About Workshops

On This Page:

Participant Skill Levels
Recording
Ways to View the Workshop Descriptions
How to Register
Workshop Changes

Zimfest offers an outstanding selection of top-quality workshops on Zimbabwean music and culture. This year’s schedule includes more than 160 workshops during 8 sessions, taught by 48 expert musicians from Zimbabwe, North America, and Europe.

You can participate in hands-on workshops in marimba, mbira, dance, singing, hosho, drumming, nyunga nyunga/karimba, chipendani, and instrument maintenence.
One workshop is designed especially for children, and there are six advanced youth marimba workshops.
The teacher track is a series of workshops for school music teachers.
Presentations and language classes provide further connection with Zimbabwean music and culture.
Intensive workshops extend beyond one class session to provide students with a deeper experience in learning a song or an instrument. Out of respect for the teacher and other class participants, people who sign up for intensives are expected to attend all sessions listed.

Please do not sign up for any workshop that is beyond your experience level!

Participant Skill Levels

Signing up for a workshop that is beyond your level creates major problems for the teacher and the other students. When choosing your classes, please refer to the following guidelines.

Introductory/Beginning: Appropriate for those who have never touched the instrument through those who have studied less than one year.

Advanced Beginning: Those who have played the instrument for at least one year. For marimba, can play a couple of parts on at least five songs. For mbira, can play at least two songs.

Intermediate: Those who have played at least three years, have good technique, can catch cues and understand how to move through sections, and understand the rhythm, form, and structure of the pieces. For marimba, can play a few parts on at least 10 pieces. For mbira, know at least five songs and can play in both the kushaura and kutsinhira positions.

Advanced: Those who meet the intermediate criteria, PLUS learn quickly, are comfortable playing fast, have a strong sense of rhythm, and have played for at least three years at performance level. For marimba, understand concepts such as kushaura and kutsinhira. For mbira, know both kushaura and kutsinhira parts to 10 songs, can play confidently in both positions on each song, and can learn a kushaura and kutsinhira part in one workshop.

Workshops and schedules are subject to change

Recording

Unless otherwise indicated, instuctors allow audio recording only.

Ways to View the Workshop Descriptions

Click the links at the top-right to view workshop descriptions by category, by session, or by teacher.
See the Workshop Schedule for a complete list of workshops. On the Workshop Schedule page, click a link to view the description of a single workshop.
Log into Online Registration. You can register and pay via PayPal. You can also view the workshop schedule and click links to read single workshop descriptions.
Browse the Registration Guide PDF file (suitable for printing). If you are unable to download and print your own copy of the Registration Guide, please contact us at 2008 [at] zimfest {dot} org, and we will mail you a copy. Be aware that changes occur after publication.

How to Register

You can register in advance either online or by mail. Or you can wait until you arrive at the festival and register on-site, but many workshops will already be full. For instructions, please see the Registration Information.

Workshop Changes

Workshop changes do occur. Changes are incorporated into the web pages as they occur so that they stay up-to-date. (The Registration Guide PDF file remains unchanged.) It’s wise to check the Corrections & Changes web page occasionally right up until the festival, if you’re taking workshops.