Drumming Circles – The Beat of Your Own Drum (Part 2/3)
Attending my first drumming session, my first thought surprised me as it actually was about war, about how troops were marched to battle to the sound of the beat of a drum, where the beat would regulate the loading and reloading of weapons during battle, and to raise morale. I am not of a shamanic background so I cannot speak to tribal communities using drums for a more pure purpose, but going to war with a drum beat definitely has a different energy and purpose to that of a shamanic drum beat….humans seem to have manifested drum beats in polarity to either kill or heal. It’s amazing what sound can do to us.
When I attended military ceremonies I used to be a speaker to call the commanders and recruits to the parade ground, and started with a marching band. I loved it when the ‘bandies’ (Army band) sang out their battle cry (chant?) that invoked a sense of patriotic sentiment and excitement amongst the crowd.
The drums have always inspired the new recruits to march proudly and on time, towards their graduation and to meet with the next step of their careers. Although I do not agree with war, I do love the sound of a military band, not for the call to battle but for the call for brothers and sisters to rally and serve together. If I was ever going to bring people together, I’d use music in some way to rally and soothe people, as it feels like a communication tool, or a language that we can all understand, no matter who we are. In short, I love drums!
Drums are used for martial arts, music, military communications, spiritual practices and marching, to keep the beat. Today, I found myself drumming for healing and fun.
We arrived at a yoga studio, removed our shoes, and sat on chairs in a circle of other people. It was a small group of six plus our teacher. In the middle of the circle there was a pillar candle and a spiral of small fairy lights. Hoop drums and other percussion instruments were outside of that and we could choose whatever instrument called to us.
You don’t ‘conform’ to the drumming of others, but rather, you drum in your own way and find an unmistakable power to heal and connect with your group and yourself.
Our teacher was knowledgeable and made us feel comfortable, introducing us slowly and easily to each beat, explaining that ‘you can’t get it wrong’, so even if we weren’t drumming to her beat, we could still engage in our own way which would always be the right beat for us. In other words, you don’t ‘conform’ to the drumming of others, but rather, you drum in your own way and find an unmistakable power to heal and connect with your group and yourself.
She showed us how to do a different style of drumming if we were struggling, that still worked with what the rest of the group was doing, and it felt good to be included, no matter what.
In the next and final part of this Drumming Circle Series, we’ll look into the clearing and healing aspects of drum circles.
