Drumming up success: Thomas Chiu's musical journey

“Many adults have negative memories of learning music. Criticisms from their music teachers many years ago discourage them from pursuing music again. I hope they can rediscover the pleasure of making music by participating in drum circle activities,” said Mr Thomas Chiu Sze-long, an awardee of the Outstanding FLASS Alumni Award from the Department of Cultural and Creative Arts (CCA). He graduated from EdUHK in 2022 with a Master of Arts degree majoring in Music Education (MAME).

Thomas stated that musical education at CCA of EdUHK and from other institutions has enlightened him to the idea that music is for everyone, as we all have a rhythm inside our bodies. “The basics of music are rhythm and pattern. Many aspects of nature, such as heartbeats and breathing, remind us of the existence of rhythms and patterns. I believe that for those who are intimidated by past musical experiences, playing drums is an effective way to help them to rediscover their sense of rhythm and provide them an opportunity to apply it in creating music,”  he said.

Thomas facilitated his first rhythm-based event back in 2008 on the streets of Mong Kok as part of a marketing campaign. He has remained engaged with drumming over the years, however it wasn’t until 2019 that Thomas shifted his focus to helping ordinary people enjoy the joy of music creation and facilitating participants in releasing their potential through rhythm and drumming. To polish his skills, he received training from Village Music Circles under the guidance of Arthur Hull and Jim Boneau, first in 2022, and has met the trainers multiple times in 2023 and 2024. “I conduct rhythm-based workshops for various organisations, including schools and corporations, to promote the benefits of group drumming in educational settings,” he explained.

In a drum circle, participants come together to play drums and other percussion instruments, often in a communal setting. Drum circle activities encourage participants, regardless of their experience levels, to create music collectively and spontaneously. “To learn an instrument such as the piano, violin or clarinet, you need to master how to play pitches and chords accurately. This often takes a long time and intimidates people from learning music. Unlike these pitched instruments, drums have no pitch. Once you learn how to beat certain rhythms on a drum, you can play music,” Thomas said excitedly.

To share his vision of learning music in a fun and communal manner, Thomas has returned to EdUHK many times to conduct percussion workshops and give lectures on music learning. He also assisted with the MAME programme orientation activities and offered support to CCA students during their public performances. On 30 August, CCA invited him to lead a group of current students in a drum circle before Dr Matsunobu Koji, CCA’s acting head, presenting him with the certificate for the Outstanding Alumni Award.

On that day, students enjoyed a wonderful hour of music improvisation as they followed Thomas’ facilitation to participate in the drum circle. “I guided them through various rhythms and patterns on the drums. Even though some were playing drums for the first time, they were able to create music spontaneously. By following my drum circle interventions, they could transition from a simple rhythm to a more complex one without interruption. As a group, they progressed from individual consciousness to percussion ensemble consciousness. This is a staggered approach to learning. In the process, they learnt a great deal about music, such as playing musical phrases of different lengths,” Thomas, the drum circle facilitator, said.

As a passionate music educator, Thomas and his team regularly host free community drum circle events, striving to create accessible music-making opportunities for people from diverse backgrounds. “As participants play in a group, they won’t feel the pressure of learning an instrument alone. Through sharing musical experiences, people find a sense of community during these activities. I thank FLASS and CCA for giving me this award. It recognises not only my efforts but also my team’s dedication to promoting music education,” Thomas said.

The CCA alumni noted that his greatest satisfaction comes when he finds a person who was once afraid of learning music begin to enjoy creating it again. In 2019, Thomas founded Backstage Music Studio in the New Territories, a music learning centre specialising in providing music and percussion lessons for children. Thomas is one of only four drum circle mentors in China and is a member of the internationally recognised Drum Circle Facilitator’s Guild (DCFG) and Drum Circle Facilitators China (DCFC). He is currently undergoing training and certification to become a trainer in Drum Circle Facilitation for the Greater Bay Area and mainland China region. We congratulate him on winning this award and hope that he will continue his passion for music education in Hong Kong and beyond.

Please read related article about Outstanding FLASS Alumni Award.

Note*: CCA has departed FLASS and joined the Faculty of Humanities in September.