Big group one day, small the next - drumming inspires no matter the size!
Sometimes it happens that a very large drumming session is followed by a much more intimate one! This happened last week, where we had a fantastic drumming session at IdeasX and then went on to a small community centre.
Safety in Numbers?
It can be a little tricky when you arrive at these smaller sessions – just thinking of how to fill a 90 minute slot with only three people is a challenge in itself. But as we got started, it made me reflect on why I do this.
I suggested that we practise a rhythm called Kuku, so we got started and just played. This was pretty much what the class session consisted of - just playing. I added a rhythm here and another rhythm there, but most of the time it was just drumming with little verbal intervention. It made me realise something... a drumming session can be any size, and also a teacher doesn't necessarily need to always be talking and instructing. Often the best way for a teacher to teach is to just play!
It's for the love of drumming!
Recently we’ve been putting in a lot of time to developing the business, developing our new website and designing class sessions. In busy times, it’s easy to forget what this is all about – a simple love of drumming and rhythm.
I was reminded that drumming is a social experience. It’s a brilliant way to connect and gain rapport with others. How could I be worried about ‘getting through the session,’ when this group was an opportunity to talk, joke and find out about each other’s lives. These people had become friends, brought together by a love of African drumming and its incredible effects on the mind. Drumming puts us in a meditative state that not only makes us feel refreshed and calm, but also invigorated!
-- Steve Rivers