In Praise of Drumming

I had the pleasure of meeting with a dear friend for a picnic table in the park chat yesterday. It was a gorgeous September afternoon, we had not seen each other in person in many months and we wanted to share our hopes and dreams together. I didn’t know this friend was also a lover of drumming circles. Of course, we haven’t been able to participate in drumming circles for several months, but both of us remember the joy of coming together with others and how even people who have never drummed before are able to entrain with others, often with magical and beautiful results.

This rekindled my desire to host drumming circles in my expressive arts studio space as soon as the threat of COVID illness has passed. I am so hopeful that may occur as early as spring 2021. I talked with Mel, the wonderful woman who facilitates our circle and we decided that we would like to host a weekly circle in the spring as soon as it is feasible. We have set the intention, and a date to begin, and I pray with all my heart that it will be possible.

I picked up one of the books I have about drumming to try to find some words that would explain to you how wonderful drumming circles are, if you haven’t had the opportunity to participate in one as yet. In this book, The Art and Heart of Drum Circles, by Christine Stevens, I found a poem written by a twelve year old boy who loved attending a weekly drumming circle in his community. I thought his poem expressed what I feel far better than any prose I could write about it. His poem is found on pg 71 of her book:

When I Drum

By Sean Scheuring, age 12

When I drum I can hear my heart beat

I feel excitement from my head to my feet

It takes away my pain and worry

I don’t feel like I’m in such a hurry.

When I am drumming I feel free

My troubles fly away from me

And in comes all the peace and love

My spirit soars just like a dove.

When I am drumming with my friends

I feel like we are family

And when we drum we sound like one

One heart, one soul, one mind.

Mmmmmm!!!