Little drummers - Ri Rock Academy

The primary goal is to provide motivation and insight into the joy of playing, the art of creating and communicating music, and to inspire participants’ interest in creative work, socializing, and spending free time in a fulfilling way.

Jedna od glavnih perjanica Ri Rock Akademije je radionica grupnog bubnjanja koju vode mentori Nikola Jovanović i Vanja Kauzlarić. Bit ove radionice je učenje bubnjarskih tehnika sviranja ritmova te vježbanju tempa i dinamike. Osnova bubnja razdijeljena je na tri glavna segmenta, a to su doboš, tom i bas bubanj te su polaznici podijeljeni u tri skupine po tim elementima.

Besides learning how to play rhythms, the workshop is also oriented on other aspects, such as teamwork and collaboration, a sense of community, focus, creativity, self-expression, motor skills, discipline, releasing negative emotions and stress, as well as relaxation and unwinding…

Vanja Kauzlarić

Vanja Kauzlarić is one of the founders of the Ri Rock Association, active since 2006. He is also the program manager of the Palach Youth Cultural Center (since 2017), head of the Ri Rock Association office (since 2019), and head of the Ri Rock Academy (since 2020). Within the Academy, he runs music workshops and mentors the Ri Rock Kindergarten music playgroup for children aged 4 to 6, as well as a group drumming workshop for children aged 6 to 14. He is the initiator and coordinator of the long-running “Rinkluzija” program, which enables the social inclusion of children and young people from the Roma minority and the majority population through free informal music workshops. The program encourages creativity, positive development, and active participation in the cultural life of the community. Children and youth from the Rijeka Home for Education also joined. In 2022, the participants formed the Rinkluzija Band, which includes about 20 members – beneficiaries, mentors, and guest musicians. The band has more than six original songs and two cover versions and has already held several concerts for the Rijeka audience.

Nikola Jovanović

Nikola Jovanović is one of the founders of the renowned Rijeka-based Ri Rock Association, active since 2006. He serves as the Association’s Vice President and is the manager of Club Palach (from 2024 to present), as well as a drum mentor within the Ri Rock Academy (since 2023). From an early age, he showed an interest in music and played trumpet, piano, and drums in music school and in courses at the Trsat City Music Association. He demonstrated his musical talent in well-known Rijeka bands such as Strip Forbidden, Bumsleng, Sweet Thunder, and Old Night. A logical progression of his work was engaging in music promotion and organizing various events. To date, he has participated in organizing almost all concerts, festivals, and programs run by the Ri Rock Association. Some of these include the Ri Rock Festival (2006–present), Dark Circle Festival (2016–present), Ri Rock na Gradini (2014), Delta Street Summer Session Festival (2012–2014), RiRock Bus – Rijeka Bands Tour (2010–2013), the large open-air concert by the American band NOFX (2010), the International Skaville Festival (2011), and Priredba Festival (2007–2008). Since 1996, Nikola has also been an active member of “Gradska glazba Trsat” association, where he also served as the president (2007–2011).