Ancient Traditions: Making Drums, Buckskin, and Leather

Since the beginning of humanity, all across the earth, people hunted or raised animals for sustenance and learned to use the animals' skins to make instruments, clothing and tools. This 3 day drum-making class gives a hands-on introduction to using locally sourced animal skins to make beautifully resonant drums, soft clothing, durable leather, and more. Guided by drum maker and educator Acorn Marky, the group will dive deep into traditional and new methods.

Hands-on skills students will acquire in this class include:

• Preparing a rawhide (animal skin) for a drum head and lacing
• Shaping wood into drum hoops or shells
• Turning animal skins into buckskin and leather
• Several drum lacing techniques

On the second day, the group will fashion drum frames from various materials (bent saplings, hollowed out logs, etc,... but they will be group projects, working together to learn different techniques and use the tools. The drum hoops used for each person's personal drum will be premade solid wood hoops that need to be sanded.

On the third day each student can complete their own personal deer skin hand drum, made with a solid wood hoop and real animal skin. An optional activity to close the workshop will be painting your drum skin with natural inks.

Every effort will be made to have the same size drum for every student, ideally 16". (Students whose drums are only 12" will receive a $35 cash-back discount from the materials fee.)

Dates: Sat., Jan. 3, 10 & 17, 10 AM - 4 PM
Instructor: Acorn Marky
Class size (max.): 8
Attendance (min.): 4*
Skill level: basic
Prerequisites: none

Registration (per person)
Household Member & Above: $365**
Individual Member: $383**
General Public: $402
Register By: Dec. 17

Materials: $135 (included at checkout)***

*Classes that do not meet the minimum attendance number may be cancelled or rescheduled. If so, you will receive a full refund, or class credit, regardless of the cancellation date.

**We encourage you to become a member to receive discounted class tuition. You must be a current member on the date of registering to receive your discount. Please login to activate your member discount. To become a new member, please sign up here, or call 845-338-0071.

***Every effort will be made to have the same size drum for every student, ideally 16". Students whose drums are only 12" will receive a $35 cash-back discount from the materials fee.

Instructor: When Acorn Marky is not leading nature skills program, you might find him gathering acorns to prepare into flour from beneath a giant red oak tree; or spot him picking up a roadkill deer or a hollowed out stump to use for making a drum; or you can join him and his wife Sage planting hybrid American chestnut trees as part of their Hudson Valley reforestation initiative The Giving Trees.