Drumming is a vibratory experience. Sound vibrations, created with stick and skin, moving air, and wavetones. Transfered to our hearts and souls, we tune ourselves, we release stress, we connect with drum, the drummer, and the pulse. We of the drum know this, and at the core of our love of drumming is this knowing. So, I decided to try and bring this experience to those that didn't know, or didn't know how to get there. I am becoming an Evangelist of rhythm. I am leading workshops and drum circles for the everyday person who may have no skills related to creating music.
The thing that always bothered me about drum circles (of begining or even intermediate players) was the lack of direction, and the belief that whatever you play is OK. Although it may very well serve you just to bang anything, any way, what really will take you out, is a rhythym that has the power of parts, playing in synch with each other. So I've made it an important part of my CIRCLE RHYTHM workshops to make sure my participants played the parts correctly. You can keep everything simple and still tap into the power of a complex and strong groove. That's where I want to take my workshop players, that place where the rhythym takes you over, and you lose yourself inside the drum.
I needed to get beyond the learning curve, to get right to the heart of the matter. I made and found percussion instuments that people could manipulate fairly easily, taught them simple parts, (groups of 10 to 20 people are ideal for me) and once everyone was on the same page and starting to groove, I joined in usually on congas or Djembe. That usually will kick the rhythym into 3rd or 4th gear, and then ride it till it gives, go for the power of repetition,
go for the trance.
