Sarah Nuber-Drum Circle

I would just like to comment about the drum circle that our class attended on Wednesday. I thought it was interesting how the leader of the circle told us to feel the instruments and to become connected with the earth through our feet. We really are connected to the earth, more so than we might think through what we eat and wear. It was cool how some people would play off other rhythms and how that connected them to other people. I have been to a few of the drum circles that the members of the PESO organization attend, and I also thought that those were really cool. Those drum circles are cool because everyone has drums (rather than pots and other noise making devices) and the rhythm is completely awesome and people just get up and dance. Drum circles bring people together and these experiences can transcend all barriers, such as cultural and language differences. In the drum circle for class, you could tell who had played in a drum circle before and who was somewhat uncomfortable (like me) with the whole concept, but there was a connection between everyone through the rhythm and the whole experience made me feel less stressed. I was reading an article about drumming and came across a line that I agree with. It is from an interview with Robert Drake who is the author of, The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming, “Feelings of peacefulness and spiritual well-being are common, along with a oneness of feeling and purpose with the rhythms of the universe. When we drum, we become one with what we are made of; we become one with the voice of creation, that primal rhythm that pulses within all that exists. Drumming stops the chatter of the mind and frees us from the cage of our doubts, fears, and habits…” I think that this is true and overall the drum circle was a good experience for me.