Bucket Drumming

Students expand their knowledge of music and develop an ear for percussion as they explore advanced themes such as polyrhythms, division of meter, and beat sub-division.

Pennsylvania Curriculum Standards

(A=Assembly; W=Workshop; R=Residency)

9.1 Production, Performance and Exhibition of Dance, Music, Theatre and Visual Arts A, W, R

9.2 Historical and Cultural Contexts A, W, R

15.4 Learning Through Experience A, W, R

25.3 Pro-Social Relationships with Adults W, R

25.4 Pro-Social Relationships with Peers W, R

Instrument(s): Percussion, Bass, Trumpet

School & Community Programs

Little Ones

Students with Disabilities

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Assembly, Workshop, and Residency Offerings

Bucket Drumming Assembly

Drummer Leon Jordan explores one of the most intuitive forms of music making: percussion. Spanning genres including jazz, Caribbean, traditional classical, and current pop, this highly interactive program presents many types of rhythms, techniques, percussion instruments, as well as historical and cultural contexts. This program gets audiences out of their seats and out of their comfort zones, and into the expansive and inspiring experience of bucket drumming and playing percussion.

Best for: ELC • PreK-12 • Students with Disabilities • After-School/Community

Also available as a Workshop or Residency! (Residency can be in-person or offered via video.)

Featuring: Leon Jordan, Sr.

Leon Jordan, Sr. has more than 35 years of experience as a full time professional musician touring and recording with various well known jazz and R&B artists. Leon Sr. can be heard on more than one hundred and twenty-five published recordings to date as a sideman, performing jazz, pop, gospel, Latin and even country music from time to time. From the mid-1980’s through the 90’s, Leon Sr. toured and/or recorded extensively with; Grover Washington Jr., John Blake Jr., Phyllis Hyman, Benny Golson, Chaka Kahn, The Stylistics, Lou Rawls, Monette Sudler, Joey DeFrancesco, George Benson, Roy Ayres and even the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, just to name a few. Leon Sr. also appeared in ensemble and orchestral performances for the touring companies of Ain’t Misbehavin’, Five Guys Named Moe, and Purlie and served as a music contractor and performer for the Prince Theater.

Since 1994, Leon Jordan Sr. has performed teaching workshops and master classes for The School District of Philadelphia, Trenton Community Music School, Mt Airy Cultural Center, Christina Cultural Arts Center, Graterford Prison, the Jazz Institute of New Jersey and several local and out-of-state colleges. Leon has been a presenter with Musicopia’s roster since 2002, and leads the Pos-Jordan Jazz Ensemble. The ensemble conducts A Jazz Journey for Youth assembly program, Fundamentals of Jazz residency, and jazz and percussion workshop sessions. Leon is currently the founder and leader of the Renaissance Orchestra based in Philadelphia and can be found weekly hosting the open mic each Tuesday at SOUTH nightclub on north Broad St. in Philly.

Joined Musicopia: 2002