Darshan Doshi, Jai Row Kavi and Dhir Mody Kick Off Drum Camp

With three weeks left to go, the inaugural edition of Drum Camp featuring seasoned sticksmen Darshan Doshi, Jai Row Kavi and Dhir Mody has already filled up its 30 slots.

Put together by Mody’s drumming education program The Drum House and event company Yours Eventfully’s Rani Kaur, the idea for the three-day Drum Camp came from Doshi, who has an extensive background behind the kit for composers such as A.R. Rahman, Salim-Suleiman and more. Doshi attended the Drum Fantasy Camp in Chicago, in the company of veterans such as Benny Greb, Dave Weckl and Steve Smith in 2016 and realized the learning atmosphere would be useful for drummers in India as well. “In places like Nagpur and Kolhapur, you don’t have access to that level of education as you do in Mumbai. And people are also coming in from Delhi and Pune and all across India, so we’ve got people from everywhere,” Doshi says.

The three-day camp features six hours each day of workshops and talks by Doshi, Row Kavi and Mody. There’s an emphasis on technique throughout, but the trio will also explore genre-specific approaches, building vocabulary as well as being a full-time drummer. Doshi says, “Drumming knowledge is very important, but we’re also talking to them about what they need to be ready with if they want to enter the music industry.”

Doshi – who will detail the fusion, pop and Bollywood side of things – says Mody has the live electronic music side of things covered, while Row Kavi is known for his work in heavier music, for bands ranging from instrumental rock act Blackstratblues and metallers Pangea. Doshi adds, “The best part about the camp is that the teachers aren’t going to finish their work and then go to some five-star hotel and stay. We’re all staying together in the camp and we’re going to be chilling with the students, eating with them.”

While The Drum House regularly hosts smaller groups for camps, Doshi says Drum Camp will become a regular fixture in their calendars, especially considering the response they’ve got so far. “We’re going to do the camp at least once a year, and then we might do something else based on the age groups,” Doshi says.