When it comes to an earthy vibe and a community that cares, Austin, Texas stands out among the rest. Austin is known for its unique and diverse culture throughout the world, and that reputation was no more evident than during Austin’s Earth Day Festival 2012. From the exhibits and booths that honor the earth, to the unbelievable interactive drum circle from ZaBoomBa and X8 Drums, Austin remains at the forefront of the global movement to promote sustainable living for the world.
X8 Drums, Kenya Masala and ZaBoomBa provided over 500 people with the tools, techniques and inspiration to connect to the earth through the power of drums. Engaging the audience, Masala and ZaBoomBa brought a special flavor to the Earth Day Festival, showing not only a dedication to the cause, but also enhancing a message of unity and how working together is the most harmonious way to heal the planet. This special event was led by Masala, encouraging people of all ages to pick up a drum or percussion instrument and lend a beat to saving the planet. With 1,000 X8 Drums, participants throughout the audience created a thunderous spectacle that was fun and educational, showing each other that a sustainable world is as close as a hand-held drum.
Events like Austin’s Earth Day Festival continue to bring communities the information and inspiration needed to reconnect to the earth, and respect its gifts. With the help of ZaBoomBa and X8 Drums, the Austin Earth Day Festival 2012 was an event to remember. As a city known for its progressive nature, Austin is taking a stand for the earth, through education, creativity… and the rhythms of a thousand drums.
Reiki is a healing technique that was brought to the United States from Japan in the 1970s. It is thought to have roots in Tibetan culture, but has been practiced in many forms all over the Eastern world. The purpose of Reiki is to provide a form of “hands-on healing” to the client. The energy from the sessions opens up the charkas to promote wellness, relaxation, balance, and a release of negativity. Reiki is a natural way to increase a patient’s ability to be healed.
Reiki is a growing practice in the field of alternative medicine. Reiki’s ability to promote wellness has attracted the attention of medical facilities all over the world. More and more institutions are encouraging their staff to learn Reiki as a method of helping those with chronic illnesses.
While a typical Reiki session may involve stones, crystals, pendulums, herbs, oils, and a “scanning” of the client’s body, drumming can have added benefits. It can be not only a tool for scanning, but the sound and energy from the drum can increase the healing intent through accessing the mind's own power to heal. It can also bring in extra elements of healing and focusing energy, making the session much more valuable to client and healer alike.
When using a drum during Reiki, it is recommended that the drum be hand-held. Such drums include the Djembe, frame drum, and other small drums. The drum will be held over the client’s head, so it is important that the drum is light enough to hold comfortably without fear of slipping. Drums can be played with either a mallet or the hand. The sound, rhythm, and volume of the drum are of little concern as it is the energy produced by the drum that is important. The energy flow between the client and the practitioner is a kind of rhythm in its own. In a sense, both the practitioner and the client may be able to experience the sounds of healing by the inclusion of a drum in Reiki.
There are many different factors that go into the tools practitioners will incorporate into their Reiki sessions. These can include tradition, lineage, and knowledge. Many Reiki practitioners are constantly on the lookout for new ways to further their own healing abilities. These techniques improve both the healer’s quality of work, and the client’s experience. Drumming can be a way to take natural forms of healing and join them into a powerful wellness experience.
Learn how to tune your rope tuned djembe. In this lesson you will get step by step instructions on how to create diamonds with the extra rope on your drum in order to tighten the drum head. Understand what a tuned djembe should sound like and get advanced instructions on how to create a second row of diamonds for drums that need extra tightening. Lastly you will learn how to wrap the extra rope around your drum once you finish tuning. Instruction by Kenya Masala.
Features
Understand the difference between a tuned drum and an out of tune drum
Slow motion, close-up views on how to make a diamond
How to avoid rope burns on your drum
How a drum stick can make the tuning much easier
Over the shoulder views
When one row of diamonds is not enough, learn how to start a second row
Know when to stop tuning your drum
How weather can affect your drum
What to do with the extra rope when you are done tuning
--------------- This video is instructed by Kenya Masala.
Sharing his love of rhythm and drumming within corporations, classrooms and communities, Kenya Masala is a recognized and respected trainer and facilitator across the country. Masala's original Rhythm Play!™ activity book and Zaboomba drumming programs introduce activities that integrate music within classroom and team development environments, and are accessible to teachers, educators and facilitators through easy-to-teach lessons that are adaptable to the ages and abilities of students and participants.
In this lesson Michael Pluznick will show you how to play the traditional Konowulen Rhythm on Dununba. The lesson runs just over 17 minutes and shows how to play the dununba ballet style so that you can play it with less players while still getting the full sound spectrum.
Music and spirituality are both important aspects of cultures around the world. Through music, legends, mythology and tales of the history and events of a people are told. Spiritual ties are defined through the music, connecting families, tribe and clans together, and to the lands on which they have lived. Many cultures attribute much of the development of cultural mysticism to the instruments created to make those songs. The djembe, for instance, has its own spiritual essence that is still reflected in today’s recordings, performances and drumming events.
Djembe drums date back to the 13th century Mali Empire, when they were used during ceremonies, festivals and to communicate over the long distances between neighboring tribes in West Africa. Djembe drums traveled with these tribes, specifically the Mandika and Susu tribes, and the Numu, or blacksmiths of those tribes. Legends of the Djembe may vary across tribes; some believe the invention of the Djembe was due to a broken mortar covered by a goatskin, while others believe the Djembe was a gift from Djinn, the original Genie, sometimes considered to be a malevolent spirit. However, no matter how the Djembe originated, it became a very important part of the spiritual practices of the people of West Africa. Many consider the drum itself to contain three spirits: that of the animal used to make the drum head, the spirit of the drum maker and that of the tree used for its shell. Others also believe that the drummer who plays the Djembe is a spiritual part of the drum, too.
With its goblet shape that universally symbolizes love, life, spirituality and emotion, the Djembe was a natural addition to the festivities and celebrations within West African tribes. These drums were played during harvests, weddings, and births and to mark the passing of the seasons or cycles of the moon. Djembes were also tools used by healers within the tribes, helping to calm those in pain or distress, much like today’s use of drumming in modern, yet alternative healing methods. The ability of the Djembe to relieve pain and treat illnesses gave even more spiritual credibility to the instrument, and even today, it is seen as an instrument of the divine.
Today’s use of the Djembe reflects its roots in the spirituality of cultures through drum circles and drumming events. Drumming brings people together on a different level than many other activities, as it reaches into parts of the mind that are said to be unexplainable. In healing circles, the same type of rhythmic therapy is being used to treat pain, anxiety and a wide range of physical, mental and emotional disorders. Djembe drums are one of the most important examples of how these beliefs can transcend both time and cultures, continuing to give back to the world, in the form of music.
From the inspiration of drumming greats to the opportunity to be a part of a unique community of individuals, drum circles are a fun way to engage with others and develop a vast range of skills and abilities that are wholly beneficial to the body and mind. Drum circles are popping up in a variety of places including hospitals, schools and in workplace events, as well as in parks, during celebrations and festivals and in homes across the country. These events not only encourage togetherness and creativity, but allow for healing and wellness benefits. It’s no wonder drumming and drum circles continue to grow in popularity for people from all walks of life!
The diversity promised in a drum circle can start with the types of instruments used. Bongo drums and Djembes start off the overall tone of the music, while shakers, rattles and maracas bring a raspy harmony to the rhythm. Kalimbas and Udu drums add a melodious tone to the music, and the deep bass from a favorite Cajon drum ties the entire sound together. These instruments are only the beginning, however, as each drummer can be considered just as unique as the instrument played.
Some drummers are professionals, while others are just picking up a beat for the first time. Drumming is the perfect activity for people with physical disabilities, when the shake of a tambourine, tap of the foot or clap of the hands can add its own flavor to the mix without taxing the body. People with social anxiety, depression, autism or other atypical neurological functioning can benefit from a drum circle, through the therapeutic sound itself or the actual playing of the instruments. Age is not a factor in drumming, either, and watching a young child beat on a drum next to a senior with the claves can be a richly rewarding experience to behold.
As music can often be defined as an experience in itself, the sharing of this experience can forge strong ties between people. Drumming has been shown to increase the awareness of others and encourage teamwork within businesses and organizations, and can bring people together in a way other group activities cannot. Drum circles give people the ability to share a part of themselves in a non-judgmental environment, helping to increase self-esteem and the feeling of belonging overall.
When planning an event, how about adding a drum circle to the agenda? The creativity and joy that can be had through drumming together can be a memorable experience for all participants, and for the audience. Drumming and drum circles keep the natural rhythms of life moving strongly forward, strengthening bonds between people and encouraging physical and mental growth for all people.
In this lesson you will learn from X8 Drums endorsed artist, Kenya Masala, how to play Kuku on djembe. Kuku is a traditional dance rhythm from Guinea, West Africa and is one of the most popular djembe rhythms in the United States.
--------------- This video is instructed by Kenya Masala.
Sharing his love of rhythm and drumming within corporations, classrooms and communities, Kenya Masala is a recognized and respected trainer and facilitator across the country. Masala's original Rhythm Play!™ activity book and Zaboomba drumming programs introduce activities that integrate music within classroom and team development environments, and are accessible to teachers, educators and facilitators through easy-to-teach lessons that are adaptable to the ages and abilities of students and participants.
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