Drummer global hunger beat-down Jan. 14

The statistics are staggering. More than 925 million people around the world—many of them children—are malnourished, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.



Are we doing enough to help feed the starving children of the world? The Global Drummers Alliance for Hunger Relief doesn’t think so. That’s why on January 14th, 2012, at 2 PM Central Time (3 PM Eastern, 12 PM Pacific), drummers in communities across the world will host a “hunger beat-down.”



They will simultaneously play a commonly known drum solo called “Three Camps,” which replicates the kind of drumming used by army camps during the Civil War to communicate with each other, to raise awareness about world hunger and encourage citizens to help feed the starving children. Professional players, educators and students will gather at schools, music stores and other public locations to play along.



The idea for the hunger beat-down came from Marv Dahlgren, an internationally known Twin Cities percussionist and McNally Smith College of Music instructor who was principal percussionist of the Minnesota Orchestra for 48 years and is a celebrated percussion educator and author.



“I’m concerned that the world is not paying enough attention to the incredible famine that exists in Africa and other countries across the world,” Dahlgren said. “I believe those of us who live in the richest nation on earth owe it to the starving children of the world to help them survive the ravages of famine. I want to keep beating the drum to make sure we don’t forget about the millions of children who are losing their lives every day to starvation,” Dahlgren added.



Participate Via the Internet with a Live Stream at www.mcnallysmith.edu



Event participants can interact via the internet with the Alliance’s website: www.drumforfood.com so that they might play along with the host performance of the solo, which will be streaming live in real-time from McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul, MN (www.mcnallysmith.edu )




Dahlgren has worked closely with Twin Cities percussionist David Stanoch to organize the hunger beat-down. Stanoch is a prolific drummer who has played with some of the best-known musicians around the world and is a noted educator and award-winning author. Stanoch also teaches at McNally Smith College of Music.



“The goal is to raise awareness,” Stanoch said. “We are not collecting money. There are excellent, vested organizations such as UNICEF and more with the means to accept donations already in place and we encourage people to donate to them. We are using the drums just as they were used ages ago in Africa: to send a message. People are starving. Right now. We believe if more people understand that, more people will help to turn the tide,” Stanoch noted.



Recommended charities working to reduce world hunger:



UNICEF – Somalia: http://www.unicefusa.org/
Feeding America: http://feedingamerica.org/
Organizations providing relief efforts in Africa: http://www.charitywatch.org/hottopics/africa_crises.html

For more information: www.drumforfood.com.