Alison Lyon has been teaching drumming for twenty-one years, and her fun (and sometimes rather silly) style has made her classes and workshops a hit with adult students and children alike.

Alison began her drumming career at local evening classes and went on to study under some of the world’s greatest masters. Her teachers include Guinean djembefolas Mamady Keita, Famoudou Konate, Nansady Keita and Iya Sako, as well as Seckou Keita and the late Magatte Dieng from Senegal, Ivorian Sidiki Dembele and respected teachers of Ghanaian drumming, such as Ben Lawrence.

Alison has made several trips to West Africa to further her studies (and shop for more drums!!), and more recently returned from a residential study trip to Boston, USA, where she was privileged to study at advanced professional level with both Mamady Keita and the legendary Famoudou Konate.

All this makes drumming sound a bit hard and heavy, but guess what – it isn’t! As one of Alison’s evening class students says: “She makes the complicated seem simple!”

In fact, it’s child’s play.  So Alison provides fun and funky African drumming workshops to schools – both primary and secondary, and to children’s organisations such as Cubs, Scouts, Brownies and Guides.

She has also taught courses for adult learners in FE Colleges, Leeds University, Community Education and Independent Arts Organisations.

She teaches three regular weekly evening classes, for drummers of various levels of experience, in Harrogate, Otley and York - as well as three classes for ukulele players.

Alison is also the guiding force behind a performing group called Belebele (a word from the Malinke language of West Africa, meaning “a big colourful personality”).  The band has been gigging around Yorkshire for over 12 years and is now 14-strong on a good day.

When she is not drumming, or playing the ukulele, Alison likes to read, look after her pet sheep or work on the allotment. But that’s not often.

To get in touch with Alison, please use the form on the “Contact” page.