Conversations with Clifford Koufman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Clifford Koufman. 

Hi Clifford, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
Versatility? I have performed music for belly dancers with an Arabic musician group, played in blues bands, electronic dance bands, jazz combos, jam bands, and West African drumming ensembles. In early 2001, I traveled to Israel wherein a tent I played with fellow travelers and Bedouin musicians. In 2011 I traveled to Taiwan playing with a big band for the Chinese New Year. I’ve always connected with diverse people through music. Early on in my musical development, before I knew what I didn’t know (and couldn’t do), I would jam with just about anyone. 

Music of West Africa (Ghana and Guinea) 

In 1998, I moved to Portland, Oregon, and soon thereafter started training with a Ghanaian musician who had me play for his dance classes. At the same time, I started to meet many other people from Ghana. So, I subsequently decided to travel to Ghana to immerse myself in the study of music there. 

Getting to Ghana proved difficult and expensive but in 2005 I was able to make it. I spent a month traveling to different regions, living and studying with master musicians of several different ethnicities. And in 2007, I received a grant from the Regional Arts and Culture Council in Portland to again travel to Guinea to study music of the Malinke people. These experiences have directly influenced my non-African music; when I create music, I often incorporate polyrhythmic elements of African music. I incorporate African rhythms and instrumentation in all other genres of music, which add novelty, richness, and complexity to the percussion … enriching all in interesting ways. (Think shades of Paul Simon’s Graceland.) 

Nashville 

In 2016, I moved to Nashville with the simple aim of creating music and as an accompanist, co-writer, and composer. I have been fortunate to work with (and learn from) many real Nashville veterans; and of course, I have had many wonderful and special performance and recording opportunities. 

My interests span great songwriting and African percussion as well as American jazz, my mission is to absorb and share the knowledge of the masters and share information at Sound & Rhythm Drumming School, as well as to provide seminars, leadership development events, and workshops at schools, universities and percussion events. I teach students of all ages and experience levels, in private lessons and groups, described by my students as fun, relaxing, and inspiring. 

In 2018 I received a Thrive Award grant from Metro Nashville to teach two free, eight class series of African drumming classes in South East Nashville, culminating with a performance and drum circle open to the public. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like most musicians, I have had periods of self-doubt that came from comparing myself to others. For a while, I often thought that professionally everyone else was more qualified than I; but with time, experience, as well as finding my niche — eclectic percussion with a heavy African influence — those thoughts dissipated. 

A continuing challenge is navigating the “waves” of business, too much or too little work at times, feast, or famine. I’ve learned to make the best of the slower times while keeping stress in check when there are lots of presentations, classes, and performances. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
In 2000, I launched Sound & Rhythm Drumming School. For me, it was an initiative that combined my passion for learning and teaching. It was a way to make a living-learning and teaching the art of drumming. A side benefit for me has been that as I dived deeper into the study of drumming, that morphed into the study of diverse people and cultures. I remain immersed in the study of West African music, especially from Guinea, Mali, the Ivory Coast, and Ghana. 

I play percussion, specializing in drums from West Africa, the djembe (hand drum) and dunun (bass drum usually played with bells on top), shakers, bells, things you shake, scrape, and strike. 

Other influences? I am also a student of Jazz, Blues, and the great American songwriters. I also play drum-set and compose music using the piano, keyboard, Ableton and Logic software, and guitar. With my love of creating lively music, I often play a hybrid drum set made of hand and stick drums and cymbals. I have created play-along tracks for drum circle facilitators as well as making music to be licensed. 

There is so much more to teaching than just playing the notes. For many students, discovering they are capable of playing music is a big revelation. Despite what many people think, almost everyone has rhythm. My students love discovering that, and I love being part of that process. 

Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
When I was a young child, I was listening to —my parents must have put the music on — one of the great classical composers, Beethoven. I think. I heard all the different parts and the details that created the whole. It blew my mind. I remember thinking, how could one person conceive of all of those different musical voices that fit so perfectly together. (I also have an early memory of my cousin’s sparkly drum set in the middle of a room and had a blast banging on the drums and cymbals). 

Looking back, I think that three things inspired me to become a musician:  a TV special with people with sticks in hand walking city streets, playing rhythms on everything from street signs to sides of buildings; a boy playing drums for a school production … I didn’t understand how he created the sounds and patterns that he did but I knew I liked it; and two friends needing a drummer when they first started a band. 

Contact Info:

• Email: soundandrhythm@gmail.com
• Website: www.soundandrhythm.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soundandrhythmdrummingschool/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Soundandrhythmdrummingschool
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SoundandRhythmDrummingSchool

Image Credit
Rachel Greenberg