Drum circle

A drum circle is any group of people playing (usually) hand-drums and percussion in a circle. They are distinct from a drumming group or troupe in that the drum circle is an end in itself rather than preparation for a performance. They can range in size from a handful of players to circles with thousands of participants.

In 1991, during testimony before the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging, Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart stated:

Typically, people gather to drum in drum "circles" with others from the surrounding community. The drum circle offers equality because there is no head or tail. It includes people of all ages. The main objective is to share rhythm and get in tune with each other and themselves. To form a group consciousness. To entrain and resonate. By entrainment, I mean that a new voice, a collective voice, emerges from the group as they drum together. ^[1]

Contents 1 Types of drum circles 1.1 The culturally specific drum circle 1.2 The facilitated drum circle 1.3 The anarchic drum circle 2 Drum Circles with a Spiritual focus 2.1 Solstice Drum Circles 2.2 Neopaganism 2.3 Shamanic drum circle 2.4 Medicine Wheel Drum Circle Prayer Ceremony 3 Professional drum circle facilitators 3.1 Notable Drum Circle facilitators 4 References 5 External links

Types of drum circles

In Western countries, drum circles have developed into three main types:

Culturally specific, such as Samba bands or West African groups,

Facilitated circles with drums from any culture, and

Anarchic circles - improvised communal drumming with no designated musical leader.

There are many different uses or settings within which drum circles are employed:

Community drum circles - for recreation, celebration, social enhancement, general group learning, and honor.

Conference drum circles - as a general session or interactive keynote presentation.

Corporate drum circles - to build teamwork and morale, using the metaphor of music to improve corporate workings.

Diversity drum circles - to educate and demonstrate using the metaphor of music to build unity and appreciate differences.

Ethno specific drum circles - focus on traditional rhythms from specific cultures, learning and understanding adaptations for particular situations.

Health and Wellness drum circles - at medical, meditation / wellness centers and senior living facilities.

Theraputic drum circles - used by trained therapists as a tool in their work.

Music Store drum circles -for recreational drumming enthusiasts, and marketing.

Recreational drum circles - in community parks or social gatherings for playing together.

The culturally specific drum circle

This is generally an informal gathering of drummers and percussionists who have some knowledge and skill in sets of rhythms that are specific to a culture. They would tend to use instruments that are authentic in relation to that culture. They may be peer led or given structure by teachers or performers.

The facilitated drum circle

A facilitated drum circle is a drum circle in which a leader helps to focus the intent and improve the quality and effect of the drum jam. Drums and/or percussion are handed out or already in place, and people come not to 'learn to drum' but simply to have fun playing together.

The facilitator guides and encourages the participants to create exciting in-the-moment music. The focus is on the connection and communication between the participants. Drums and percussion from any culture, homemade or junk instruments are usually welcome at such a circle. Noted drum circle facilitators include Arthur Hull, who has written two handbooks ^[2] for would be facilitators, and Christine Stevens who set out some Drum Circle Principles in her book The Art and Heart of Drum Circles:^[3]

"There is no audience - Everyone is part of the musical experience,
There is no rehearsal - The music ... is improvised in the moment
There is no right or wrong - The Drum Circle is a safe, permissive explorational environment.

There is no teacher - Instead, the drumcircle is led by a facilitator who has the dual focus: to build musicality of the group while also building the sense of community and connection."

The anarchic drum circle

Anarchic drum circles are open gatherings of drummers with no formal leadership or moderation. The structure is often casual as the participants themselves are responsible for the starting and stopping of rhythms. Once a rhythm is introduced, others follow and contribute their own accents to build the beat organically until it either evolves into a new rhythm or loses its momentum and stops. Listening, improvisation and restraint are the keys to following the ever shifting layers of rhythm.

Drum Circles with a Spiritual focus

Solstice Drum Circles

Summer Solstice Drum circles are growing throughout the world and many of the participants are of various faiths. The summer solstice is the day of the year with the longest daylight period and hence the shortest night. Winter Solstice drum circles are also growing in popularity. The day of the winter solstice is the shortest day and the longest night of the year. These Winter Solstice drum circles are often referred to as "Drumming up the Sun", and will frequently begin before dawn.

Neopaganism

Neopagans have created another type of drum circle. At Neopagan festivals, people gather around a large bonfire, the drummers generally sitting on one side to encourage better listening. The musicians sit together and play while dancers dance and circle around the fire. Often, those present will stay and play throughout the night until dawn, treating the evening as a magical (or alchemical) working. Sound is not limited to drumming alone; there is also chanting, singing, poetry, and spoken word pieces. This type of drum circle is not usually facilitated.

Shamanic drum circle

This type of circle tends to center around Native American Cultural Drums and rattles but is primarily focusing on the spiritual rather than the musical aspects of the culture. They are a facilitated circle but the leader is facilitating a shamanic journey type process rather than a musical event. Shamanic drumming is generally simple and repetitive, often considered as a form of prayer or method of trance induction, rather than as music or entertainment. During a shamanic trance or shamanic journey, the shaman uses the steady beat of the drum as a "lifeline" to find the way back to the world of ordinary consciousness.

Medicine Wheel Drum Circle Prayer Ceremony

Practiced by various groups, and outlined step by step in the book, "Finding Sanctuary in Nature: Simple Ceremonies in the Native American Tradition for Healing Yourself and Others," by Jim PathFinder Ewing (Findhorn Press, Scotland, 2007), (page 147), "the medicine wheel drum circle prayer ceremony" recognizes the four directions -- east, south, west, north -- as spiritual Powers that can help balance and heal. The ceremony has four rounds, with drumming by all participants at the instruction of the leader allowing the energy of each direction in each round to come into the circle to facilitate prayers and healing. It has been described as "like a sweat lodge without the sweat" (page 148, Finding Sanctuary). Ewing held these ceremonies each month for seven years, as outlined in the book, in addition to shamanic drum circles, and at various sites from coast to coast in the United States since the late 1990s. Groups based on his example and the instructions outlined in the book have resulted in other groups forming worldwide.

Professional drum circle facilitators

Professional groups exist in most countries to serve various markets. They are firmly established as a team building activity in the world of corporate training and drum circle companies are regular visitors to schools. There is also a growing body of facilitators working in places such as hospitals, prisons, and hospices using drumming as a therapeutic tool.

Notable Drum Circle facilitators

• Mickey Hart
• Arthur Hull
• Babatunde Olatunji
• Doug Sole

References

1. ^ Rhythm As A Tool For Healing and Health in The Aging process
2. ^ *Drum Circle Spirit: Facilitating Human Potential Through Rhythm. White Cliffs Media, USA, 1998 by Arthur Hull; Drum Circle Facilitation. Village Music Circles, USA, 2006 by Arthur Hull
3. ^ The Art and Heart of Drum Circles. Christine Stevens 2003

4. The Healing Power of the Drum by Robert Lawrence Friedman, MA 5. Finding Sanctuary in Nature: Simple Ceremonies in the Native American Tradition for Healing Yourself and Others by Jim PathFinder Ewing (Nvnehi Awatisgi), Findhorn Press, Scotland, 2007

External links

• Drumming As A Form of Prayer - Jim PathFinder Ewing (Nvnehi Awatisgi)
• The Tree, the Drum, and the River: Cultivating Transpersonal Unity from the Seeds of Our Diversity - Joshua S. Levin