Cindy Goldberg and ‘Beat Keepers: Women With Rhythm!’

Women play drums, too. That’s the premise behind a forthcoming documentary made by female drummers in the U.S. and Canada about female drummers. The brainchild of Ontario-based drummer Cindy Goldberg, Beat Keepers: Women With Rhythm! will soon be here to showcase amateur and professional female percussionists.

Featuring women from all walks of life who came to play the drums in various ways, Beat Keepers: Women With Rhythm! features women who love to play the drums. We were hyped to sit down with drummer and brainchild of the project Cindy Goldberg to chat Beat Keepers, which is currently rounding out a crowdfunding campaign.

FD: What was the inspiration behind Beat Keepers?

CG: Though I’ve been a musician for over 40 years, I only took up drumming four years ago. I fell in love with it immediately. I quickly learned there were relatively few female drummers on the scene, and I wanted to meet them and hear their stories.

So, in 2017, I decided to create a short documentary on local female drummers. The film was very well received and many people suggested I create a longer film, featuring many more drummers from across Canada and the United States.

What is the relationship between the creative team and drumming? Are there other drummers in the core team besides yourself?

The creative team is actually located in Bogota, Colombia. They are professional film and audio editors. The main editor, Javier, is  a musician himself (not a drummer). But he understands how to make a very compelling and artistic movie based around music.

Who are the drummers to watch on the circuit right now?

“Wow . . . there are so many. I want to keep abreast of all the emerging and established female drummers in my film. I’ve learned something from each of them. In addition, there are many renowned male drummers in the movie, including Ramon Yslas, Walfredo Reyes Jr, Todd Sucherman, Jared Falk, Dan Shinder, Pat Bautz, Roy Nichol and Jason Gianni. These guys are my heroes!”

We know it’s hard to pin down, but was there a standout interview from the film?

Each and every interview moved me. There wasn’t any one that stood out in particular. However, I’ve made some meaningful connections with several of the drummers, and have seen them outside of the interviews. I spent my birthday in Buffalo, New York with Colleen Mastrocovo of Hair Nation, for example. And Roy Nichol (of the infamous band April Wine) has been mentoring me on the drums.

What’s next for the Beat Keepers movie?

We’ll finish editing and polishing the movie in July and get ready to screen the film at film festivals as early as August. We hope it will also get picked up by online streaming services so that anyone and everyone has an opportunity to view it.

How did you find the filmmaking process?

It’s a lot of hard work! You have to be willing to put in the time, day & night. But it’s been worth every minute I’ve devoted. Indeed, I believe it’s going to be the project of a lifetime.

What was the hardest part of the filmmaking process?

I should have pursued grant applications early on, even before I began the project. So funding has been tight. But again, this is worth the investment. I’m honored to bring more recognition to female drummers.

—

Follow the project on Facebook and Instagram.

See Cindy in action playing in her band Restless Soul.