Drumming up An Appetite

The Kirkridge Retreat Center* in Bangor, PA held their November Pot Luck Gathering at the Farmhouse on Sunday November 15th featuring an introduction to drum circles provided by Reiki Master and Drumming Instructor Cat Coley*. A sizable crowd of friends gathered to enjoy an afternoon of rhythmic fellowship as the beat of the drums resonated with the good feeling the gatherings at Kirkridge* are known to inspire. Once the last echo of the session (which included an exercise on Hunting and Gathering), a variety of foods awaited the attendees to be digested along with some relaxed conversations.

Although most of the drum circle held at Kirkridge* had a native American feel to it, it’s said the origins of a Drum circles can be traced back to Africa when humans first began to gather about 100,000 years ago forming communities known as villages. This was done for a variety of reasons most notably to enhance the protection of their young and most vulnerable members from attack from animals and other tribes wishing them harm through territorial disputes. Drum circles seem to have been developed as a means of community support as they embarked upon endeavors maintaining their needs such as hunting, gathering, and healing.

As seen in villages still existing in remote areas of Africa and South America, the whole community participates in Drum Circles including the elderly, women, and small children. The process of Drumming Circles takes each individual’s beat and combines it with others participating so that a harmony develops thus creating a relationship among the community enhancing that found within oneself. Drum Circles have become popular in recent decades in Modern Cultures as there is a need for many to go beyond their own limitations and seek the strength of harmony found in the beat of many drums.

To learn more about Drumming Circles along with workshops designed to enhance the experience, please contact Reiki Master and Drumming Instructor Cat Coley*at 610-863-6764. Please Contact The Kirkridge Center* at 610-588-1793 for information on their upcoming workshops and all they have to offer the community. You’ll find more photographs in The Forwardian Arts Society Music 2009 Gallery www.myspace.com/forwardian_arts.

The websites of those mentioned in the article are The Kirkridge Center* at www.kirkridge.org and Reiki Master and Drumming Instructor Cat Coley*at www.reikidrumbeat.com.

(*) denotes members of The Forwardian Arts Society in good standing and are considered Our Good Friends.