Sharing this beautiful playlist shared by our friend and community Member Holly who is a middle school music teacher which is a compilation by the teachers and staff of Montera Middle School. We celebrate the many and varied musical contributions of Latinx/Hispanic people throughout the world. From Holly: "I have spent this week contemplating what place healers and teachers have in the times we live in. Sometimes I feel numb and useless. Music, dance, and the arts have always had an important place in the struggle but at times it feels insufficient. Since Sunday I have met with Black m ..read more

Dear Community, Right now there are a LOT of actions in Oakland, so we're activating to do what we do best -- get out there and drum in the streets-- some of those will be highlighted on BoomShake's Facebook and Instagram pages. We also need to make the space and time to keep practicing our culture, to heal ourselves from this work so we can create healing for others. So..... Wednesday, June 17 - Aunty Monica will start a new session of Tyke Tunes, to create joy and healing for our young ones Monday, June 29 - We're also restarting Adult Community classes (in person, with masks, outside ..read more

Mardi Gras ParadeFebruary 255 pm19th St to New Parish RSVP to the FB Event Boomshake is honored to join MJ's Brass Boppers and other groups in a Mardi Gras Parade next Tuesday. This will be our 4th year supporting this beautiful celebration of New Orleans culture and tradition, led by MJ, a native New  Orleanian and snare d ..read more

Meet some of our participants!     "BoomShake has given me and my family such a sense of community over the last several years. From taking classes to taking to the streets, my child and I have been so utterly enriched by our experiences with BoomShake. The music we make is medicine for our community--both a cultural homecoming and the opportunity to reate something new, something vibrant, full of justice and love." -Lauren Wheeler       "BoomShake is a collective heartbeat. When we drum together, we create energy, and that energy carries us through whatever comes o ..read more

Agua fresca quiero tomar, agua limpia para cocinar Para mi familia y mi comunidad, agua es vida y libertad 2019 Year in Review Dear Friends,  As we wrap up and reflect on 2019, we wanted to take time to thank you. 2019 has been quite a year. Our communities continue to face state violence, deportations, race, gender and sexuality based violence and discrimination, housing insecurity, and environmental destruction, all while we hustle to take care of ourselves, our families, and our communities. There were many days where we fe ..read more

Mo’ Roots Fest 2023    ‘Dynamic, Daring, Delightful Dandelion’ Celebrating the Life, Love, & Legacy of Monica Hastings-Smith June 10, 2023 1 - 6PM Liberation Park, Oakland, CA BoomShake Music, in partnership with the Black Cultural Zone, as part of Oakland Juneteenth Liberation Month invites you to a community arts & culture gathering sparked by the seeds, roots, and branches of artist, teacher, mother, and friend Monica Hastings-Smith aka Mo’ Clearly, who transitioned to the ancestor realm in June 2021. This year’s theme ‘Dynamic, Daring, Delightful Dandelion’ is ..read more

  BoomShake's Street Drumming for womxn, trans and gender non-conforming folks will chant, sing, & drum in support of International Worker's Day and YOU CAN JOIN US! Enroll in our Spring session and through weekly classes, learn new skills/rhythms, and share our collective experiences via drumming, play/movement and song. Holding values of social justice, creative expression and skill-building, this workshop is open to all levels of player from never-drummed to proficient drummer. We aim to create a welcoming space where womxn, trans and gender non-confirming people can be loud, acti ..read more

  Join dynamic percussionists Cadence Myles and Pedro Rosales for a 6-week intensive youth drumming workshop!   6 Sundays | Feb 19- March 26 | 2pm - 3:15pm | Outdoor location in Fruitvale Oakland Free/Donation based | Ages 6-14 Join dynamic percussionists Cadence Myles and Pedro Rosales for a 6-week intensive youth drumming workshop. Learn drumstick and cajón technique, performance styles and repertoire from Afro-Diaspora traditions, and how to incorporate song, chants, and movement into musical performance. Centering Black & Brown youth ages 6-14 who are interested in seriou ..read more

CRY. FLOW. RAIN | #AGUAPATHEPEOPLE WE ARE RISING Summer time is around the corner, and as our BoomShake Instructors and Facilitators take a break from our School & Community Winter & Spring programs, we are also immersing ourselves in deep reflection. How do we keep efforts for liberation of our communities flowing? How do we wade through the pains, beauty and complexity of our ancestral lands/heritage? How keep afloat amidst fights and efforts for justice on the lands we currently inhabit? How do we dive in and immerse ourselves in the beauty, joy and power of ..read more

  Brooke Anderson Photography   Beloved community, As we close out this year, we wanted to take a moment to thank you for supporting BoomShake’s work.  Because of your continued support, we have been able to foster continued moments of healing, grieving, joy, resistance, rhythm, and magic through gatherings, workshops, school programs, and supporting those on the front lines. We are looking forward to another year of carrying on Aunty Monica’s legacy by bringing rhythm and culture to our movements and communities!  As always, we are a shoestring operation, and we d ..read more