Religious groups are following a different beat as they turn to drum circles - a music form as ageless as Methuselah. It’s a primitive music form hammering a niche in a post-modern society for worship, fellowship and meditation.
A drum circle is composed of like-minded people who gather to pound rhythms on various types of drums. Participants bring drums, beat blocks, finger cymbals, rain sticks, hammer triangles, maracas and sticks to the rhythmic experiences. Fellowships of diverse religious groups are using drum circles into meditation, worship and devotionals.
Participants form a circle to play, either sitting or standing. A leader begins with a beat.
Dum-dum-dah-de-dum-dah-dum
Then others join. As meditation continues, the group’s beat may get faster, slower, louder, softer or in syncopation - as the spirit moves.
De-dum-diddily-dum-de-dum
Some follow the main beat; others diverge to forage other paths as they feel them. Tambourines, triangles and strumming guitars add flavor to the rhythmic stew. It is an exercise in cosmic consciousness as the players dwell in the moment - in the beat.
Dum-jingle-jingle-tap-diddily-de-dum-dum
David Cloud of the Michigan-based Fundamental Baptist Information Service said drums are an ancient music form influenced by a contemporary beat.
“Drum circles are growing in popularity in North American society in general and are beginning to be used in ecumenical and emerging churches,” he said. “Drum circles are a logical outgrowth of the addiction to the rock ‘n’ roll back beat, which is an integral part of contemporary Christian worship.”
Drumming circles run from decidedly Christian to more all-encompassing faith systems such as Unitarian and New Age groups.
No matter the theology, a conversation of sorts merges with the thumping. Members say they find shared values and unity.
The Unitarian Universalists of Bell County have ongoing drum circle meetings where members combine camaraderie, campfires and poetry readings along with the drumming.
The repetitive drumming can become a form of meditation, “almost self hypnosis where people go into a little bit of a trance,” said Elke Landau, a licensed professional counselor frequently takes the lead drum at the Unitarian Universalists of Bell County. “People can drum really hard if they have had a stressful day. They can just bang away. Then, the drumming gets mellower.” They use a variety of native drums – bongo, jembe, ashiko, boudhran, spoons.
Round Rock-based Drummers for Jesus combine prayer, short devotional and rhythms in its monthly meetings. The group uses drum sets, traps and anything else they can bang. Its host, Ed Francis, said his group is comprises people of all ages and Christian denominations. “Some churches are regimented too much; they’re too calculated in their worship. That hardly leaves any room for God to move,” Francis said.
Drummers for Jesus started in 2002 in Dallas and has taken root among a broad range of Christian fellowships in 31 states and Holland, Italy, Nigeria and Indonesia.
Francis said some contemporary worship can be “too loud, too fast,” but drumming ironically can be pounding or as subtle as a heartbeat, depending on the occasion. That’s the power of its witness, he added. “People don’t want to be yelled at; they want to be spoken to. That’s what drum circles allow us to do,” he added.
No matter the theology, drum circles focus more on developing the group in healthy, enjoyable ways, rather than performance. The goal is to strengthen its members in spiritual ways.
The repetitive drumming can become a form of meditation, “almost self hypnosis where people go into a little bit of a trance,” said Elke Landau, a licensed professional counselor frequently takes the lead drum at the Unitarian Universalists of Bell County. “People can drum really hard if they have had a stressful day. They can just bang away. Then, the drumming gets mellower.”
As one recent Saturday session showed, the drum circle was less about playing tunes and more about tuning into the rhythmic magic within and around them.
Charles Rodarte is a regular to the group. “I like to concentrate on the drumming and be in the moment,” he said. “It’s a combination of the people and the drums, where the sum is greater than its parts. Sometimes, the drumming does get out of sync. But, that helps you to better appreciate the times when you are in sync. Just like life.”
pbenoit@temple-telegram.com
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For more information
Unitarian Universalists of Bell County is host to a drum circle monthly at 7 p.m. on the second Saturday at the church, 1726 Morgan’s Point Rd.: http://www.uufbc.org/
Drummers for Jesus Round Rock chapter, meets monthly on the second Monday from 6:45 - 8:30 p.m. Contact ed@edfrancisdruminstruction.com for location.
Headquarters: http://www.drummersforjesus.com/index.php
Round Rock chapter: http://www.edfrancisdruminstruction.com/drummersforjesus/
Drum Circle Music, an educational website http://drumcirclemusic.com/
Therapists, counselors and health care workers use drum circles in mental health clinics to wellness centers. The focus can range from the development of fine or gross motor skills to helping clients with issues of self-esteem, cognitive functions, communication, impulse control, and coping or social skills.
Other drum circles in the state - religious and otherwise http://drumcircles.net/circlelist.html#TX
