Mike Simpson has been delivering world music percussion workshops in schools since 2002. He is musical director of Inspire-works and, with a team of around 20 colleagues, runs sessions in schools and music hubs across the country. Six years after setting up the business, Simpson began selling percussion instruments to schools, adding a new layer to his musical enterprise.
Simpson began by sourcing instruments that were solely for use in his workshops: ‘We had to source suitably-sized instruments for children,’ he says. ‘We had to make sure we were using good quality instruments.’ Then, schools wanted to know where they could buy the same. ‘We started selling in 2008, in response to this was a demand,’ he adds.
At the beginning, he explains, it was a sideline to the percussion workshops that were at the heart of his enterprise and custom came from the schools participating in the workshops. Demand grew, and now the shop is a fully-fledged part of the business, selling west African djembes, Indian dhol, cajóns from Spain, and a range of Samba percussion.
Simpson describes the process of sourcing the West African instruments as ‘trial and error’. In the early days of the company, one of his team travelled to Ghana to deal directly with the manufacturers. One of the main aims of building a relationship was trying to achieve consistency in the quality of the instruments. He tells me that ‘the makers were really open to suggestions of how to improve’. All the percussion instruments sold by Inspire-Works are suited to children, with primary and secondary pupils being considered in the sizing of various sets of instruments. Simpson gives an example of a caixa, a drum that can be rather unwieldy for a Key Stage 1 or 2 child to play: ‘We helped design something that would work well in smaller hands. We started getting shorter sticks made, then the sound is much more controlled.’ Once the instruments are produced, they spend a period of time being trialled, which involves rigorous day-to-day usage by Simpson and his team. Only then are they advertised for sale on Inspire-works’ website.
Simpson and his team work with importers based in the UK, which reduces the need for travel. On some occasions though, such as in the case of Samba instruments, he makes visits to the factory overseas to collaborate on instrument design. He explained that, as part of Inspire-Works successful attempt to break the world record for Largest Samba Band in 2014, an entire set of Samba instruments were specially made at the Contemporanea factory in São Paolo. This set included the smaller caixa drum.
Challenges
Simpson speaks about the practicalities of the instruments. He talks about balancing the desire for authentic instruments with ethical considerations and highlights the west African djembes as an example. ‘Some workshop participants,’ he says, ‘were quite uncomfortable playing a calf-skin drum.’ So he now offers drums with synthetic heads which are more resilient and can be played with a stick, in addition to the traditional method of using the hands. These are part of the Remo ‘festival’ series, which will soon be launched online. They also stack one inside the other for storage purposes, a useful feature when space is at a premium.
I ask Simpson if he had experienced any difficulties when sourcing his instruments. He brings up two examples, one relating to Brazil and the other to India. There had been administrative problems in Brazil, which are now resolved, but in terms of practical problems he says that the company had issues with sourcing good quality small agogos. The aim is always to have instruments that are suitable for children to play. His team also worked with a number of manufacturers in India to find dhol that were reasonably priced and well-made.
Inspire-works states on its website that its instruments are Fairtrade and ethically sourced. I asked Simpson how important this aspect was to the business venture. ‘A lot of the places they're coming from are poorer than the UK.’ he says, which necessitates fair trade to ensure that no-one is taken advantage of. Shipping quantities of these instruments over to our shores comes at some cost to the environment too, but Simpson explained that the west African factories do not ship small quantities, thereby minimising their carbon footprint. He also spoke of tree-planting in west Africa to offset the wood used in creating djembes. It would indeed be environmentally positive if each djembe made had a tree planted in its place – here would be an instrument that not only provides enjoyment and a sense of achievement when played, but also replenishes the tree from which is has been crafted. A good step towards sustainability.
© Val Thoermer/ Adobe Stock
The surdo drum is a hallmark of samba
We hear of schools in England having to make financial cuts. This can mean less money to spend on non ‘core’ subjects such as music. With this in mind, I ask Simpson whether there is still a demand for his instruments. He explained that after a slight dip, the demand is on the rise. His customers are schools and music hubs, and it does sound like the latter, particularly, are keeping him in business. He explains that the Remo Sound Shapes are popular: ‘We showed them at the Music & Drama Education Expo and loads of music hubs bought 30 at once.’ So many, in fact, that they sold out. Interestingly, schools and music hubs have also subscribed to Inspire-works’ online learning platform, indicating a demand for teaching resources as well as equipment.
Simpson speaks again of the quality of the instruments he sources, and why that is important. They have to produce the desired sound, as opposed to being a toy version of the real thing – this is crucial to a child's understanding and enjoyment of the music. Simpson highlights another feature of the djembes: ‘They've got lovely carvings on them.’ These can be talked about in class, making the whole experience a richer one for the pupils by adding a cultural layer to their knowledge of music.
Listening to him speak about the workshops, Simpson's passion is clear. The percussion instruments, from the Brazilian surdo to the Remo Sound Shapes, are central to these workshops and to pupils’ experience and enjoyment of world music.
