I first held a drum in my hands while in a field in Dorset in 1999 at the second ever Queer Pagan Camp. I felt the power, magic and potential straight away. I am forever grateful to Lou Hart for introducing me to the djembe and teaching me technique and rhythms.
Since 2005 I have hosted the Queer Spirit Circle in London, where we meet, usually at full moon, to drum, dance, make moon ceremony and build community. Dozens come along for a few hours of energy raising, emotional release and spiritual connections.
Drumming has been recognised by science as a practice that supports good mental and emotional health and that builds community bonds….
I’d like to share this excerpt from from a book by Arthur Hull –
‘Drum Circle Facilitation: Building Community Through Rhythm‘
“During a rhythm-based event, community consciousness is built among the participants and it carries into their daily life. A facilitated drum circle event is a natural community builder. With community metaphors delivered during the windows of communication, a good facilitator can reinforce the natural community-building experience.
Comparing differences is a separation trap. Sharing differences is a community celebration. People call it ―team
building – in the business environment, or ―synergizing – in the personal growth world, but the bottom line is that a rhythm-based event, in its most basic form, is a powerful tool for community building.
At the end of a facilitated drum circle, strangers seem less strange to each other. There is more camaraderie in the population as they have created a group consciousness together. The players have been in constant
collaboration for one or two hours, cooperating with each other to create beautiful rhythms and music together. In the process of playing together, participants put into action the basic elements that make a community or team function successfully to achieve any goal.
As Babatunde Olatunji always said, ―Drumming is the simplest thing that we can do to bring us together.
“This melting of the ―physiology of separatenes – is a phenomena that happens in every drum circle event regardless of the group‘s age, culture or intention. Where the body goes, the mind and heart soon follow. Once this melting happens, the concept of separateness in the minds of the players also melts and dissolves. Instead of looking for and thinking about the things that separate them, they look for and think about the things that connect them. In a drum circle those connecting elements are easy to find. They are in the music and rhythm.
“Those involved in this grass-roots rhythmical expression movement can testify to the power of drumming and its ability to relieve stress and anxiety, calm the mind and create an expressive channel to release pent-up emotions.
The exercise aspects of drumming alone make it a healthy activity. Drumming is one of many disciplines that can enhance the wellness factor in your life.
“Barry Bittman, MD, a researcher and neurologist, is head of the Mind-Body Wellness Center, in Meadville, Pennsylvania. His research has shown that certain group drumming protocols can positively affect the immune system in your body. He has broken the AMA ―sound barrier – by proving that drumming can have a measurable, reproducible, positive impact on many aspects of biology, psychology and social interaction.”
rainbow messenger 