A personal note on my Drumming Experience

Along the path of my own Spiritual Awakening, I have found drumming to be the most fluid form of deep meditation and a pure connection to my Higher Self (God, Great Spirit, Creator …). This connection has allowed for self discovery, growth and empowerment.

My first experience with drumming circles was during an open forum setting at a Peace Festival years ago during a very dark period of my life. Before that point I had a strong admiration for and natural curiosity about the traditions honored by the Native American People. But it was not until I was welcomed by a group of people who open their hearts and offered me a drum, that I found my way to a truly Spiritual way of life. I felt as though I had found my home within the rhythm of the shared heart beat. I was lost in the moment without thinking about how, who, what, or when. I merely felt free to express.

I felt as though I would be fine no matter what mistakes were made; someone would bring balance. I felt as though I was accepted just as I was without judgment. I felt gratitude for every person I now felt a connection with. The epiphany came later when I realized that I could experience this at anytime with anyone and feel connected in every moment that followed. I felt whole for the first time in my life. I would not feel alone after that day.

Since then I have honored the rhythm of the drumming circle reflecting the circle of all living things; as one shared heart beat, one shared experience and a moment honoring our connect as we are all equal. It is humbling to re-connect with Spirit and feel deserving of the love that is abundantly offered. I approach every drumming experience as an opportunity to learn more about myself, connect deeper with others and allow my spirit to express through my heart with compassion and gratitude.

Tips For Beginners: How to Listen and Learn to Drum in a Circle

Playing in circles is all about listening, feeling the rhythm in your body and finding ways to connect to other people’s playing.
Don’t worry if you are new to drumming. Just keep the beat and drum slow enough that you can have a good time. Once you get more comfortable, new grooves will just come to you on their own.
Keeping your volume balanced with the circle is crucial. If you are playing a drum designed to play loudly, like a djembe, you need to be extra sensitive of your volume. You have the power to help people keep the beat but also the responsibility to drop back in when things are in a groove.
If someone forgets their connection with the circle and goes off in a way that is against the beat of the song or drowns people out from being able to hear each other, then the whole rhythm can run off the tracks. It is natural for the rest of the group to ride it out and wait for them to come back but if they don’t, the host of the evening may come up and give a “quieter signal”, asking them to listen and re-gain sync with the group. It is good to learn to drum in this listening way.
If you get this signal, it does not mean that people are mad or that you are a bad drummer. It’s just a call to remember the circle and get back in sync. It’s not meant to be a harsh thing. It’s meant to be received as “Hey we like your spirit. Please come back to us.”.
If we don’t do that, over time, people tend to leave the drum circle and we don’t want that at all.
If you are not sure if you are too loud, listen to see if you can hear the drummers on the other side of the circle. If you can’t hear them, you certainly can’t play with them. We wanna play!
If you get lost, a good thing to do is to stop drumming, listen for who’s holding the beat down and find a new place to come in.
Don’t worry, there’s lots of room for mistakes. At the same time we have to do what we can to keep the space spiritually and musically healthy. Please do come back!

Gratitude+Love = cycle of life
Prayer = intent+being.
This information has been shared with many thanks. Please refer to:
http://www.turtledrum.northwestceremonies.com/

Sandra Fioramonti
Liverpool Art Center website
Contact me via e-mail or by phone 315.234.9333