Drumming

Last night I attended a new drumming circle. In case you aren't familiar, it's a loosely organized group of people (in our case all women) who get together and bang on drums - ok, a little more sophisticated than that, but basically that's what we do. Each person beats in their own rhythm and, surprisingly enough, it all fits together and sounds pretty good. You can use hand drums, congo drums, rattles or shakers, etc. Ever see "The Visitor"? There were alot of references to drumming circles in that movie, and I believe one segment even shows you a circle in action. I remember the first drumming circle I attended - I was extremely skeptical that I would enjoy it, because I was a music major in college and even someone clapping off beat in church can serve to irritate me sometimes. So the thought of all this "willy-nilly" banging on drums sounded horrendous to me at first. But I find I really enjoy it. It's tradition is based in old Native American heritage and each tribe carries their own rules and habits in the drumming. It speaks of unity, and abandonment of your thought processes to surrender yourself to that inner child - just following your own "inner drum" if you will. We get together once a month and eat together and then drum - if you're ever interested. Or, I have several drums - come on over and we'll bang on them together so you can get an idea of what it's like. I think you'll feel a connection that's both satisfying and freeing.