and dance quickly brought him to the center of the drum circle where he could share his enthusiasm with all.

Julie Striegel, a native of Easton, MD, was first introduced to drumming when she was invited to drum at a friend’s house one evening in 2002. She fell in love with it right away and started taking drumming lessons with a teacher from Columbia, South America. She quickly began participating in community drum circles and performances at her local UU Fellowship, Easton’s Multicultural Festival and Easton Elementary School Diversity Day Celebration.

When Julie moved to Clearwater, Fl. in October of 2007, she sought out people in the local drumming community and met Steve Turner of Giving Tree Music. He suggested she might enjoy drum circle facilitation and introduced her to Jana Broder, the drum circle guru of Drum Magic. Curious and excited about the idea of facilitating drum circles and sharing their magic with others, Julie became a student of Jana’s. She now specializes in facilitating drum circles for well seniors, seniors in assisted living, and those with Alzheimer’s, recognizing and seeing first had the positive effect that community drumming can have. Julie is very proud to be part of the Drum Magic team.

Heather DeRigo is a passionate and creative drummer who has been drumming for over 25 years and teaching for over 12. She is dedicated to helping others discover their dynamic creative potential and serving her community. She believes that Rhythm is innate in everyone – and that Drumming is not only a natural and joyful experience, but also a powerful tool for transformation.

For more information on Heather DeRigo, please visit her website at www.hderigo.com.

Charles Barry Skeete was born in Queens, N.Y. and has been a music and percussion enthusiast since childhood. Barry has performed with the Fred Johnson Jazz Group at the Clearwater, FL Jazz Festival in 2000 & 2005, and opened for headliners such as Patti LaBelle, B.B. King, Boz Skaggs, Boney James and Rick Braun. As a duo, Barry and Fred provided the background music for readings by Deepak Chopra and Coleman Barks and have co-produced countless Sound Sculpture Improvisational Performances. Barry participated in the Art & Spirituality Festivals and Community Arts Ensemble held by the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center and has provided percussion for many multi-national musical presentations. Barry completed Drum Circle Facilitator training with Arthur Hull/Village Music Circles.

Barry is currently based in Largo, FL were he lives with his wife, Cathy, and nine birds. He is affiliated with Vision in Voice with Fred Johnson, the Sound Body Wholistic Health Center and is an associate artist with the International Association of Sound Breath and Healing. These programs offer sound healing workshops and concerts. Barry continues to learn more about drumming and percussion by studying African rhythms with Pappa Malik Faye from Senegal. He also continues to perform live and smokin’ jazz with Fred Johnson and various other local jazz artists.

Dave is founder and primary performer and facilitator of all Beatin' Path programs and drum circles. Dave spreads the message of community, teamwork, diversity, and environmental awareness through rhythm based events. Dave leads regular drum circles at regional area schools, public housing communities, health fairs and festivals. Former clients include the Chattohoochee Valley Library's reading inititive program, Southeast Regional Hospice, Muscogee County School Administrators conference, Georgia's Early Childhood Educator's Conference, and the Southeast Regional Girl Scout Leadership convention. On stage, Dave is found in a number of musical settings, including world beat, jazz, orchestral and theatrical productions. Dave is the leading member of Ritmo Blu, a world percussion trio that performs at regional schools and festivals. Dave has traveled to Cuba, Africa, and Brazil to pursue his continuing education of the world's cultures and drumming traditions.

Dave has been a guest facilitator at the Percussive Arts Society's International Conference, the Georgia PAS Day of Percussion, is a graduate of the Village Music Circles Community Drum Facilitation Training, a Young Andiences, Woodruff Arts Center roster artist and a member of the Drum Circle Facilitator's Guild.