Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
Post by buildadrum on May 26, 2014 21:41:40 GMT -5
Dear fellow Bonnaroovians,
Welcome to our highly-unofficial-super-great-success-preview-thread (said in Borat voice)! Every year, 200+ Bonnaroovians decide to spend some of their precious time at the farm with us building their own drum! We anticipate another fantastic year, and this thread works as a great Q&A beforehand. If you aren't familiar with us, here are a few links below to get you started:
Cool, now that we're friends - here's a sneak preview:
NEW: This year we are debuting ceramic doumbeks. We won't have a ton of these, but we'll have a few for drum-builders who want to step off the beaten path!
MORE HELP: We've enlisted a few past drum-builders as part time help in additional to our full time folks who work their tails off all week to guide you through the process!
SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: HOW MUCH DOES THIS COST?! A. We'll have the complete option/price lists posted here within the week. In general, drums range anywhere between $40-200, with the average drum-builder paying $40-90. And yes, your payment includes access to EVERY part of our workshop, EVERY day of the festival!
Q: The bigger ones seem pricy. Why is that? A. The cost barely covers our vendor spot & employee helper tickets for 6 days, never mind the actual cost of the drum supplies (tons of wood, machinery, decorating supplies, goat skins, rope, & vendor display, to name a few).. By the time you start working on each drum we've already put 2-3 hours labor into each one. We do this every year because we LOVE to share this experience with people, and we get feedback that people love the experience. These aren't just "make a commemorative craft at a festival" drums --- I use them professionally, and we sell the same drums to you guys that we do to professional djembefolas (players) throughout the states. They are top quality instruments. You can't buy a made-in-china "First Act" brand instrument at Walmart for less than $100... plus think of it this way: would something mean more to you if you went through the entire process of building it, or if you just handed over some money for a finished product? You're creating a work of art that will help you create sonic art for the duration of your lifetime if you take care of it. I'd say that's worth the investment.. but that's just me. :0)
Q: What are your hours? A. We open when the first people show up Thursday morning and we close on Sunday night when the state cops on horses tell us to as Centeroo closes down. Honestly though -- we sleep in the vendor tent and people usually show up as we're getting bright-eyed and bushy-tailed just after sunrise. We close up shop usually around 12-1 a.m., but we've been known to let people work through the night. We generally just let people come and work on their drums whenever they want... who are we to dictate their ROOdule? (that's my really bad attempt at mixing the word schedule with ritual and Bonnaroo).
Q: How long does it take? A: This is a difficult question to answer because it depends on which drum you choose. We recommend you start as early as possible before the fest kicks into high gear. To do an awesome job, you need for a few sessions throughout the fest. Come at your leisure - show up for shade or rest between shows and leave your drum on our shelves - it doesn't have to be completed all at once. SOME steps do take a while, some don't. To reiterate - it depends entirely on which drum you choose, and what you decide to do with it. This is YOUR experience. **It IS possible to complete the hard parts with us, then take it home to finish - so if your time is limited, don't let that stop you if this is something you'd really like to do. Also - we will have some "half-finished" for a bit more $$...choices, choices.
Q: Which steps take a while? A: There are a couple of steps that require you to wait for your drum to dry (staining/lacquering/gluing). Make sure you have a time strategy in place (again, this depends which drum you choose) so you don't show up and expect to work a few hours but then realize your drum has to sit and dry. Don't worry, we will give you a thorough 'walkthrough' of what needs to be done BEFORE you start, just so you can plan... and if you know which drum you're interested in building, I'm happy to post this timeline walkthrough on the thread.
Q: OK - some drums takes a while... But I REALLY want to do this! What's the IDEAL DRUM-BUILDING SCHEDULE? A: Good Question, my friend! I recommend the following schedule for the LARGER djembes/ashikos (some smaller drums can be completed in as little as a few hours):
Session 1: Sanding & decorating (woodburning/painting/staining) - Leave overnight to dry. Do this early because it will take a while. Session 2 - Lacquer your shell. Leave to dry in the shade. Knot your rings. Glue shell with rings on. Session 3: Stretch your head (goat). Leave it to soak. Cut your rope. Session 4: Put your head on the drum - string it up! PULL & TIGHTEN! <--- The hardest part.
Q: What if I don't finish? A: Your drum is your ROO art. Start it at ROO and finish it at ROO. If you don't want to spend a lot of time at the workshop, pick one that either doesn't take a lot of time, or that is partly finished already.
Q: Okay - so is it REALLY hard work or can anyone do this? A: Anyone can do this. I promise. You need to make a time commitment - that's all.
So with that said, come with ideas! Start thinking whether you'd like to join us this year... and if you've built a drum with us in the past, stop by and say hello to us! If you remember us, it's likely we remember you, too
Post by crippledcamel on May 26, 2014 21:59:56 GMT -5
This goes down as (along with the ferris wheel) one of the things I always say I'm going to do and never get around to it. I'm so getting a drum this year from you guys! Can't wait!
This goes down as (along with the ferris wheel) one of the things I always say I'm going to do and never get around to it. I'm so getting a drum this year from you guys! Can't wait!
Awesome, crip! I look forward to meeting you.
We're neighbors (sort of) - I'm from New Orleans I've never been on the ferris wheel either... it's on my Roo 2014 bucket list along with checking out the Comedy Tent.
This goes down as (along with the ferris wheel) one of the things I always say I'm going to do and never get around to it. I'm so getting a drum this year from you guys! Can't wait!
Awesome, crip! I look forward to meeting you.
We're neighbors (sort of) - I'm from New Orleans I've never been on the ferris wheel either... it's on my Roo 2014 bucket list along with checking out the Comedy Tent.
Right on! There's only a handful of Louisianians here on the board lol. I lived in Baton Rouge for a while, and just moved back to my hometown (Monroe) last fall. Yea, I gotta make the ferris wheel happen as well. As for the Comedy Tent, I always want to go to that, but the lines are too long and there are always bands playing that I'd rather see. If they can get Louis C.K. to come to the farm one year - then I'll gladly skip any band to wait in line for that
We're neighbors (sort of) - I'm from New Orleans I've never been on the ferris wheel either... it's on my Roo 2014 bucket list along with checking out the Comedy Tent.
Right on! There's only a handful of Louisianians here on the board lol. I lived in Baton Rouge for a while, and just moved back to my hometown (Monroe) last fall. Yea, I gotta make the ferris wheel happen as well. As for the Comedy Tent, I always want to go to that, but the lines are too long and there are always bands playing that I'd rather see. If they can get Louis C.K. to come to the farm one year - then I'll gladly skip any band to wait in line for that
True, true - but we can take special pride knowing Bonnaroo has its roots in New Orleans Luckily our workshop is close to the comedy tent, so hopefully I can keep an eye on the line and zip over for a bit at some point.
