We're celebrating 20 unbeatable years of African drumming!
We're celebrating 20 unbeatable years of African drumming!
WE’RE 20 years old!
Since its humble beginnings, the one man outfit has flourished into the company that you see before you – Unbeatable Energy Ltd. Unbeatable Energy Ltd is also celebrating an anniversary – 10 years of trading. As well as maintaining the evening classes, Unbeatable Energy also brings the beat to thousands of people each year, through school workshops, community sessions and corporate team building events.
Their interactive drumming and percussion sessions can involve anything from 10 to 1200 participants and have taken the team to events across the UK and even as far as Japan. Clients range from the local Sheffield Children’s Hospital to Google.
This autumn’s African Drumming Evening Class with Steve Rivers will mark 20 years since he ran his first workshop in Sheffield. In 1994 he started a drop-in session foThis autumn’s African Drumming Evening Class with Steve Rivers will mark 20 years since he ran his first workshop in Sheffield. In 1994 he started a drop-in session for the Sheffield community with 5 hand drums, a saucepan, a Chinese wok and 20 plastic water bottles (donated by the local recycling centre). The session was oversubscribed and there were not enough instruments to go round. Steve had to throw hand clapping rhythms in to the mix at the last minute to keep everyone occupied. the Sheffield community with 5 hand drums, a saucepan, a Chinese wok and 20 plastic water bottles (donated by the local recycling centre). The session was oversubscribed and there were not enough instruments to go round. Steve had to throw hand clapping rhythms in to the mix at the last minute to keep everyone occupied.
20 years and six African study trips later and his collection of African drums and percussion has grown considerably. His last count was 81 drums; 100 frame drums, 60bells, wood blocks, and shakers and over 1200 Boomwhackers (coloured tuned percussion tubes)!
“I can’t believe its 20 years since this all started – time does seem to whizz by when you’re having fun! I am not surprised that the class has been so successful – African Drumming is an amazingly rewarding way to keep fit, meet new people and connect with friends.”
Boomwhacker energiser at the Pepsico conference, King Power Stadium, Leicester
Boomwhacker energiser at the Pepsico conference, King Power Stadium, Leicester
This February kicked off with a fantastic Boomwhacker Energiser for the Pepsico UK and Ireland Conference at the Leicester City King Power Stadium. Given that this was one of the windiest days of the year, you would be relieved to know that we weren’t out on the pitch, but safely warm and dry in the stadium’s conference room. There might have been a hurricane outside, but there was a rhythm whirlwind inside as 200 delegates played the Boomwhacker tubes to create a fast, buzzing, multi-part rhythm tune! Pepsico (or specifically the Walkers Crisp division of the group) were looking for a fresh way of demonstrating team achievement through their cores value themes – ‘Simplify’, ‘Standardise’ ‘Connect’ and ‘Leverage’. We thought the Boomwhacker activity was a great metaphor for these values. Here’s why:
-
The coloured Boomwhacker tubes are an incredibly simple yet effective instrument (basically a coloured plastic tube). Very simple rhythms are combined in a particular way to create a tune which (ironically) becomes rich and complex.
-
There is a sense of group standard set, because everyone can feel the common pulse which pulls all the parts together – everyone knows what to follow and everyone knows what’s expected of them.
-
There is a strong sense of group connection that takes place in the activity. It doesn’t matter whether you are playing on a table right at the very back of the room – table number 1 still feels connected to table number 33!
-
Leverage? – well I guess this is the moment when an entire group of delegates can hear what they have achieved. Initially, as each team concentrates on playing their part competently, it might be hard to hear the entire musical sound and the way one’s part contributes to the whole. But as everyone becomes more relaxed and competent, the realisation kicks in that-”actually, this is starting to sound really good”! Everyone can hear the complete sound with all the combined parts playing in musical synergy. In a nutshell – it’s the sound of team success!
Big thanks to Anna Davies -Talent Sustainability Manager at Pepsico UK and Ireland for the following glowing testimonial:
“The Boomwhacker Energiser was a tremendous success at our recent PepsiCo UK Operations Conference. Not only did it create high levels of fun, energy and team spirit in the room, it reinforced our theme of Simplify, Standardise, Connect and Leverage in a very memorable and engaging way.”
And a very big thank you to Arran Mitchell from Sunburst Events for allowing us to use these photographs from the event.
Boomwhacker Ice Breaker With a Difference at the RailStaff Awards Event, Birmingham ICC
Boomwhacker ice breaker with a difference at the RailStaff Awards Event, Birmingham ICC
The enormous Boomwhacker Ice Breaker session for the RailStaff Awards at the Birmingham ICC involved 1000 guests participating. You might be mistaken for thinking that the sheer scale of this event was what made it so unique – well how about dressing all the guests as school children; encouraging them to act like school children (pea shooters provided) and dressing our lead facilitator Steve Rivers as a music teacher!
Not quite unique enough? Okay – how about adding to this bizarre set up a school band to accompany music teacher Mr. Rivers (care of the the Unbeatable Energy team in costume), who provide a pre-session performance of the ‘Grange Hill’ theme tune on glockenspiel, ukelele, casio keyboard, kazoo, floor tom tom and crash cymbal! I think you must agree – this event would easily win first prize for Most Bespoke Event!
So the question begging to be asked is why? First answer – why not. Second answer makes perfect sense:
The RailStaff Awards started in 2007 with an aim at recognising the great work that the people working in the rail industry do. A few years ago, as a result of becoming tired of the usual corporate ‘black tie’ dress code, they chose a fancy dress theme as a great way of creating fun for their guests – many of whom would feel under pressure to cover the cost of buying or hiring expensive ‘black tie’ dinner ware. Their first awards event was themed as ‘Halloween’. They weren’t sure if any of the guests would take to the idea but it was extremely successful. Blown away by how well the guests had embraced the idea, they continued into the next year with an Al Capone style Prohibition theme. Finally this takes us to this year’s RailStaff 2013 Awards with the ‘Back to School’ theme.
Can you imagine what it must be like to teach a class of 1000 students? It’s not easy! But ‘ah,’ you say, “they were not real school children but adults dressed up!” Wrong – we reckon everybody is a school pupil at heart and these guests seemed to have no trouble fitting into their character roles! The photos of the atmosphere and fun of the occasion says it all!
Unbeatable Energy would like to thank RailStaff and Rail Media for involving us in their fantastic unique event. Rail Media were an absolute pleasure to work with throughout the preparation process and on the final day!
The big boomwhacker ice breaker for conference at the Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
The Big Boomwhacker Ice Breaker for Conference at the Wyvern Theatre, Swindon
It’s been a pretty big week for us as we delivered one of our famous grand Corporate Boomwhacker Ice Breakers to 400 delegates at the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon. I am proud to say that myself and my team.
Really seemed to have nailed the whole logistical process for these events. It still requires a good few hours of prep – but this stuff really pays off on the day.
Before an event of this scale we meticulously plan the logistical operation of getting 800 Boomwhackers handed out to everyone within seconds (everyone gets two each).
We plan which colour Boomwhacker is going to be played where, using a big plan of the auditorium and then prepare and label everything so our team know exactly where to put everything when we arrive. It is a laborious process but it means that on the day we feel calm and organised and can concentrate on creating an amazing session of Boomwhacker magic with the client. All good! Nothing could go wrong could it? Well not quite.
Despite a wonderfully organised operation, there was a little adventure the night before. At 23:00 we arrived at the Swindon Premier Inn and the man at the desk said ‘Ahh you’re our last guests!
And you must be Mike?’ My name is not Mike. This was not looking good. Anyway after I gave my booking reference, it seemed that our rooms were booked for the following night instead of the night we actually needed it!
The man at the desk was wonderful and was so good at making me feel like I’d done nothing wrong and it was all the Premier Inn’s fault – this might have been debatable! He rang round every hotel in Swindon and found absolutely nothing – all booked. ‘Perhaps there’s an inn keeper who might have some stables with a manger!’
It was only when I was contemplating sleeping in the van (much to the distress of my team) that Zoe found a place 10 miles out with her IPad. Not only did we all get rooms that night, but the hotel was brand spanking new and really comfortable beds which were particularly zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Don’t know what the event the next day would have been like if we had all slept in the transit! One thing’s for sure – we would defiantly have exhausted all the coffee at the venue! But fortunately we arrived the next day refreshed and ready to go!
The Boomwhacker session was an absolute cracker – it always sounds fantastic in a theatre auditorium, as these venues are designed to create good acoustics. The message for the Boomwhacker Session was ‘As one team we are stronger’. The delegates definitely showed their strength as one complete team.
As a result of everyone participating, a complex piece of rhythm music was created within minutes. It is amazing to witness what can be achieved with the Boomwhackers when a really big group all work together.
Great things really can be achieved when everyone participates – as one team, people really are stronger! Special thanks to Gemma McGrattan from Synergy Creative for a wonderful testimonial from the event and for being a great person to work with on this project!
Thanks to my team – Justine, Barry and Laura and Zoe who made such a great Unbeatable Energy team. Special thanks the fantastic Steve at the Premier Inn Swindon who was so helpful and accommodating in a moment of crisis – and also to Zoe and her very useful Ipad for browsing laterooms.com!
Create a fantastic Ice Breaker for your next big conference event with Boomwhackers.
