Griffin Brady - Deep Dive African Rhythms - Music Workshop - Buffalo Music Club

Griffin Brady

Pro percussionist & touring performer (SAAKUMU Dance Troupe, Mohamed Diaby and Manding Foli Kan Don, Brian Marsalis, DJ Logic), music educator (founder of Slyboots School of Music), and executive director of Bernard Woma Dagara Music Center USA.

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Griffin Brady

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Griffin Brady - Deep Dive African Rhythms - Music Workshop - Buffalo Music Club

Professional Percussionist
Music Educator & Touring Performer
Executive Director, Bernard Woma Dagara Music Center USA
Founder, Slyboots School of Music, Art & Dance

Oswego native GRIFFIN BRADY has a Master of Arts degree from Goddard College, with a focus in Ethnomusicology and Music Pedagogy. His Master’s thesis and adjoining musical method books were inspired by his work as a touring musician and educator with groups such as the SAAKUMU Dance Troupe of Ghana, West Africa. Upon founding the Slyboots School of Music, Art & Dance in Buffalo, NY in 2006, Griffin has been teaching and performing at over 800 universities, colleges, high schools, elementary schools, and clubs across the United States promoting the Slyboots mission: positive social change through cultural arts education and performance—and bringing the world together, on the sly.

In addition to his touring efforts, Griffin also works as a teaching artist in WNY schools, has been a featured speaker at various panel discussions and events including the TedX Buffalo conference, and he also organizes and implements a study abroad program that has brought WNY students to Africa nearly every summer since 2010. Griffin is also widely known for the community events that he produces, including weekly drum and dance classes and the annual multi-day music, art and dance festival SLYFEST, as well as his audio production work in association with Ripe Audio at Nights Of Fire, Bidwell Park, Larkin Square, and Buffalo Ironworks.

As well as performing and directing the resident ensembles at the Slyboots School, The Slyboots Circus, and The Slyboots Drumming Ensemble, Griffin has performed, recorded, and sat in with a wide range of artists, including Bernard Woma and the Saakumu Dance Troupe, Mohamed Diaby and Manding Foli Kan Don, Cyro Baptista, Brian Marsalis, Billy Martin and the UB Percussion Ensemble, Northern Choral Society featuring the Malawi Youth Choir, DJ Logic, Bernard Purdie, Critt’s Juke Joint, Surprise Me Mr. Davis with Marco Benevento, The Slip and Nathan Moore, Lotus, DYNOHUNTER, Soul Roach, One World Tribe, The Manhattan Project, Toubab Krewe, The Mike Dillon Band, Saranaide, Arthur Lipner, The MK Groove Trio, Sophistafunk, Babik, 12/8 Pathband, Family Funktion & the Sitar Jams, Buffalo Afrobeat Orchestra, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Sophistafunk, Funktional Flow, The Jony James Blues Band, Brownman, Folkfaces, RiShon Odell Northington, Type Relevant, Effective Resolution, Larry LZ Dillon, Andrew Moore, Mike Sisto, Tiger Chung Lee, Cinnamon Aluminum, Caveman, Ramforinkus, The Joseph Glarner Jazz Band, Dennis Cicak, Subsoil, House on a Spring, Dali’s Ghost, Slip Madigan, Universe Shark, Adam Bronstein’s Freehand Band, The Buddhahood, Randle and the Late Night Scandals, Little Mountain Band, Working Man’s Dead, Dead Alliance Buffalo, Black and Blues Band, Lake View Effect, New Clear Fusion, Preach Freedom’s One Love Marley Project, Brian DeAngelo Ensemble, Michael King Project, John McConnell, The Garafolo Brothers, FJE, Big Sauce Trio, Made in America, Blue Saturn, PA Line, Donny Frauenhofer Ensemble, Frauenhofer/Fantini Funk Night, Space Junk, Sonder, Buffalo Gamelan Club, Doug Yeoman’s Clapton Band, Bryan Williams, Witty Tarbox, Freighttrain, Rusted Root/Uprooted, Hot Club of Buffalo, Magic Beans, Ragbirds, Haley Jane and the Primates, and more.

He has also been named the Executive Director of the newly created Bernard Woma Dagara Music Center USA 501(c)3. His work has been featured in Percussive Arts Society publication Percussive Notes as recently as October 2020, and will be afeatured alongside SAAKUMU Dance Troupe as a performer at PASIC in November of 2020.

  • Griffin Brady and Erico Ansuade - African Drumming and Dancing - Music Workshop - Buffalo Music Club

    African Drumming & Dancing with Griffin Brady & Erico Ansuade

    Traditional African Percussion
    Performance • Improvisation
    Through guided movement and gestures, attendees will work with pro percussionist Griffin Brady and pro dancer Erico Ansuade to discover the power African drumming and dance has to communicate with the accompanying musicians, the audience, and the soul by focusing on traditional arrangements of dance pieces from West Africa.
    $25.00
  • Griffin Brady - Introduction to African Drumming Kids - Music Workshop - Buffalo Music Club

    Introduction to African Percussion with Griffin Brady (Ages 15 & Younger)

    Traditional African Percussion
    Performance • Improvisation
    Explore the art of African drumming with pro percussionist Griffin Brady as you learn traditional techniques, expand your rhythmic vocabulary, and develop the strength and endurance needed to play hand drums in a way that is safe, healthy, and fun.
    $25.00
  • Griffin Brady - Introduction to African Drumming - Music Workshop - Buffalo Music Club

    Introduction to African Percussion with Griffin Brady (Ages 16 & Up)

    Traditional African Percussion
    Performance • Improvisation
    Explore the art of African drumming with pro percussionist Griffin Brady as you learn traditional techniques, expand your rhythmic vocabulary, and develop the strength and endurance needed to play hand drums in a way that is safe, healthy, and fun.
    $25.00
  • Griffin Brady - Deep Dive African Rhythms - Music Workshop - Buffalo Music Club

    Music Lessons with Griffin Brady

    Traditional African Percussion • Hand Percussion • Drum Kit • Classical Percussion
    Performance • Improvisation
    Learn music with a pro percussionist & touring performer (SAAKUMU Dance Troupe, Mohamed Diaby and Manding Foli Kan Don, Brian Marsalis, DJ Logic), music educator (founder of Slyboots School of Music), and executive director of Bernard Woma Dagara Music Center USA.
    From: $25.00

Pro Music Credentials

  • Master of Arts Degree in Ethnomusicology and Music Pedagogy from Goddard College
  • Founder, teacher, and performer at the Slyboots School of Music, Art & Dance
  • Executive Director of the Bernard Woma Dagara Music Center
  • Professional Touring and Session Performer since 2002
  • SLYFEST creator, organizer, producer, and performer (2005–2017)
  • Tour manager, bus driver, chief logistician and American ambassador with SAAKUMU Dance Troupe since 2008
  • Teaching artist at Young Audiences of WNY, Artpark and Aurora Waldorf School
  • Marching band drum-line instructor at Pioneer High School
  • Sound Engineer at Ripe Audio, Buffalo Ironworks, Larkin Square, Bidwell Park and Nietzsches
  • Featured articles published in Making Music and Percussive Notes
  • Featured speaker at TedX Conference
  • Commencement Speaker at Goddard College (2011)

Primary Influences

Bernard Woma, SAAKUMU Dance Troupe, Edward Green, Jerome Balsab, Mohamed Diaby, Cyro Baptista, Billy Martin, Kay Stonefelt, John Bacon, Tiffany Nicely, Ringo Brill, Heather Sweeting, John Bletch, Kaki King, The Slip, JFJO, Arthur Lipner, Evelyn Glennie, Keiko Abe, Valerie Naranjo, Gary Burton, Glen Velez, Brian DeAngelo, Nii Tete Boye, Bernard Purdie, Mamady Keita, Giovanni Hidalgo, Zakir Hussain, Damone Jackson, Ravi Padmanabha, David Jonathan, Carl Flute Johnson, Deshawn Dray Jackson, Chris English, Josh English, Pete Rodriguez, Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, Phish, MMW, David King, The Bad Plus, Toubab Krewe, Consider the Source, Bela Fleck, Carter Beauford, John Scofield, Brad Mehldau, Steve Reich, Toots, Martin Sexton, Antibalas, Ghost Note, Mickey Hart Planet Drum, the Grateful Dead, Benny Greb, Buddy Rich, Alvin Jones, Max Roach, Adam Deich, Jojo Mayer, Tommy Igoe, John Bonham, Jeff Queen, Kodo, Smashing Pumpkins, Steve Gadd, Luis Conte, Shelia E, Ginger Baker, Terry Bozzio, Chad Wackerman, Weedie Braimah, Jean-Luc Ponty, The Beatles, The Meters, The Roots, Soulive, Edgar Meyer, Damien Rice, JJ Cale, Glen Hansard, Nick Drake, and YOU.