Profiles

Steve Rivers

Steve Rivers is the director and lead facilitator of Unbeatable Energy.

He is likely to be one of the most vibrant, flamboyant, dynamic and inspirational people you will ever meet and never forget!

From beginnings in classical percussion, Steve turned to African drumming in 1995. He has visited West African countries Gambia and Senegal to research drumming history, culture and learn new rhythms, beats and dances that he brings to bear in his workshops.

Everywhere he goes he gets rave reviews about how he unlocks the creative drive in people. He brings to the fore how groups interact with each other and how they, if they are willing, can go much further that they allow themselves to do.

Steve Rivers was one of the speakers at the 2006 Successful Selling Conference at the Birmingham ICC. The post-dinner energiser event involved all 1200 delegates taking part in a giant ‘Boomwacker’ percussion session! In the space of 10 minutes all delegates were playing a co-ordinated rhythm together. The entire auditorium was buzzing with people’s enthusiasm, energy and creative inspiration.

Steve also dabbles in art, loves listening to music whilst washing up, enjoys foraging in woodlands, is a new dad and is a fan of Frank Zappa.

Jon Weaver

Jon’s passion is sharing his love and knowledge of African drumming rhythms through teaching and performing. He studied African djembe drumming in West Africa from 2002-2005, learning directly from a number of master drummers, and continues to learn new rhythms.

Jon is also an experienced specialist teacher, having worked at schools for children with learning difficulties and excluded young people.

An accomplished musician, Jon plays the trumpet, didgeridoo, acoustic guitar and assorted percussion, as well as African drums. He enjoys the challenge of passing his musical knowledge onto others.

Most of his free time is spent playing and listening to music, although he also has interests in psychology and physics, going so far as to complete a psychology PhD.

Paul Butler

Paul Butler is an expert percussionist specialising in African hand drumming and Cuban/Latin rhythms. He studied djembe and dundun (African bass drum) under Magatte Dieng and Seckou Keita. He visited Cuba to perfect his skills in Afro Cuban/Latin American rhythms under the Cuban percussionist Pedro Rodriguez.

Paul has had 17 years experience in playing and performing and has been teaching for 6 years starting with a lottery-funded organisation called ‘Yorkshire Youth and Music’ whose aims were to bring disaffected children back into ‘mainstream’ education through music.

His teaching style is especially popular with our school clients, due to his ability to channel fun energy into learning and performing.

Paul also likes cycling, reading, wearing his beret and being silly.

Zoe Jeffreyes

Zoe’s first experience with African drumming came at a summer singing camp seven years ago. The excitement and exhilaration of taking part in drumming workshops at this camp lead her to diversify her musical direction. She began to study African Drumming from then on. She now performs with two drumming groups and co-leads workshops with Unbeatable Energy.

Zoe is also an experienced vocalist running a community choir in Sheffield and she loves to combine percussion work with her roots in song. She believes that everybody and anybody can make music. In her free time Zoe loves walks in the countryside, swimming, spending time having fun with her family and eating, especially chocolate!