Drum Making Workshop

Drum Making Workshop: Explore the ancient craft of making a deer hide drum as a community group

Wild Earth is excited to offer a hide drum making workshop for the first time with Mark Ressl.  Mark is an artist when it comes to hide drum making and we are honored that he will be guiding us through this fun filled day. 

Drum Making is an ancient craft with roots in almost all cultural traditions around the world. There are many ingenious ways humans have developed to stretch a rawhide skin over wood to create uniquely resonant and beautiful tones.  In my experience, drum making is best done in community; surrounded by the sounds of children playing and birds singing.  I am pleased to share my practice making drums with local materials and teach you to make one too. 

This workshop includes:   

• Every group or individual will create 1 travel-size frame drum (12-14″ diameter) using deer skin rawhide prepared by Mark from locally hunted deer or roadkill.  
• After stretching and lacing the drum there may be time to decorate the drum by painting on it
• Demonstrations of other ways deer skin can be transformed into soft or durable leathers.  Buckskin stretching, Leather tanning, dehairing a hide, burning out a log, or making a drum beater.
• Playing some of Mark’s drums!

About Mark Ressl

Mark (any pronouns) is a multidisciplinary maker, teacher, social activist, and life long learner who lives in the Hudson Valley of NY. When Mark isn’t leading a Wilderness Education program, you might find him collecting acorns to make flour, stretching a skin over a log to make a drum, or planting trees. Mark is an expert carpenter and drum maker.

In 2025, Mark and his wife Sage founded The Giving Trees to push the transition to agroforestry in New York. Their mission is to plant the next generation of fruit and nut trees to help feed the future and introduce the public to a wealth of delicious foods created from their forest harvests. They lead community planting, harvest and processing days to celebrate our deep rooted connections to nature. You can view their work at www.givingtrees.org

Register now and reserve your space in Drum Making Workshop today. Space is limited.

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