Around The Arts

Rusted Root's Jim Donovan to teach hand drumming\nJim Donovan, who rose to national prominence as a founding member and drummer for the multi-platinum band Rusted Root, will hold a special drumming event from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Gallery West, 702 W. Kirkwood Ave. Donovan will guide participants through a series of steps designed to help students learn the foundation of hand drumming, musicianship and group dynamics through drumming. Students will learn the basics of hand drumming, develop a rhythmic foundation, learn to play music with a group, play various West African drum songs, learn to express creativity through music and sharpen listening skills. For more information contact Athena at 339-0734. Registration is $35 in advance and $45 at the door.\nExperience creative writing at the John Waldron Arts Center\nPoet Catherine Bowman and composer P.Q. Phan, both IU faculty members, will teach a collaborative workshop on creative writing. The workshop will be held at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the John Waldron Arts Center Auditorium, 122 S. Walnut St. Students will write poems and then set them to music they compose. Writers featured at the workshop will read from their new works and talk about the creative process. The event will feature IU English professors Scott Sanders, Samrat Upadhyay, Crystal Wilkinson, Alyce Miller and Maurice Manning. The workshop is free and open to the public. Experience is welcome but not required. For more information, contact Sally Gaskill at 334-3100.\nSpend a 'night in old Vienna' at ball \nThe Bloomington Symphony Orchestra will hold "A Night in Old Vienna" -- a traditional Viennese ball. The ball will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. Saturday in Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union. The event begins with cocktails and continues with dancing. Guests will dance to romantic waltzes, swing, Latin and popular standards played by the BSO. The evening will feature a traditional gourmet Viennese buffet, Viennese desserts and coffee, a raffle of premium goods and services and entertainment. A ticket for dinner, dessert and dancing is $60. For reservation information call the BSO at 331-2320. \nCelebrate with the Bloomington Early Music Festival\nThe Bloomington Early Music Festival will play host to its annual gala at 6 p.m. Sunday at Chapman's Banquet Center. Profits from the gala will benefit the upcoming 10-day Early Music Festival in May. Guests attending the gala will enjoy dinner, wine, cash bar, musical entertainment and an auction. Tickets are $65 per person. For more information about the event, call 331-1263.