Meet the Drummers & Musicians

Davulcular ve Müzisyenler

Carl Posz

A lifelong musician, Carl’s main musical axe is the bass guitar, but that hasn’t stopped him from becoming an accomplished guitar, tar, cajon, doumbek, and davul player. Carl helps edit musical compositions for Dans Askina, creates stage props, and has been known to join in the dancing when male Romani and folk dancer roles are called for in troupe choreographies. He collaborates with Omniversal World Jam, Jamulus, and was also a co-founder (with his wife, Kerime) of Oasis Music and Dance, a MN Renaissance Festival favorite in the mid-1980s

Mark Christianson

Mark began taking hand drumming lessons after his wife Rowena joined Dans Askina, because he wanted to drum for his wife at troupe performances. Since he began taking lessons from Carmen Heim through Hopkins Community Education, Mark has learned the doumbek and djembe and has been known to balance a sword on his head during performances. Mark also serves as Stage Manager for our Rakkas Minneapolis events, videographer, and photographer.

Katrina Dam

Katrina has played music with her husband Eric for many years at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival, Omniversal Jam gatherings, and various Scottish events. She routinely plays doumbek, metal zills, wooden zills, the bodhran, Appalachian dulcimer, and has added mandolin to her collection.

Eric Dam

Eric began playing the Irish Bodhran shortly after joing a Scottish dance class. A chance encounter with the local Irish/World Music band Boiled in Lead in college exposed him to a greater array of hand percussion instruments. He currently plays bodhran, doumbek, cajon, riq, spoons, mandolin, and tenor banjo for the Uptown on the Lakes Morris Team, the Royal Scottish Country Dancers, and the traditional Scottish band the Scotch Eggs.

carmen heim

A black Pearl trap set as a ‘good kid’ gift combined with her family’s swing combo lit Carmen’s heart on fire for drums at the age of 11. As she was getting ready to retire from her day job, she tossed her drumsticks to follow the hand drumming plan in her heart. Congas, Doumbek, and Djembe entered her life; she began collecting drums and started teaching hand drumming through the Community Education programs at Hopkins and Wayzata. These programs led her to HealthRhythms for teens, opening her home studio, the Good Vibes Drum Circle, and Groove Boat. In 2011, Carmen met Amina Beres, and collaboration between Dans Askina and Carmen’s students and groups began. Ten years after that meeting, Carmen joined Dan’s Askina’s percussion ensemble – Mission accomplished! Never be afraid to follow your heart – it will lead you to your dreams.

Amina Beres

Amina’s percussion journey began in elementary school, and she’s been happily playing ‘all things percussion’ for over 50 years. Her career a dancer and Ensemble Artistic Director keeps her ‘somewhat’ distanced from drumming, but it hasn’t stopped her from amassing a doumbek, tar, bendir, nagara, riq, Turkish spoon, and zill collection while no one was looking. Outside the Middle Eastern percussion world, she sits in with the Omniversal Jammers, Wisdom Dances, and the MSUS concert band.