Boomshake Music

Dear BoomShake Community,

With gratitude, mixed feelings, and a desire to push through, we are sharing that as of Sep 22, 2024, programs & activities under the name BoomShake Music have ceased.

BoomShake’s activities began in 2013 from our living rooms, and office spaces, and has traveled through many community spaces, in the streets, virtually, and probably most remarkable of all, in our spirits and bodies. One of our key co-conspirators Monica Hastings-Smith left us in June 2021 and things have just never been the same.

The work, the love and the play continues through the iterations of those who have put so much care into the various manifestations, and we invite you, our community, to keep in touch. While BoomShake Music will be transitioning, the energy continues.

Some previous BoomShake participants have created a new formation via The Heartbeat Collective, and you can join and be a part of this growing formation by sending an email to [email protected] or following on Instagram at .heartbeat.collective Tap in if you’re feeling energized about adult drumming classes (newcomers welcome!), showing up at street actions, and taking part in shaping what this formation will look like.

Public school street drumming residencies in Oakland are happening under the stewardship of teaching artists Sarah Norr, Tierra Allen, and Mira Manickam-Shirley. To follow this work and receive future updates or to volunteer with superstar kid drummers, please contact Sarah at [email protected].

BSM Co-founder Nkeiruka Oruche continues to do culture, arts, & liberation work; you can follow her at www.nkeirukaoruche.comand contact her at [email protected]

We will be doing work in the following years to share repositories of all that BoomShake has birthed and nurtured over the years. Thank you, to each person and community, that lead, witnessed, and acknowledged us through the times.

Until then,

Nkeiruka Oruche, Sarah Norr, and The Heartbeat Collective

Hi all, this is Sarah and Nkei, co-founders of BoomShake Music. We have heard the concerns raised about BoomShake and we are taking them seriously. We are listening, reflecting, and working on a more full response to the members of BoomShake and the Heartbeat Collective. We'll get that out as soon as we can; thank you for your patience in the meantime.

We also want to clarify that BoomShake is still up and running and will continue to do so while we work this out together! Staff are being paid, drums are still available and we haven't halted or prevented any programming. Though we are very sad that things have gone this way, we are committed to working through this in a way that meets everyone's needs as well as possible.

Meet our Spring 2024 instructors! ❤️‍🔥🥁

Terri is a Black Trans Musician born and raised in Oakland. He joined Boomshake at the tender age of 14 and four short years later became co-teacher and snare section leader. Currently, he plays music all around the Bay with his q***r rock band Crush Material.

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Nicole is a a Bay Area born and raised artist based in Oakland. She has been a part of BoomShake since shortly after its founding in 2014. She is currently BSM’s Administrative & Communications Coordinator and one of the group’s musical leads.

With nearly a decade rooted in Bay Area community organizing, Nicole is passionate about the intersections between art, culture & movement building that help activate community and create necessary spaces.

We’re BACK! 📣 Join us for our Spring 2024 Session 🥁🌼

BoomShake is excited to be offering another 6-week class session this spring! Mark your calendars from 7-9 PM every Monday from April 15 through May 20th. Learn formation and technique, BoomShake-curated rhythms, jam and create music with comrades, and practice the ritual of marching in the street with drum and chant!

All levels - from never-touched-a-drum-before to proficient musician - welcomed! Register on EventBrite today 🥁

Spring 2024 registration is open to Black, Indigenous and other People of color w/ priority space for Black/African and Indigenous folk.

We’re so excited to join the International Working Women’s Day march and rally on Friday, March 8, 2024 at 1pm at Civic Center, San Francisco!

In the spirit of third world internationalism, this International Working Women’s Day, Bay Area working women, gender-expansive folks, and grassroots women’s organizations will march together in unity for Palestinian resistance and liberation. We demand an end to the genocide actively being waged against Palestinians in Gaza. The liberation of Palestine is directly connected to the liberation of all oppressed people across the world.

Join us! RSVP at the link in bio or bit.ly/rsvp-iwwd-2024

This march and rally is co-organized by , , , , , , , ,

First class of 2024 ✔️ First class back at the OG space since 2020. We love you and miss you Monica, and we hope we’re making you proud 🤍🫀

Back up, back up
We want freedom, freedom

📷:

Dang y’all, we sold out in less than 24 hours last week! thank you ALL for helping spread the word, making plans to join us this winter for our first class session of 2024.

Unfortunately we have reached capacity for registration and our waitlist is full. We will be announcing spring class sessions in the coming months, so be on the look out and maybe turn those post notifications on 🔛📳

Can’t wait to make medicine with you soon ❤️💚🖤

2024 Photo Dump 💚🖤❤️

📷:

Have you seen us on the streets? Have you attended a session in the past and want to get back to the beat? Does your heart connect to drum and chant? Are you ready to march for the movement? Join us for our Winter 2024 Session! 🥁❄️

BoomShake is offering a 6-week class session this winter! Mark your calendars from 7-9 PM every Monday from February 5, 2024 through March 11, 2024. Learn formation and technique, BoomShake-curated rhythms, jam and create music with comrades, and practice the ritual of marching in the street with drum and chant!

All levels - from never-touched-a-drum-before to proficient musician - welcomed! Register on EventBrite today 🥁