Unbeatable Energy is now a YouTube Partner!
Unbeatable Energy is now a YouTube Partner!
I’m delighted to share a milestone that has taken a long time to achieve: Unbeatable Energy is now officially a YouTube Partner!
For many years, I’ve used my YouTube channel to share African drumming, djembe tutorials, Boomwhacker ideas and highlights from some of the workshops and musical projects I’ve been involved with.
Over the past couple of years in particular, I’ve been developing the tuition side of the channel, creating more resources for people who want to learn African drumming, explore different rhythms and develop their playing.
And gradually, people have been watching.
The long road to 4,000 watch hours
To qualify for full YouTube Partner status, my channel needed to achieve 4,000 qualifying public watch hours within a 12-month period.
It certainly didn’t happen overnight.
At times I became far too interested in the analytics, checking the figures almost every day and watching the total creep upwards. There were periods when it seemed to stall completely, and more than once I genuinely wondered whether I was ever going to get there.
Eventually, around July, I decided to stop looking.
Instead, I concentrated on what was happening in the real world – delivering workshops, playing, developing my own musicianship and working on new ideas.
And something rather lovely happened while I wasn’t watching the analytics.
People kept watching the videos.
My existing back catalogue continued accumulating views and watch time. Then last week, almost on a whim, I opened the Earn section of YouTube Studio and discovered that I’d finally done it.
Even more remarkably, I later found that YouTube had sent me the congratulations email only around eight hours before I happened to look!
After spending so long watching those figures, I’d finally reached the milestone when I wasn’t watching at all.
Building something for the future
Becoming a YouTube Partner means that the channel can now generate some income through advertising and YouTube Premium when people watch my videos.
I’m under no illusions that this is suddenly going to provide my retirement fund! But what excites me is the possibility of the channel beginning to support its own development.
Over the years I’ve built up a substantial library of free African drumming tuition, rhythms, techniques, Boomwhacker activities and other percussion ideas. If that existing material can now generate some income, however modestly at first, that can be invested back into developing the channel and creating new projects.
And I have plenty of ideas about where I’d like to take it next.
One project I’m particularly excited about is developing my Boomwhacker work with a much stronger connection to the African musical traditions that have influenced so much of what I do. I’ve been experimenting with ways of bringing Boomwhackers together with African rhythms, drumming and other musical ideas, and there is a lot more I want to explore.
I’m also increasingly interested in using the channel to meet and talk to some of the master musicians who have devoted their lives to the djembe and West African music. Some conversations are already beginning to happen, and I hope to bring interviews and musical encounters with some extraordinary artists to the channel in the future.
Alongside that, the tuition will continue. I’m currently developing videos looking more closely at djembe technique, as well as continuing to share rhythms and ideas that people can take into their own playing.
Why not watch my latest djembe tuition video, ‘Think Up’, which looks at improving your tone and slap technique?
Watch and support the channel
You can explore all my latest djembe tuition, African drumming, Boomwhacker and percussion videos on the Unbeatable Energy YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@unbeatableenergy
If you enjoy the videos and would like to help me develop more free tuition and new musical projects, you can also support the channel using Super Thanks on YouTube. Every contribution, however small, helps me invest more time and resources into developing what comes next.
Thank you for watching
Ultimately, none of this milestone happens without people choosing to watch.
So a huge thank you to everybody who has watched, subscribed, commented, shared a video or learned something from the channel over the years – and particularly to those who have supported the growing tuition side of the channel over the past couple of years.
Four thousand watch hours may look like a number on an analytics screen. In reality, they represent thousands of people spending their time watching, playing and learning alongside me.
That’s what makes becoming a YouTube Partner feel particularly special.
And now that I’ve finally reached this milestone, I’m really looking forward to seeing where I can take the channel next.
African Drumming Workshops for Scouts, Guides, Beavers, Cubs, Brownies & Rainbows
African Drumming Workshops for Scouts, Guides, Beavers, Cubs, Brownies & Rainbows
African drumming is one of those activities that seems to bring people together almost instantly.
Whether we’re working with Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorer Scouts, Rainbows, Brownies, Guides or Ranger units, the format is simple: everyone gets involved, everyone has their own drum, and everyone contributes to the music.
Watch the video below to see our workshops in action.
Unlike many musical activities, there is no need for any previous experience. Within minutes, young people are playing simple rhythms together and discovering how their individual part contributes to a much bigger musical picture.
Our workshops are inspired by the drumming traditions of West Africa. Participants learn authentic drum patterns and discover how different rhythms fit together to create exciting, energetic grooves. As confidence grows, we introduce bass drums, movement and simple African dance elements to help participants experience the music in a more complete and immersive way.
One of the things we particularly enjoy sharing is the connection between drumming, movement and community. In many West African celebrations, music is not something that happens on a stage while everyone else watches. Instead, people gather together, musicians and dancers interact, and everyone becomes part of the event.
We try to capture some of that spirit in our workshops by bringing participants together in a circle, creating space for movement and encouraging everyone to contribute to the shared experience. The result is often a wonderfully supportive atmosphere where young people gain confidence, work together and have a great deal of fun.
Types of groups we work with:
- Beavers
- Cubs
- Scouts
- Explorer Scouts
- Rainbows
- Brownies
- Guides
- Rangers
Types of events we can support:
- Weekly meetings
- Activity evenings
- Scout camps
- Guide camps
- District events
- County events
- Jamborees
- Family fun days
- Community festivals
- Celebration events
Because we travel with a full set of drums, many groups choose to combine sessions on the same evening to make the most of the visit. For example, we might deliver separate workshops for Rainbows, Brownies and Guides, or run consecutive sessions for Beavers, Cubs and Scouts.
This approach often helps spread costs while ensuring that each age group receives a workshop tailored to their needs and abilities.
Every workshop is fully inclusive, highly interactive and designed to get everyone involved from the very beginning. Leaders are always welcome to join in too – and often end up having just as much fun as the young people.
Thinking about booking an African Drumming Workshop?
The easiest way to receive a tailored quotation is to complete our Community Event Enquiry Form.
Tell us a little about your group, the type of event you’re planning, your preferred dates and approximate numbers, and we’ll recommend a suitable workshop format along with pricing information.
Drumathon – Four Hours of Drumming for Charity
Drumathon: Four Hours of Rhythm for Charity
The Moment It All Locked In
Somewhere during the afternoon there was a moment when everything clicked.
The rhythm had been flowing for quite some time. Drummers were completely absorbed in the groove. People in the room were smiling, listening, responding to one another — and the music seemed to take on a life of its own.
That’s the thing about rhythm when it’s shared like this. It stops feeling like individual players making sounds and starts to feel like one living pulse moving through the room.
For a few minutes, it felt as though the whole space was breathing together through the drums.
Those are the moments that remind you why music matters.
Four hours of drumming…
No breaks in the rhythm. No dropping out of the groove.
That was the challenge behind ‘Drumathon’, a fundraising drumming event I created to support the charity Project 6, which helps people rebuilding their lives after drug and alcohol addiction.
On Saturday, I took on that challenge together with some musician friends, keeping the rhythm going for four continuous hours while other drummers joined in throughout the afternoon.
By the end of the event, not only had the rhythm held strong — we had also raised over £1,000 for the charity.
But the numbers only tell part of the story.
From Idea to Reality
A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog announcing the idea for Drumathon and inviting people to be part of it.
At that stage it was still just a thought: could we bring our drumming community together and keep the rhythm going for four continuous hours?
African drumming has a remarkable way of drawing people into the moment. Once the groove settles in, players begin to listen more closely to each other. Rhythms start to interlock, energy builds, and the room begins to feel like a shared musical space rather than just a group of individuals.
What I hoped for was a room full of rhythm and community spirit.
What actually happened was even better.
A Room Full of Rhythm
Throughout the afternoon the rhythm never stopped.
Different players stepped forward to lead sections, introducing new grooves and guiding the group through changing patterns. Some rhythms were powerful and driving. Others settled into deep, hypnotic grooves where everyone locked into the pulse together.
African drumming is at its best when it’s shared.
Each drum part has its role — bass patterns anchoring the rhythm, accompanying parts weaving together, and lead drums adding expression and variation.
No single drum carries the music on its own.
And that was exactly the spirit of Drumathon. The four-hour rhythm was held together by a core group of players, while others joined in, supported the groove and brought their own energy into the room.
The People Who Made It Happen
Drumathon brought together an incredible mix of people.
Members of our regular drumming classes were at the heart of the event, bringing their enthusiasm and musical energy into the room. We were also joined by guest musicians who came to support the challenge, and it meant a great deal that some people travelled from outside Sheffield to take part.
The atmosphere throughout the afternoon was something really special — focused when the rhythms deepened, joyful when the grooves lifted, and always full of encouragement for whoever stepped forward to lead.
Supporting Project 6
The reason for organising Drumathon was to raise money for Project 6, a charity doing vital work supporting people recovering from addiction.
Recovery journeys are rarely simple. They require resilience, support, and community.
Music cannot solve everything, but rhythm has an extraordinary ability to bring people together. When people sit in a circle with drums, something shifts — barriers soften, listening deepens, and connections form.
If Drumathon helped support the work Project 6 is doing, then the four hours of drumming were time very well spent.
What Drumathon Reminded Us
Events like this reinforce something I see again and again through the work we do at Unbeatable Energy.
When people sit together with drums, something changes.
People listen more closely. They respond to each other. They begin to find a shared pulse.
And once that shared pulse is there, the music becomes something bigger than any individual player.
That’s where the real magic of drumming lives.
Thank You
A huge thank you to everyone who played, donated, supported, or helped spread the word.
Drumathon started as a simple idea — a musical challenge to raise money for a good cause.
What it became was a celebration of rhythm, community, and the incredible energy that emerges when people come together through music.
And who knows… this might not be the last Drumathon.
Drumathon Legacy
If you would still like to support the fundraising effort for Project 6, donations remain open on the JustGiving page:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/african-drumathon
Every contribution helps support the important work they are doing for people rebuilding their lives after addiction.
Drumathon: Why I'm Doing It (and How You Can Be Part of It)
Drumathon: Why I'm Doing It (and How You Can Be Part of It)
Drumathon is a personal endurance drumming challenge I’m taking on to raise funds for Project 6, a Sheffield-based charity supporting people affected by drug and alcohol addiction.
Drumathon is a four-hour, non-stop African drumming challenge I’m taking on as both a personal endurance test and a community fundraising event. Playing continuously for that length of time is physically demanding and mentally focused — and that challenge is very much the point.
This project is rooted in my own journey. In my twenties, I struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, and African drumming became one of the things that helped me find structure, focus, and a way forward, alongside the support of other people. That’s why Drumathon is raising funds for Project 6, whose work supports people facing those same challenges today.
Drumathon isn’t just about endurance — it’s about rhythm, support, and bringing people together around something positive.
The short video below explains where the idea for Drumathon came from and what the challenge will involve.