Board of Directors

Dr.  Irina Shiyanovskaya, CEO, DOH, Hudson, OH

Dr. Craig Woodson, President and DOH Presenter, Chagrin Falls, OH

Advisory Board

Baba David Coleman – Drummer, DOH Presenter, Akron, OH

Taner Tumkaya – Video editor, Berlin, Germany

Chris DeMarco – Lawyer, Cleveland, OH

Barbara Dunn, ASALH, Howard University, Washington, DC

Affiliations

  • Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), Washington, DC – Presentations for chapters and affiliates (2015-2019)
  • Playing for Change Foundation (PFC) – Sponsorship for trips to Honduras and Ecuador, Los Angeles, California (2016)
  • UNICEF – Sponsorship for trips to Honduras and Ecuador, New York, New York (2016)
  • Remo, Inc. – Drum donations to Honduras and Ecuador, Valencia, California (2016)
  • Percussion Marketing Council – Partial support for Dr. Woodson’s work, Cleveland, Ohio (2016-19)
  • United Nations: International Council for Caring Communities (ICCC) – Compendium ‘Music as a Natural Resource’ – New York, New York
  • International Music Products Association (NAMM) Foundation – Carlsbad, California Support of Dr. Woodson’s Roots of Rhythm project (2004-16)
  • Coming To The Table, Oakland , CA (2016)
  • Ethnomusic, Inc., Chagrin Falls, Ohio for project support (2009-2019)

Sponsors

DOH presentations have been funded by private donations and the following organizations:

  • Drums of Humanity, Chagrin Falls, OH
  • LeMoyne-Owen College, Memphis, TN
  • The Percussion Marketing Council, Cleveland, OH
  • The Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Washington, DC
  • ASALH national organization and local branches, Pittsburgh, PA and Cleveland, OH
  • Ethnomusic, Inc., Chagrin Falls, OH

The Idea

Drums of Humanity started with a chance meeting between Dr. Irina Shiyanovskya and Dr. Craig Woodson on an air flight in 2009. Excited about his recent musical work in Iraq and Indonesia, Craig, an applied ethnomusicologist, discussed his idea to begin a non-profit, with Irina, a physicist—she became interested in helping. In 2015, they formed a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with the idea that drumming can raise awareness for those in need and can help celebrate cultural unity and diversity by bringing individuals and communities together.

We Believe

Our belief is that drumming, drum making, and other music-related activities can:

  • Assist individuals and groups in the rebuilding cultural identity especially in areas recovering from war and natural or social disasters.
  • Express an ancient heartbeat of humanity.
  • Be a universal way of communication, breaking down boundaries between people and cultures.
  • Take us back to our roots and enable a unique way to communicate through rhythm regardless of place of origin.
  • Promote peace building and conflict resolutions among different cultures and individuals through music and educational activities.
  • Empower those who are underprivileged and/or marginalized.
  • Become a voice for different causes to bring peace and harmony to our world.

Mission

Our mission is to restore peace, mediate conflicts and build sustainable human relationships through music and education primarily with world drumming and drum making.

Drumming and drum making can provide the tools for creating communities, preserving traditions, and for building/restoring connections among people and across cultures.

By initiating and sponsoring music and education programs throughout the world, Drums of Humanity is embarking on a pathway to building community and peace.