About Jim Donovan

From 1990-2005, Jim Donovan was a founding member and driving force of the multi-platinum band, Rusted Root. Jim made countless trips around North America and abroad with the popular jam-band, sharing the stage with rock & roll legends such as Santana, Page and Plant, Sting, Dave Matthews Band, The Allman Brothers, Sheryl Crowe, The Grateful Dead, and many others.

Donovan was recently named "2008 Drum Circle Facilitator of the Year" by the readers of Drum! Magazine

Donovan studied and played African rhythms with various master drummers such as Congolese master drummer Elie Kihonia, Mamady Keita and Mbemba Bangoura. He also studied African Music with noted scholar, Kwabena Nketia from Ghana.He has researched traditional African music for over 20 years via field recordings, and has continuously integrated his findings into all his music both as a solo recording artist and with Rusted Root.

As a solo artist, Donovan has released 5 highly acclaimed solo CD's as well as 4 instructional drumming CD's. His newest releases include Drum the Ecstatic International, The Yoga of Drum and Chant, and a hand drumming instructional series called Rhythmic Foundation: Volumes 1 and 2.

Fulfilling his desire to share the power of rhythm first hand, Donovan built a series of educational drumming workshops that he teaches across the US and Europe at universities, festivals, schools, corporations, and specialty venues. He is a full-time instructor of music at Saint Francis University in Loretto, PA, the current director of the Saint Francis University World Drumming Ensemble and the director of the annual Rhythm Renewal Drumming Retreat.