Workshops & Instructors at The Great Rhythm Revival
The 2025 schedule is in progress and will be released in May 25’!
But check out last year’s offerings most of our instructors are returning with similar offering and new material!
Learning something new is a key part of the Revival experience. Please know that all workshops are beginner friendly and require no prior experience. We do have a limited number of drums available for you to use during the drumming workshops. To be assured of having something to play we recommend bringing your own drum if you have one.
Jim Donovan M.Ed., Director/Founder, Great Rhythm Revival, he, him, his.
Wisdom of Rhythm - A beginner friendly immersion into the transformative power of rhythm and drumming.
The Energy of Sound -Meditative Chanting, Sound Healing Techniques. Learn how to activate your body’s hidden healing potential — using research based sound and vibration.
Jim Donovan M.Ed., Jim Donovan M.Ed. is a professional musician, Assistant Professor at Saint Francis University and TEDx speaker. His mission is to share the healing power of music through education and performance. He specializes in placing music and wellness programs in organizations who focus on people with disabilities and people recovering from addiction. Donovan performs with his band Sun King Warriors and was a founding member of the 3-time platinum band Rusted Root. There he co-wrote the song “Send Me on My Way” featured in the movie Ice Age and became the first song on Mars where it “woke up” NASA’s Mars Rover.
Melissa Deaton Cook LPC; NCC, she, her, hers
Expressive Arts
Finding Creative Balance with Art (New for 2025)
Come play with art supplies and colors as you explore what helps keep you balanced and feeling supported in life. There are no wrong marks! Explore the theme of balance while enjoying watercolors, paint, markers, pens, etc. Artistic ability /experience is not required. All materials provided.
Grounding Through Art and Nature (New for 2025)
Join Meli in calming, centering, and grounding both the mind and the nervous system with gentle movement, mark making, and community. Explore elements of nature that help you feel grounded. Solidify this in your mind and body with mark making and fun art supplies. Come play with the supplies and colors. There are no wrong marks! Artistic ability /experience is not required. All materials provided.
“Meli” Melissa Deaton Cook, LPC, is an “explosion of color” and a licensed professional counselor specializing in trauma, nature, and expressive arts. She incorporates music, movement, and creativity in all aspects of her personal and professional life. Come play in the colors with her! There are no wrong marks!
Mike Tamburo, Nationally acclaimed Sound Artist, Gong Instructor and Meditation Teacher he, him, his
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Gong Bath -Sound Meditation with Gongs and Bells
Allow yourself to enter a timeless space of listening as Mike Tamburo orchestrates his way through 40+ overtone rich instruments including Gongs, Bells, Hammered Dulcimer and tuned metal instruments. Listeners have described Mike Tamburo's music as an adventure in listening; sonic bliss; a deep and lasting vibrational rejuvenation for body and soul; a profound aesthetic experience; a journey through the senses and a perceptual rollercoaster. Allow yourself to be still and listen.
PLEASE BRING a yoga mat, blanket, or cushion for your comfort during extended relaxation on the floor.
Mike Tamburo has spent his life serving and exploring the power of music. His concerts and workshops are heart centered, uplifting, sonically multi-dimensional, life affirming experiences that focus on self transformation through conscious listening and breathing.
Tricia Chirumbole, Ecstatic Dance, she, her, hers
5 Rhythms and The Joy of Ecstatic Movement
A mindfulness-based movement practice that invites you to let go and unleash your authentic, awesome self through free-form movement!
Our Ecstatic Dance journey is guided by a playlist moving us through an energetic arch from tuning in, through delving deeper, into unleashing and then back into stillness. Opening & closing circles frame our time together for intention setting and integration. No dancing experience required or dance steps to learn! Come as you are ~ Move as you wish!
Tricia Chirumbole is a dancer, facilitator, and explorer of life, who is passionate about creating opportunities for personal and collective growth through movement, dialogue, and group co-creation. Tricia facilitates events and authentic engagement experiences for community gatherings, conferences, and organizations that weave together expressive arts, mindfulness, and collaborative processes. Her dance and embodiment influences include: Dancing Mindfulness (trauma informed), Somasource, Contact Improv, and Ecstatic Dance.
Michael Deaton, Drum Circle Leadership, he, him, his
NEW! Musicality (Creative Music Making)
Like a drum circle, only different. We begin with hand percussion and small drums, playing with melody and harmony as we welcome all instruments, all notes, and all sounds. Expect surprises!
This is first of all a FUN and facilitated experience. The bonus is you will also learn musical games you can bring to your own groups, family events, and drum circles. Any personal instruments are welcome and no musical experience or special skills are needed. There are no wrong notes.
Mike Deaton is a drummer, gong player, music facilitator, and a Global Trainer for Arthur Hull and Village Music Circles. He has been teaching all ages, leading drum circles, and empowering humans through sound, art, and movement for over 20 years..
Community Drumming at the Fire Circle
Each night at the Renewal is a time to jam, dance and have a great time together. Join us for a rhythmic extravaganza built for everyone!
A limited number of private & group lessons are available for this instructor.
Maureen Lauer-Gatta, Yoga, Adjunct Youngstown State University, ERYT 500, she, her, hers
Yoga for Everyone
Gentle yoga classes to help you to keep smiling.
Maureen has practicing yoga since 1998 and teaching since 2003 (certified through Inner Wellness). She has a unique gift for adapting the practice of yoga to meet any practitioner where they are. With a knowledge of anatomy, key muscles are utilized to deepen the poses helping to create greater flexibility and strength both in the mind and body.
Maureen has been practicing yoga for well over a decade and teaching almost as long. She brings a strong practice of mindfulness into her classes to create a sense of purpose and compassion that are taught with kindness and humor. She has been meditating for almost a decade and has recently been practicing Mindfulness meditation. In February of this year she attended a 7 day training on Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Saki Santorelli in California.
Michael Mervosh M.Ed., Licensed Psychologist, he, him, his
The Big Group Sing
Singing together brings us together like nothing else. Bring whatever voice you have to this transformative experience of release and joy.
Having Essential Conversations & Enhancing Your Connection with the World
Michael Mervosh, M.Ed. is a licensed psychologist, facilitator and trainer who practices in the US and Europe. He’s the executive director of The Hero’s Journey Foundation and founder of PsychoEnergetics Training Program.
Kimberly McElhatten
Writing Editor, and Coach
New! Poetry as Meditation: Writing with Mary Oliver & David Whyte
Experience poetry as a meditative practice: opening your senses, quieting your mind, and connecting you to the present moment. In this workshop, we'll immerse ourselves in the works of Mary Oliver and David Whyte. Through focused reading, reflection, and simple writing prompts, you’ll discover accessible practices to craft your own poems. No experience required.
Together, we'll explore how poetry can become a pathway to mindfulness, self-discovery, and creative renewal. Leave with new tools for expression, fresh inspiration, and a deeper connection to your inner world.
NEW! Deep Presence: A Nature Walk and Journaling Experience
Cultivate Mindfulness and Insight by Exploring Nature’s Metaphors
Join us for a nature walk to the backwoods pond, where you’ll slow down and fully engage with the natural world. At the pond’s edge, through quiet observation and guided writing, you’ll discover how nature’s patterns and moments can serve as powerful metaphors for your own life.
Let the beauty and stillness of the landscape reveal insights about your journey beyond GRR. This practice will help you integrate your experiences, find meaning in the present, and use the wisdom of nature to support your growth and transformation.
No writing experience needed. Bring your curiosity, a pen or pencil, and paper. You might also want to bring a lightweight, fold-up chair if you prefer not to sit on the ground.
Yes, AND...to Your Future: An Improvised Vision (New for 2025)
Step into what’s next! Learn to integrate the insights, growth, and inner work you’ve experienced at the Great Rhythm Revival, so you can carry that joy, self-care, and authenticity into your everyday life.
Using improv, we’ll explore how to say “Yes, and…” to yourself and your future. Through playful, structured exercises, you’ll learn to trust your instincts, support others, and stay open to possibility, even when life feels unscripted.
No improv experience necessary, just bring your willingness to participate, connect, and have fun. Leave inspired, energized, and equipped with practical tools to keep your transformation (and PFM) alive long after GRR ends.
Kimberly McElhatten helps writers tell their stories and publish great work.
She’s on the editorial teams at Brevity Magazine, Fourth River Literary Magazine, and Autumn House Press and is the lead content strategist for Great Things, LLC. She leads the Exploring Judaism Writers Fellowship and is on the board of directors for The Writers Conference of Northern Appalachia.
Kimberly is currently accepting new writing and business coaching clients. Request a private coaching or editing session at GRR with Kimberly by emailing her at kim@openroads.life
Website: openroads.life