Ripple Rhythm

Ripple Rhythm, a percussion entertainment company created by Tim Gentle, is a true passion project turned successful business. Tim studied Theatre and Dramatic Arts at the University of Waterloo and had ambitions of being a theatre actor. He recalls that he was working a very conservative desk job in the day and drumming at night. “It was like a split life,” he says.

In 2002 Tim began attending the Trinity Bellwoods Park drum circle, a small grassroots event started by a group of people who wanted to practice their percussive skills. When logistical challenges arose, Tim helped to start the Drummers in Exile collective in order to help coordinate between attendees and the City of Toronto. The event grew exponentially and Trinity Bellwoods soon had between 200 to 1,000 visitors per night. Due to the group’s size and financial pressures, the drum circle was forced to move elsewhere.

Tim decided to go solo and facilitate his own programming on Centre Island. During the summers, he offered 10-minute all-ages introductory drumming playshops. It was a hit, and in those three summers, he drew in thousands of participants. Tim remembers this as one of the most rewarding periods of his career so far. Combining his performance and facilitation skills, Tim developed Ripple Rhythm, a small mobile company that aims to inspire, unite and entertain people of all ages and backgrounds through the power of percussion.