Gourd Beats & Vocal Joy - Workshop Immersion
Description
Gourd Beats & Vocal Joy WORKSHOP IMMERSION
Jan 17, 2026 | 3:30–6:30pm
Near Byron Bay / Lennox Head (venue TBA)
Rhythm • Voice • Community
With Splash Gourdon & Shelly Brown
_______
What is it?
Dive into a three-hour, joy-soaked musical adventure with
Splash Gourdon (Elliott Orr) on hypnotic calabash gourd water rhythms
and Shelly Brown guiding you through liberating vocals and soulful singing.
THEN, We shall Combine the gourd rhythms and the singing workshop,
We will be playing rhythms and singing in and out of the water.
LOCATION: TO BE CONFIRMED. As this is an extremely weather dependent event - This workshop afternoon location will be confirmed 48 hours in advance.
* Near Byron Bay / Lennox Head.
YOU WILL NEED:
Your swimming gear + sun protection.
WE WILL PROVIDE:
A calabash *** NUMBERS ARE LIMITED *** This Will Sell Out!
Nibbles + Drinks
The most amazing amount of fun.
Gourd Beats & Vocal Joy JANUARY 17 2026
An afternoon of rhythm, voice, and community
Join us for a nourishing three-hour workshop where rhythm meets voice, and strangers become a circle.
Gourd Beats & Vocal Joy is a playful and grounding exploration of African-inspired rhythm, gourd percussion, and uplifting vocal harmony. Guided by experienced facilitators Splash Gourdon and Shelly Brown, this workshop invites you to move, listen, laugh, and connect.
Through layered rhythms, call-and-response, and joyful vocal expression, we’ll explore the simple magic of making music together. This workshop is for those who carry a curiosity and passion for exploring rhythm and voice, and who are open to shared musical experience in a supportive, down-to-earth space.
Facilitators
Splash Gourdon (Elliott Orr) brings decades of experience facilitating and performing djembe and African rhythm, with a grounded, heart-led approach to community music-making.
Shelly Brown is a seasoned performer, choir leader, and facilitator in world music, dance, and harmony, known for creating spaces where voices feel free and supported.
Details
🗓 January 17
⏰ 3:30pm – 6:30pm
📍 Location: To be disclosed, near Lennox Head / Byron Bay
Come as you are. Bring your curiosity. Leave rhythm-filled, connected, and uplifted.
Investment: $115
Early Bird: $95
Pay before midnight on January 4th
The fine print!:
Event Disclaimer & Media Consent
By attending this event, you acknowledge and accept full responsibility for your participation in activities conducted in or around water. You understand that water-based activities may present inherent risks, particularly if you are not a confident swimmer. Attendance is at your own risk.
You further acknowledge that this event takes place outdoors and may involve exposure to sun and weather conditions. You are responsible for taking appropriate sun safety precautions, including sunscreen, protective clothing, and hydration.
By attending, you grant the event organisers permission to photograph and record video footage of you during the event, and to use such material for promotional, marketing, and archival purposes across digital and print platforms. We promise to only use images that make you look your absolute best.
Lineup
Splash Gourdon
Splash Gourdon believes there really is a gourd, the Calabash Gourd. This amazing gift of mother nature is not only a wonderful vessel for fruit, grains or to carry water, but is also an incredible musical instrument. When turned upside down on the surface of water and struck with a fist in the middle it produces the most powerful acoustic bass note. Aquatic subsonic, rippling rhythms, buoyant beats.... With 30 years drumming experience, the man behind Splash Gourdon, Elliott Orr, brings a high level of percussion precision and dynamic grooves to the playing of the African calabash. The rhythms are hypnotic, the depth of the bass is vast, just like Flash Gordon he’s come to save the universe. Joined by other musicians Splash Gourdon will take you on a journey of sound that will leave you in awe. https://www.talkinthedrum.com.au/ linktr.ee/talkinthedrum @splashgourdon @talkinthedrum
Shelly Brown
Indie-Soul Musician Shelly Brown has supported Jon Cleary and Dionne Warwick, and shared stages with Mama Kin Spender, The Resin Dogs, Lloyd Spiegel and Skunkhour and many more. She’s played tours in Australia, Vietnam, Argentina and Europe. Shelly was born to sailor and aviator parents, and is based in Lennox Head/Byron Bay. Immersed in music, she embraced jazz and soul, collaborating with her husband, Dan Brown on piano, bass and synth. Shelly’s intimate, soulful voice and unique, distinctive guitar playing have engaged audiences of all sizes, from small bars, to festival stages. She’s ever passionate about facilitating songwriting and vocal workshops, her Brunch Choir and her podcast- “Singing Lessons For No One,” which has now surpassed 100k streams. She dives deep into her latest EP: “In We Dive”, featuring Grant Gerathy and Alex McLeod. www.shelly.com.au https://linktr.ee/shelly.brown @shellybrownmusic
The Calabash Gourd!
The calabash gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) has ancient roots in Africa, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years as one of humanity’s earliest useful plants. Lightweight, durable, and naturally hollow, it was used for carrying water and food, ritual objects, and musical instruments. Through migration and trade, the calabash travelled across the world, becoming central to many African, Afro-diasporic, and Indigenous musical traditions. When used for water percussion, the calabash is partially submerged and struck, tapped, or skimmed across the surface. The interaction between the hollow gourd, trapped air, and moving water creates deep, resonant bass tones and sharp splashes. By changing the angle, depth, and speed, the player can produce a surprising range of rhythms and textures—turning water itself into part of the instrument.
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity
