The faint smell of goat hide and wood smoke met my nostrils as I came down the basement stairs of the Paradise Village home where I was to attend my first ever African drumming class. The genial warmth of a wood burning stove took me back to the best memories of my childhood and the chill out of the air. Slowly the room was filling with people and vibrations, the broken beats and hesitant rhythms made by early arrivals. My bones began to resonate with the pulsing base beat drummed by a man on the left side of the room, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom. The rhythm was picked up surely and elaborated upon by others. Soon, the air was resonant and alive with the song of the drum, Boom Da, Boom Da, Boom Da, Boom Da. I found a chair on the far side of the circle from a face I knew and canvassed the drums in the center of the circle for one I thought looked friendly. Ra ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta ta tat.
The class participants, my fellow classmates, were from all walks of life and widely different socioeconomic backgrounds, every one of them brought together by one thing, the beat, Boom Ba Da, Boom Boom Ba DA! The beat is growing as more and more people move to expand their horizons and tune into each other and into LIFE!
In 2006 my husband and I had attended a harvest festival with a strong African drumming and spirit dancing focus and draw. Festival goers wandered alone or gathered in groups throughout the day and in the evening around the ritual fire to drum and dance in a spirit of freedom, creative inspiration and community. My husband enjoyed the drumming very much, going so far as to express a desire to learn how to drum. Attending this djembe drumming class was the first opportunity we'd had to pursue that desire and the prospect of drumming together made our first lesson all the more satisfying.
I am no stranger to drumming circles, however, in the past I always contributed to the circle by dancing or as a singer. In learning to drum I am finding something I did not expect to experience and am going to love more as I become practiced. There is an electric and unifying phenomenon that unites the drum circle. It happened for me on my first foray into drumming and it did not matter that I had never played before. If I were to characterize the difference between drumming in the circle and chanting or dancing, I would liken it to going down stream as a swimmer versus riding in a boat. When you are drumming you become the rhythm, as a singer or dancer you are carried upon it. When I am drumming I feel more alive and deeply aware. The rhythm sweeps negativity away, leaving only an electric pulsing peace.
There are prospects and occasions for drumming or to enjoy community drum circles in places and cities all over the United States and the world, finding them is often easier than one might think. Universities are great places to find drumming circles, as are new age book stores, cafés, Pagan festivals, Rainbow festivals, Jazz festivals, Womyn's gatherings, Men's groups, community centers, AA meet-ups and even some churches. The Unitarian Universalist Churches often host drumming circles.
If you are interested in learning to play the djembe or dun dun and experiencing community in a new exciting way, the opportunities abound. The easiest way to find a drumming circle starts as an internet search. Key word searches that are helpful would include: the name or your city and state, Djembe, African drums and drumming circles.
Best wishes and happy drumming.
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