Musubi Drum Circles is an opportunity for Tom Alteen to combine his educational, drumming, teaching, and Aikido experiences to serve the community.

Tom's qualifications include:

• Certificate East Coast Facilitators Intensive Training (2018)
• Certificate Drum Circle Leadership Level I
• Certificate Primary Health Care Collaboration
• Bachelors Degree in Vocational Education
• Bachelors Degree in Business Administration
• Masters Degree in Business Administration
• Diploma in Information Technology

Above is a photo of Tom with Rhythm Ambassador, Arthur Hull, during the 2017 Drum Circle Facilitators Guild (DCFG) Annual Conference in Myrtle Beach. Tom subsequently received a scholarship to attend the 2018 DCFG Annual Conference, once again in Myrtle Beach. This scholarship made it more financially viable for him to particpate in Village Drum Circles', 6-Day East Coast Facilitators Intensive Training with Arthur Hull and Nellie Hill that was held immediately after the conference.

Tom's Certificate Drum Circle Leadership Training Level I (2014) was issued by Jim Donovan (sponsored by St. Francis University). Shown in the photo above is Tom with instructors Jim Donovan (centre) and Mike Deaton (right).

Tom is a member of the Drum Circle Facilitators Guild (DCFG), a professional association of drum circle facilitators, Business & Arts NL, established to strengthen the relationship between business and the arts, and MusicNL, existing to address key issues affecting the Newfoundland and Labrador music industry.

Tom had the honour of serving on the DCFG's Scholarship Committee for the 2019 Conference in Myrtle Beach.

Tom's percussion teaching influences include:

• M'bemba Bangoura (Queens, NY)
• Robin Boers (Toronto)
• Barry James (Orlando, FL)
• Louis Pocock (London, UK)
• Denny Solo (Corner Brook, NL)
• Ron Tierno (New York City)
• Anthony Tucker (St. John's)
• Don Wherry (St. John's, NL)

Tom is a strong believer in lifelong learning and seeks out drumming related workshops, clinics, circles, and other learning opportunities. The first photo above (left to right, top to bottom) is with drumming great, Benny Greb, at a local drum clinic (2013) hosted by Long & McQuade. The middle photo on the top row is with Jorge Luis Torres "Papiosco," an accomplished Cuban/jazz percussionist who led a workshop with his band, the Iroko Project, during the 2014 Wreckhouse International Jazz and and Blues Festival in St. John's. The third photo, top row, is with African Drum Master M'bemba Bangoura after a group lesson at Wula Drum in Queens, New York (2013). The first photo on the bottom row is with the diversely talented Chris Sutherland, at a local drum clinic (2018) hosted by Long & McQuade. The middle photo on the bottom row is with the famous jazz percussionist and teacher, Barry James, after a private drum lesson in Orlando, Florida (2018). The third photo on the bottom row is with Zale Seck, author, composer, performer, and musician, after a group drumming class at SARFest 2019 in St. John's.

Besides hosting regular drum circles at the St. John's Arts and Culture Centre, a number of public and private seniors' residences, and special interest groups, Tom has facilitated drum circles during the:

• 2019 City of St. John's Youth and The Arts Program
• 2019 Lakecrest Independent School, Multicultural Day (St. John's)
• 2019 Memorial University of Newfoundland Shad Program (St. John's)
• 2019 St. John's Days Celebrations
• 2019 The Gathering (Burlington)
• 2019 Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's Summer Day Camps
• 2018 City of St. John's Youth and The Arts Program
• 2018 Family Retreat, NL Operational Stress Injury Social Support (OSISS) Program, NPSP (Northern Bay Sands)
• 2018 Long & McQuade Learning Series (St. John's)
• 2018 Memorial University of Newfoundland Shad Program (St. John's)
• 2018 MusicNL Week (Twillingate)
• 2018 Sound Symposium XIX (St. John's)
• 2018 St. John's Days Celebrations
• 2018 Town of Conception Bay South Summer Day Camps
• 2018 Town of Paradise Multicultural Showcase
• 2018 Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's Summer Day Camps
• 2017 Arts Under the Stars (Clarenville)
• 2017 Bell Island Canada 150 Celebrations
• 2017 City of St. John's Youth and The Arts Program
• 2017 Mundy Pond Regatta (St. John's)
• 2017 Provincial Francophonie Day (St. John's)
• 2017 Town of Conception Bay South Summer Day Camps
• 2017 Town of Paradise Summer Day Camps
• 2017 Town of Portugal Cove-St. Philip's Summer Day Camps
• 2017 Wabana Boys and Girls Club
• 2016 Clovelly Golf Club Summer Day Camps (St. John's)
• 2016 Corner Brook 60th Anniversary Celebrations
• 2016 St. John's Days Celebrations
• 2016 Town of Conception Bay South Summer Day Camps
• 2016 Town of Paradise Summer Day Camps
• 2016 Trails Tales Tunes Festival (Norris Point/Gros Morne National Park)
• 2015 Gander Festival of Flight
• 2015 Mt. Pearl Frosty Festival
• 2015 Tombolo Multicultural Festival (St. John's)
• YMCA's After School Program (St. John's)

Tom's first interview regarding Musubi Drum Circles was in the VOCM St. John's studio with Claudette Barnes, on February 22, 2015. (This interview is a great overview as to what a drum circle is all about.)

While on his 2016 West Coast of Newfoundland Road Trip, Tom was also interviewed by Bernice Hillier of CBC Radio, Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Below is a link to the interview that was aired on the West Coast Morning Show.

On October 16, 2017, Tom once again had the pleasure of being interviewed by Claudette Barnes with VOCM regarding the Beat A Drum For Multiple Myeloma fundraiser.

Tom Alteen was interviewed by Annie Corrigan on June 8, 2018, with Sound Symposium regarding his creative rhythm event at Sound Symposium X1X.

Andrew Waterman, a Journalism Student at the College of the North Atlantic, conducted an audio interview with Tom after one of his public drum circles on February 24, 2019. Tom took the liberty of creating a video that is basically a slideshow with Andrew's edited audio file as its foundation.

Tom grew up in Corner Brook where he played drums in the local bands Red Eye, Crosstown Traffic, and Cadillac. Below is a picture of Tom playing with Crosstown Traffic Percussionist, Jim Coleman, during the Crosstown Traffic Reunion in 2010.

Shortly after moving to St. John's, in the mid 80s, Tom played with The Three of Clubs. In recent years, Tom drummmed for Prosser's Rock, a local classic rock band. He is currently a percussionist with Dunungbe, a traditional West African djembe and doundoun performance group (photo below).

Tom attended his first drum circle during a rumba workshop hosted by Afro-Cuban Master Percussionist Joaquin Nunez Hidalgo at the Beaches in Toronto during Summer 2011.

"I enjoyed this experience so much that I wanted to make community drumming a regular part of my life and to share this recreational activity with others."

Shortly after this community drumming experience in Toronto, Tom became a regular lead drummer with Alive Adventures' community drum circles, facilitated by Katie Power (shown with Tom in the photo above).

Tom has also played with a small percussion ensemble that hand drummed for Dounia Hamoutene's African dancers affiliated with the Jill Dreaddy DanceCo.

Besides Tom's Aikido teaching experiences outlined below, he was the Management Infomation Systems (MIS) Education Leader/General Instructor at St. Clare's Mercy Hospital (1985 - 1989) and was a Part-time Faculty Member with Memorial University of Newfoundland's School of Business Administration (1995 - 2000).

Prior to his planned retirement from the Provincial Public Service in 2015, Tom was a Project Manager with the Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information and has managed large and small projects alike.

Coupled with his many years of teaching experiences, he is well positioned to organize workshops and fundraisers, to present at special events, and to partner with other people and organizations to offer unique rhythm events.