What is a Drum
Circle?
According to Mickey Hart: “The Drum Circle is a huge
jam
session. The ultimate goal is not precise rhythmic articulation
or
perfection of patterned structure, but the ability to entrain
and
reach the state of a group mind. It is built on cooperation in
the
groove, but with little reference to any classic styles. So this is
a
work in constant progress, a phenomenon of the new
rhythm
culture emerging here in the West.”
In the words of Arthur Hull: “The Community Drum Circle is a
fun
entry-level learning experience that is accessible to anyone
who
wants to participate. Drum Circle participants
express
themselves collectively by using a chorus of tuned
drums,
percussion, and vocals to create a musical song together
while
having a great time.”
A Drum Circle
IS
A community music-making event where people sit or stand in
a
circle while playing world percussion
instruments.
People play improvised rhythms. Music is created in the
moment.
Instead of a teacher, there is a facilitator – someone
with
musical experience and facilitation training who leads from
the
center of the circle.
In the Drum Circle, there is no audience. Everyone is part of
the
performance.
A Drum Circle is NOT
According to Mickey Hart: “The Drum Circle is not
a
professional ensemble, nor is it really about music,
but
rather a group of friends having a rhythm
party.”
A clinic where students sit in theatre-style facing a stage
and
watch a high-profile player demonstrate and teach one
tradition
of drumming on one specific
instrument.
A culturally specific (i.e. African or Cuban) drum class.
Types of Drum Circles
Thunder Drummers – unfacilitated free form
jams.
Facilitated community drum
circles.
Rhythm events for kid’s programs at schools and boys and
girls
clubs.
Drum Circles for at-risk kids at alternative satellite
schools.
Rhythm based events at adult day centers and nursing
homes
for the well
elderly.
Special needs population circles facilitated by music
therapists.
Why do people go to Drum Circles?
For
fun.
Sense of
community.
Introduction to rhythm and percussion
technique.
Musical
expression.
Health benefits: stress-reduction, creative expression,
and
feeling better.
Experience of unity.
medical benefits of empowerment group drumming.
Why do Drum Circles work?
Because people entrain to a dominant rhythm.
Because rhythm is innate and drumming just brings it out
of
people.
Because it’s a quick and easy way for people to get involved
in
music making.
Because a facilitator assists the group in working together
to
create a groove.
Who attends Drum Circles?
Everyone!
Young or
old.
Physically
challenged.
Beginners to advanced players.
Wellness consumers.
Where do Drum Circles take place?
At our events center in Midtown Manhattan, at 40th and
Fifth, our special events
in
Nyack in the lower Hudson Valley of New York, at
our retreat in the
Catskills; California and in Brazil...
Available for hire, events
and programs:
Schools
Community
centers
Nursing
homes
Corporations
Spiritual
Centers
Parks
Hospital or Medical Center Wellness Activity
Programs
When
do Drum Circles take place?
Tuesday
and Thursday Evenings and
weekends.
Special
events.
What is a Community Drum
Circle?
The Community Drum Circle is the use of a rhythm-based event as
a
tool for unity. It is NOT a drum class. It's NOT using
culturally-specific
rhythms. A community drum circle in the United States is a fun,
family
friendly event, where people empower each other in the act
of
celebrating community and life through rhythm and music. People of
all
levels of musical expertise come together and share their
rhythmical
spirit with what ever drums and percussion they bring to the
event.
They don't have to be a drummer to participate. Everyone
has
something to offer the circle, and any one is welcome.
The spirit and magic of rhythm expressed on drums and
percussion
instruments cuts through all ages, sexes, religions, races
and
cultures. "Rhythm", as Gabriel Roth says, "is the mother
tongue."
Rhythm is a universal language known to every one, even
the
youngest child, if we can just "remember." So in a very objective,
yet
beautiful way, an interactive rhythm event puts us all on an
equal
footing with each other and brings us closer together. The
facilitator
serves this process by guiding the participants to their highest
musical
potential.
A community drum circle is created, "in the moment" by all the
people
who participate. Co-operation and collaboration is the basic
glue.
When we drum together, sharing our spirit in the form of rhythm,
it
changes our relationships. As we play together, we give ourselves
a
rhythmical massage and an emotional release. The experience
is
unique to each person in the circle, and it happens whether we
are
entraining ourselves into the circle by
drumming, or standing
outside
the circle and listening while tapping our feet and clapping along
with
the music.
There are many places where drum circles are being used for
many
purposes, like....
Teambuilding for
corporations
Empowerment building for mens and womens
groups
Spirit building for spiritual growth and personal growth
groups
Synergizing and rhythm training for school/kids
groups
Stress and anger relief for kids- at-risk
groups
Orientation for college campuses and on-going circles
for
multi-cultural
awareness.
Family bonding for family night drum
circles.
Community building and market building for music stores.
To make beautiful music together, all we have to do is bring to
the
circle whatever rhythmical expertise we have to offer, along with
the
excitement of sharing it with other people. The quality of the
music
produced in an event like this is not based on the rhythmical
expertise
of the players, but on the quality of their relationship with the
other
people in the circle. The result is those magical musical
moments
where one powerful voice is created out of the many. In
those
moments, the players stop worrying about keeping time because
time,
as they know it, has stopped. In it's place is a living breathing
entity,
expressing timeless joy, passion and release through the power
of
rhythm. That is the beauty of a community drum circle.
What is a Drum Circle
Facilitator?
“The facilitator’s role is to orchestrate a mixed group of
people
into a fully functioning and exciting improvisational
percussion
ensemble.”
The term "facilitation" literally means "to make easy." A
facilitator's
main job is demonstrating rhythmic-EASE and empowering a group
of
people to experience the benefits of being in community and
making
music.
It's like the Wizard of Oz. People travel to the drum circle
expecting
that the facilitator can magically bestow them with rhythm
and
talent. What they don't always know or believe is that the rhythm
is
already within them. The group sometimes needs to believe there is
a
wizard in order to believe in themselves. They then begin their
journey
into the land of rhythmic expression. The facilitator’s job is to
sense
when leadership is needed and when to back off and get out of
the
way. The ultimate goal is to have the circle facilitate itself.
In today’s postmodern world, it’s no surprise that an entire
profession
is emerging of people facilitating drum circles for multiple purposes.
These people come from very different backgrounds, such
as
business, massage, social work, music therapy, music
education,
musicians, computer programmers, and more. Most facilitators
are
either self-taught or they have attended a facilitation
training
workshop.
The facilitator understands the role of service and
the
non-performance aspect of the drum circle. They are not there
to
show off their personal playing talents. They are there to support
the
group's experience creating an improvised song.
The facilitator has a unique combination of skills:
Good musical sense and rhythmical playing
ability.
Good sense of group building
skills.
Good spiritual and personal development.
Successful facilitators utilize these skills in achieving the
dual-purpose
of the drum circle: developing the music and developing the sense
of
community.
About Ron Knight, Facilitator.
.
