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Current Members of the BIRDS Board:
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John Stirling Millen
Founder of BIRDS
PRESIDENT from 1998-PresentMaster Drummaker and sole proprietor of ThunderHeart Drums, an international purveyor of fine hand made drums. Creator of the ThunderHeart, a 5'3" diameter, ceremonial drum, one of the largest natural skin drums in the world. Three drums were featured in a concert of percussion music by the Peabody Percussion Ensemble in 1995. The ThunderHeart, appeared in a concert with the Marine Band at Sousa Hall in 1996. Some musicians who own, or have bought drums manufactured by John include Micky Hart, Glen Velez, Layne Redmond, Ysaye Barnwell.He is an Invited artist to the top craft shows in the country including Baltimore City Visions Art Exhibit -1992 and The Art and Sculpture Show at the Resurgam Art Gallery.
John worked as a cabinetmaker creating custom wooden bathtubs, and custom furniture pieces, including entertainment centers, desks, bookcases, beds, shelf systems, cabinets, vanities, etc. Designed and built a geodesic dome house and a unique pole house.Built a 35' trimaran ketch, "The Aquarius", from 70 to 72 lived aboard, and sailed to foreign and domestic ports. He was awarded a community fellowship grant from the Open Society Institute and two, four-year scholarships to the Peabody Institute of Music, earning a BA from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, after an undergraduate major in Psychology at Loyola College.
John has been co-producer of the Baltimore International Rhythm Festival, 1997-2005.
Linda Niederman
Secretary from 2000 - PresentLinda earned her BA and MA degrees in English and Education at Brooklyn College in Brooklyn, New York. She also studied painting and drawing at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland, and drumming with Babatunde Olatunji in New York and California. Linda taught junior high school English from 1962-1968 and art from 1962-1964 in Brooklyn, New York. In 1968, she moved to Baltimore, Maryland. She taught English at Dumbarton Junior High School and at Edgar Allen Poe (now Lawrence Paquin) School for Teenage Mothers. She taught writing for several years at Baltimore City Community College, where she also tutored English and Social Sciences in the Student Support Services program. She served as Secretary on the Stop Teen Pregnancy Board. She has volunteered in schools, nursing homes, homeless shelters, and the Baltimore Folk Music Society.
Linda has traveled internationally since 1962. She has taken pad and pencil with her to do portraits of people in all segments of society, both at home and abroad. Her primary interest is in intercultural understanding. She is currently working on her memoir, which weaves social and intercultural commentary into its story. Linda's passion is dancing to drums.
She has been a BIRDS board member since 1997.
Tammi Hessen
Tammi Hessen is an incredible djembe musician and teacher!
She is the founder of Bumbada! Women's Drumming retreat which has just enjoyed
it's second annual celebration.Tammi Hessen teaches women's drumming classes for djembe and dunun
at Sankofa Center for Cultural Enrichment in Baltimore, on Sunday evenings.
Beginner Class is at 4:00, Intermediate Class is at 5:30.
$12 per class if paid monthly, $15 if paid drop in.
Drop ins welcome.
Call if you need to rent a drum ($4) or for information: 443-956-1409.
She also teaches in the Lancaster, PA area.
CLICK HERE for more information on her classes.
