Alan Tauber is a gifted percussionist, musician, facilitator and educator who has spent over 45 years sharing his passion for drumming and healing with the community. In 1990 he established The DrumConnection, New England’s largest hand drumming school located in Arlington, Massachusetts.

Alan has taught West African, Haitian, and Cuban percussion to tens of thousands of students. Over the years Alan has specialized in West African music of the Djembe and Doundoun drums, studying and performing with Master Drummers such as Mamady Keita, Ibrahima Camara, M’Bemba Bangoura, Babatunde Olatunji, Nansedy Keita, Billy Konate and Sayon Camara. His quest for preserving tradition and imparting the cultural context of the music to his students lead him to Guinea, West Africa, where he met his Master Drummer, Famoudou Konate.

Alan now travels regularly to Guinea for inspiration and knowledge from the source. For his students, Alan leads tours to Conakry, Guinea, twice a year so that they may study from the true masters of the traditions of drumming, dance, balafon, gongoma, Fulani flute, languages and more. He is the first to bring Master Drummer Famoudou Konate to Boston to teach traditional Malinke rhythms to our growing community.

In West Africa, the birthplace of rhythm, Alan finds himself in a rare and beautiful situation. His social awareness and his insight into the music, culture and current conditions of Guinea and close personal relationships with the citizens of Guinea, make him a valuable resource to the New England area. Alan’s associations include, New England Conservatory, Berklee College of Music and Harvard University as well as The Percussive Arts Society.