This weekend I attended the “Cherish the Children” pow-wow in St. Paul, an annual benefit for a local family center for the St. Paul American Indian community. I enjoyed watching the dancers and the drumming groups (about ten of them; unfortunately I didn't have time to talk with anyone from the drum groups); the drummers seemed to draw a group of onlookers. There were several really good groups of drummer/singers—referred to as “the drum” meaning both the instrument and the players surrounding it---each with their own style and percussive rhythm, as well as range of ages of their members. The look on the drummers’ faces was usually intense concentration. I’ve read that the drum is considered the heartbeat of the people, or of the earth--the drums were obviously very important in keeping the dancers moving, around and around the circle of the Central High School gymnasium.
Going to the pow-wow (my second in the past six months) demystified some of the images I had of pow-wows and Native Americans in general. I came away with the impression that pow-wows are not only about tradition and ritual, but a great deal about socializing and the coming together of families and friends.
These were obviously modern people living in the modern world, and actively keeping their "old ways" alive. The pow-wow was really focused on drumming, singing, and enjoyment of togetherness. A book that was sent my way from a colleague at work said it best: “Indians acknowledge today that the old way has indeed changed forever, and that to survive they must now combine aspects of their older customs with realities of the world in which they live...the new way of life does not replace the old; the old survives by adapting and intensifying. (p. 68, Brown and Toelken. “American Indian Pow-wow”. Folklife Annual 1987, The American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress) Going to the Cherish the Children pow-wow showed me vividly, in all its colors and rhythms, how the really important aspects of American Indian culture—singing, dancing, the reciprocal giving of gifts—is being kept alive today.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Next Steps
I'm really looking forward to more tidbits of drum lore in "Planet Drum", the coffee-table companion book to the drumming CD Mickey Hart put out.
As far as the next steps of my project goes, I am still waiting to hear from my contacts in the Lakota community, to see if I could visit or talk with some drummers there. But in the meantime, I am planning to go to the "Cherish the Children" pow-wow in St. Paul, as well as to hopefully attend a session on "African Drumming for Everyone" at an Minnesota State U this month. (I was very excited to see this being offerred!)
In the next few weeks, my plan is to transition from the research phase, to the experiential phase--attending events, and talking with experts in the field.
As far as the next steps of my project goes, I am still waiting to hear from my contacts in the Lakota community, to see if I could visit or talk with some drummers there. But in the meantime, I am planning to go to the "Cherish the Children" pow-wow in St. Paul, as well as to hopefully attend a session on "African Drumming for Everyone" at an Minnesota State U this month. (I was very excited to see this being offerred!)
In the next few weeks, my plan is to transition from the research phase, to the experiential phase--attending events, and talking with experts in the field.
Drumming at the Edge of Magic: Mickey Hart's Drum Journey
Reading "Drumming at the Edge of Magic" by Mickey Hart, the long-time drummer for the Grateful Dead, and an ethnomusicology researcher (the branch of music dealing with the various forms music takes among world cultures) in his own right, has been an eye and ear opening experience. Once I stared reading it, I couldn't put it down.
Hart, whose own life-story is reflected in these pages, focuses on his quest to understand the roots of drumming and rhythm. He really makes the case that drumming is an important cultural expression that should be cherished into the future, and even brought into more prominence in our relatively "non-drumming" Western culture.
Why isn't drumming as prevalent in our Western culture, as it is in, say, Africa or South America? Hart's answer, after several decades of research (with ethnomusicologist colleagues and Joseph Campbell as friends helping him out!), is that, for the most part, drumming was relegated to the military in Western culture (with the exception of orchestral drumming) . It was basically divorced or de-coupled from the sacred aspects of singing and dancing, a very long time ago (somewhere between three and four thousand years ago).
Hart has a very interesting thesis (which he backs up with scholarly research)--that drumming was a key part of the earth goddess (or Great Mother) worship of pre-classical Western culture. Unfortunately for us, the traditional and sacred uses of drumming were, for the most part, lost with the overpowering of this matriarchal culture with the patriarchal culture of classical European and West Asian civilization. (Some notable exceptions were the ancient Greek cults of Dionysis and Cebele).
There are many gems of drumming lore in the book, interspersed with personal stories of Mickey Hart's personal journey in life (as well as some neat stories ranging from ancient myths to the tales from his drumming friends). Here are a few to share (all from "Drumming at the Edge of Magic, Mickey Hart, 1991):
"In much of Africa, music is as large a part of everyday life as conversation or cooking or the birdsong. It enhances the significance of all the important way stations of life, from birth through initiations to death...there are special songs sung when a child's first teeth erupt and songs sung to cure the same child of bed-wetting....You could almost say that African peoples have a song or a dance for every occasion. 'A village without music is a dead place, ' says an African proverb." This quote reminded me of what Severt Young Bear said in "Standing in the Light", about how closely connected singing, dancing, and drumming are in Lakota culture.
"It takes years to become a master drummer..the reason for this is that you have to know not only the rhythms but the dances as well...you have to know all the songs and all the dances that go with them....Many of these rhythms are only played at specific times, during the festival for a house raising, for example. Or when a drought occurs....but, the most important rhythms in Yoruba (West African cultural group) land are those that communicate with the Orisha (powerful deities or spirits)." This quote comes from an excerpted telling of his life by Babatunde Olatunji. It points out, again, how the powerful trio of drumming, singing, and dancing, played in a central role in West African life.
"The best way to keep time in a polyrhythm is to create a rhythm of your own and merge it with the group's. Apparently most Africans, both listeners and players, learn this truth at their parent's knee." African culture's rhythmic sensibility is polyrhythmic (multiple rhythms going at the same time). What I find interesting here is that the HealthRhythms protocol includes joining of one's personal rhythm to the rhythm of the group as a whole. HealthRhythms' synergy of African drumming and Western science makes it interesting as a cultural phenomenon. It's as if we're trying to recreate the meaning of the drum, borrowing from another culture's expression to fit our own.
And about the master drummer in the African drumming ensemble:
"His position depends as much on mastery of drum lore as on technical skill...knowing the right rhythm to play on an occasion is as important as being able to execute that rhythm. A good master drummer at a social dance can keep up a regular monologue on his drum, telling jokes and proverb, rapping out rhythms that might say 'hi'..or call others up to dance." This shows another confluence of the drum with cultural communication. This aspect of drumming seems to cross the globe, found in Native American drumming, for example.
It also expresses an awesome part of African drumming, what's known as the "talking drum". African cultures have developed this drum, one which allows the modulation of pitch as well as a beat, to such an extent that actual "drum languages" were created and used to communicate across long distances--a sort of Morse code using drums.
Hart, whose own life-story is reflected in these pages, focuses on his quest to understand the roots of drumming and rhythm. He really makes the case that drumming is an important cultural expression that should be cherished into the future, and even brought into more prominence in our relatively "non-drumming" Western culture.
Why isn't drumming as prevalent in our Western culture, as it is in, say, Africa or South America? Hart's answer, after several decades of research (with ethnomusicologist colleagues and Joseph Campbell as friends helping him out!), is that, for the most part, drumming was relegated to the military in Western culture (with the exception of orchestral drumming) . It was basically divorced or de-coupled from the sacred aspects of singing and dancing, a very long time ago (somewhere between three and four thousand years ago).
Hart has a very interesting thesis (which he backs up with scholarly research)--that drumming was a key part of the earth goddess (or Great Mother) worship of pre-classical Western culture. Unfortunately for us, the traditional and sacred uses of drumming were, for the most part, lost with the overpowering of this matriarchal culture with the patriarchal culture of classical European and West Asian civilization. (Some notable exceptions were the ancient Greek cults of Dionysis and Cebele).
There are many gems of drumming lore in the book, interspersed with personal stories of Mickey Hart's personal journey in life (as well as some neat stories ranging from ancient myths to the tales from his drumming friends). Here are a few to share (all from "Drumming at the Edge of Magic, Mickey Hart, 1991):
"In much of Africa, music is as large a part of everyday life as conversation or cooking or the birdsong. It enhances the significance of all the important way stations of life, from birth through initiations to death...there are special songs sung when a child's first teeth erupt and songs sung to cure the same child of bed-wetting....You could almost say that African peoples have a song or a dance for every occasion. 'A village without music is a dead place, ' says an African proverb." This quote reminded me of what Severt Young Bear said in "Standing in the Light", about how closely connected singing, dancing, and drumming are in Lakota culture.
"It takes years to become a master drummer..the reason for this is that you have to know not only the rhythms but the dances as well...you have to know all the songs and all the dances that go with them....Many of these rhythms are only played at specific times, during the festival for a house raising, for example. Or when a drought occurs....but, the most important rhythms in Yoruba (West African cultural group) land are those that communicate with the Orisha (powerful deities or spirits)." This quote comes from an excerpted telling of his life by Babatunde Olatunji. It points out, again, how the powerful trio of drumming, singing, and dancing, played in a central role in West African life.
"The best way to keep time in a polyrhythm is to create a rhythm of your own and merge it with the group's. Apparently most Africans, both listeners and players, learn this truth at their parent's knee." African culture's rhythmic sensibility is polyrhythmic (multiple rhythms going at the same time). What I find interesting here is that the HealthRhythms protocol includes joining of one's personal rhythm to the rhythm of the group as a whole. HealthRhythms' synergy of African drumming and Western science makes it interesting as a cultural phenomenon. It's as if we're trying to recreate the meaning of the drum, borrowing from another culture's expression to fit our own.
And about the master drummer in the African drumming ensemble:
"His position depends as much on mastery of drum lore as on technical skill...knowing the right rhythm to play on an occasion is as important as being able to execute that rhythm. A good master drummer at a social dance can keep up a regular monologue on his drum, telling jokes and proverb, rapping out rhythms that might say 'hi'..or call others up to dance." This shows another confluence of the drum with cultural communication. This aspect of drumming seems to cross the globe, found in Native American drumming, for example.
It also expresses an awesome part of African drumming, what's known as the "talking drum". African cultures have developed this drum, one which allows the modulation of pitch as well as a beat, to such an extent that actual "drum languages" were created and used to communicate across long distances--a sort of Morse code using drums.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Circling
(Warning: this sentiment is probably something that bloggers *think* about posting a lot, but don't actually do!)
I've been looking back on my older posts, all the way back to the beginning of the project (May, 2008), and am struck by how much ground is covered, and how much more of the journey there is to go. I'm reminded that the project has grown organically, from my own interests, the encouragement and cooperation of many good folks, and just plain luck.
Long live Project-Based Learning!
I've been looking back on my older posts, all the way back to the beginning of the project (May, 2008), and am struck by how much ground is covered, and how much more of the journey there is to go. I'm reminded that the project has grown organically, from my own interests, the encouragement and cooperation of many good folks, and just plain luck.
Long live Project-Based Learning!
Mickey and Baba
I wanted this project to have a focus that’s tied to where I am now—Southwestern Minnesota and the culture of the drum in Lakota—while also wanting to widen my focus at some point to include the role of the drum in worldwide culture. As I gather sources together on these global aspects of the drum, I experience a musical treat. Listening to Mickey Hart’s album “Planet Drum” gives me a peek, a wider view, into the use of drums in the wide variety of cultures that span the globe. On this album, Hart, the long time co-drummer for the Grateful Dead, and ethnomusicologist and drum researcher in his own right, brought together great percussion players from cultures around the world--India, Africa, South America, and the Middle East—to create a drum and percussion only album. It’s awesome listening. The liner notes indicate some of the ideas that Hart is trying to convey—that drumming is old, and is considered a sacred and connecting force among people and cultures.
In the liner notes to the Planet Drum CD, Hart says something meaningful about drum’s legacy of furthering humanity’s creative impulse; he wanted to reflect “the countless ways devised by humans over time to make rhythm and noise….there is no end to the variety and expanse of percussion instruments, and no limit to the sound and rhythms which those instruments make possible.” I’m impressed by Hart’s words here, and in his emphasis on sound, rhythm, and even an outlook on eternity, in humanity’s attachment to rhythm. While talking about the inspiration for the “Temple Caves” song, I like that he connects drumming and rhythm to an ancient and imaginary world where the roots of musical rhythm first took hold, in prehistoric dancers doing a ritual dance in a cave, playing the cave’s rock formations as percussion instruments. That drums are used in ritual and spiritual ways is a thread that is woven throughout the stories of drumming that I’ve read, and Hart keys into that here.
I’m also going to read parts of the companion book to the CD, which explores the history of the drum in more depth. In my book stack is also Babatunde Olatunji’s “The Beat of My Drum: An Autobiography”. Olatunji, from Nigeria, is one of the most famous African percussion players in the world, and was instrumental in bringing African drum rhythms to American popular culture (including the American cultural phenomenon of “drum circles”) in the 50’s and 60’s.
In the liner notes to the Planet Drum CD, Hart says something meaningful about drum’s legacy of furthering humanity’s creative impulse; he wanted to reflect “the countless ways devised by humans over time to make rhythm and noise….there is no end to the variety and expanse of percussion instruments, and no limit to the sound and rhythms which those instruments make possible.” I’m impressed by Hart’s words here, and in his emphasis on sound, rhythm, and even an outlook on eternity, in humanity’s attachment to rhythm. While talking about the inspiration for the “Temple Caves” song, I like that he connects drumming and rhythm to an ancient and imaginary world where the roots of musical rhythm first took hold, in prehistoric dancers doing a ritual dance in a cave, playing the cave’s rock formations as percussion instruments. That drums are used in ritual and spiritual ways is a thread that is woven throughout the stories of drumming that I’ve read, and Hart keys into that here.
I’m also going to read parts of the companion book to the CD, which explores the history of the drum in more depth. In my book stack is also Babatunde Olatunji’s “The Beat of My Drum: An Autobiography”. Olatunji, from Nigeria, is one of the most famous African percussion players in the world, and was instrumental in bringing African drum rhythms to American popular culture (including the American cultural phenomenon of “drum circles”) in the 50’s and 60’s.
Monday, January 19, 2009
The Traverse de Sioux Treaty Site History Center
Yesterday, I took a trip to the Treaty Site History Center in St. Peter. While we lived in St. Peter for a year, I never got a chance to go there, so I was looking forward to seeing the exhibits, and wondered how they would tell the story of this area of Minnesota. I also wanted to get my knowledge of the Dakota back up to speed; while we have a pretty good section in our home library on Native American/American Indian topics, I haven't read them in a while. By extension, I thought I could know something of the Lakota and American Indian cultures in general.
It started out as a beautiful, warm-ish day, so I decided to snowshoe through the guided prairie/river trail that had interpretative signs about the treaty that took place here. The Treaty of Traverse de Sioux of 1851 sold the millions of acres of Dakota homelands to the U.S. government. I knew a little bit about the treaty, but after reading some of the signs on the trail, I started to realize that this area is so full of history, that my investigations into Native American culture have to keep the tragedy of colonialism in mind. I also need to recognize my own cultural biases, and try to view the drumming (and singing and dancing, because these, too, are not easily separated) in the context of this often tragic history.
After paying my museum admission to the two polite teenage girls at the counter, I was first greeted with a large room for viewing an excerpt of a documentary about the U.S./Dakota Conflict. It gave me some really good background about the conflict that I had not grasped before; such as how the huge debt that traders in this area (at least) encouraged the Dakota into, forced them into a terrible position to lose their homelands. Also, how through the system of hunka--or adoption of non-Indians into Dakota life with the understanding that the traditional Dakota ways would be followed--more and more interaction and intermarriage happened between the settlers, traders, and Dakota.
In another large room with local history exhibits, I gravitated toward the wall panels that talked about several hallmarks of Dakota society and culture. Of course, knowing my own interests and background, I was very interested in the panel about "Dakota Governance". This talked about how decisions were made communally, through a consensus process. I am always attracted and fascinated by this aspect of Indian society, and I wonder how I might use it in group drumming facilitation sessions. Another panel talked about reciprocity, binding groups of people together through gift-giving.
Overall, seeing these exhibits on an historic treaty (as well as knowing its historic echoes in the hanging of the 38 Dakota in Mankato, the largest mass execution in U.S. history, 10 years after the treaty signing) had an emotional mpact on me. I felt a sense of sadness, a subtle sense of history being repeated in the 21st century, and the question: "what has been lost?". But, this is tempered by my knowledge that the history and traditions of the Dakota (and Lakota) are still being practiced and given voice to today.
It started out as a beautiful, warm-ish day, so I decided to snowshoe through the guided prairie/river trail that had interpretative signs about the treaty that took place here. The Treaty of Traverse de Sioux of 1851 sold the millions of acres of Dakota homelands to the U.S. government. I knew a little bit about the treaty, but after reading some of the signs on the trail, I started to realize that this area is so full of history, that my investigations into Native American culture have to keep the tragedy of colonialism in mind. I also need to recognize my own cultural biases, and try to view the drumming (and singing and dancing, because these, too, are not easily separated) in the context of this often tragic history.
After paying my museum admission to the two polite teenage girls at the counter, I was first greeted with a large room for viewing an excerpt of a documentary about the U.S./Dakota Conflict. It gave me some really good background about the conflict that I had not grasped before; such as how the huge debt that traders in this area (at least) encouraged the Dakota into, forced them into a terrible position to lose their homelands. Also, how through the system of hunka--or adoption of non-Indians into Dakota life with the understanding that the traditional Dakota ways would be followed--more and more interaction and intermarriage happened between the settlers, traders, and Dakota.
In another large room with local history exhibits, I gravitated toward the wall panels that talked about several hallmarks of Dakota society and culture. Of course, knowing my own interests and background, I was very interested in the panel about "Dakota Governance". This talked about how decisions were made communally, through a consensus process. I am always attracted and fascinated by this aspect of Indian society, and I wonder how I might use it in group drumming facilitation sessions. Another panel talked about reciprocity, binding groups of people together through gift-giving.
Overall, seeing these exhibits on an historic treaty (as well as knowing its historic echoes in the hanging of the 38 Dakota in Mankato, the largest mass execution in U.S. history, 10 years after the treaty signing) had an emotional mpact on me. I felt a sense of sadness, a subtle sense of history being repeated in the 21st century, and the question: "what has been lost?". But, this is tempered by my knowledge that the history and traditions of the Dakota (and Lakota) are still being practiced and given voice to today.
Cancega means Drum (Lakota)
Severt Young Bear was a traditional Lakota singer and was respected for his knowledge of traditional Lakota culture; he was also a founder and lead singer for an influential Lakota singing group, the Porcupine Singers (from the Porcupine District of the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota). He co-wrote (along with R. D. Theisz, his friend, fellow Porcupine Singer, and professor at Black Hills State University) the book Standing in the Light: A Lakota Way of Seeing. This book came out of a series of recorded conversations between the two friends; their project was inspired by Young Bear's wish to pass some of his knowledge "of the old ways" to future generations, both Indian and non-Indian. He also talks about his development as a singer and leader among the Lakota. The book has a very concise (5 page) history of the Sioux (of which the Lakota are a part); this helped deepen my understanding of who the Lakota were (and are), and Young Bear's views on his people and their ways, and his place in that society.
The book is an inspiring and positive reflection on a life well-lived. Young Bear's story resonated with me because he often talked about his desire to improve himself as a singer and Lakota man, one who can know the right traditional song for the occasion, and who can also write songs for the occasion. I had many "ah-ha" moments while reading the book, especially from stories and tales that were sad, funny, and optimistic. In my reading, I also realized that the drumming can't be separated from its wider implications: that drumming is a part of the culture of singing and dancing, which plays a special role in keeping the traditional Lakota ways alive. However, the drum is a focal point of the energy behind this--it proivdes the rhythm to the singer and the dancer--which means that it is an instrumental literally) force in maintaining the Lakota identity into the 21st century.
So, I wanted to find out, through Young Bear's story, the meaning, significance, and use of the drum for the Lakota. Here's what I discovered.
Drums, along with the singing of traditional or sacred songs, are used mainly at ceremonies, festivals and dances, and other sacred events. Sometimes a drum was even accorded honors that a person would receive. Young Bear mentions that the drum the Porcupine Singers used for many years was named "The People Hear Its Voice", and it was treated in a reverential way. It received gifts that were usually offered in honor of a warrior or wise elder. Young Bear also relates that hand drums were often used in the home to accompany family members' signing, and that this home-based singing was a way for the family to connect with each other and to work through emotions--off happiness, sadness, anger-whatever the mood was at the time. Unfortunately, Young Bear said, this tradition is no longer prevalent, and that the drum and singing voice has been replaced by the radio in most Lakota homes.
Young Bear talks about the communal and sacred aspects of the drum. The drum was used as a way to communicate, to send messages through a Lakota camp, so that all could hear it, such as to call people to a special event or dance. On the sacred side, the powerful voice of the drum helped the singer go beyond him or herself to reach the Great Spirit with song. This idea resonated with me, because I often feel that sense of connection that the drum brings, of being in a sort of sacred space. He mentions that, traditionally, the drum was also called "the heartbeat of grandmother earth"--the sound that lies within the earth. This is a very apt and powerful image, that speaks to me of the moving and grounding power of the drum, and music in general.
Another literally striking aspect of Lakota drumming is the emphasis on the drumstick. There are types that have a sheepskin or a leather head; some drummers use wooden sticks, and others use sticks made of synthetic materials. Young Bear says that the "serious and dedicated singers take pride in their drumstick"; and that "you can tell the kind of singer by the way he takes care of his drumstick; after all, that's his main equipment." This reminded me of the fact that I had to make my own drum mallets for the group drumming session at the library, and that I taped an old sock to one of them to act as the beater. It's no wonder that it got a lot of laughs when that sock started unravelling in the session!
In many cultures, there are rules about who can play the drum, because of the its use in sacred ceremonies and rituals. In a Lakota community or band, there would usually be someone whose special gift was to make drums for use in ceremonies; this person knew the best time of year to cut down the cottonwood tree, how to correctly shape the drum body, and which skin to use to get the desired sound. There would also be honored members in the community who could strike the drum to call people to a dance or ceremony; this person would know how to strike the drum to convey the information about what specific ceremony or dance was being called. The Lakota word for drum--cancega--means "wooden bucket"; what a down-to-earth term, and right on!
Young Bear and Theisz's conversations, as put down in Standing in the Light, has helped me see how the drum is just a part of an overall mosaic of Lakota traditions and values. I have glimpsed the important role drumming and singing play in keeping the songs and ceremonies, indeed the identity, of the Lakota alive. In reading the thoughts of a respected artist, singer and drummer, and community leader, I hope to call forth other deep meanings in my drumming with groups.
The book is an inspiring and positive reflection on a life well-lived. Young Bear's story resonated with me because he often talked about his desire to improve himself as a singer and Lakota man, one who can know the right traditional song for the occasion, and who can also write songs for the occasion. I had many "ah-ha" moments while reading the book, especially from stories and tales that were sad, funny, and optimistic. In my reading, I also realized that the drumming can't be separated from its wider implications: that drumming is a part of the culture of singing and dancing, which plays a special role in keeping the traditional Lakota ways alive. However, the drum is a focal point of the energy behind this--it proivdes the rhythm to the singer and the dancer--which means that it is an instrumental literally) force in maintaining the Lakota identity into the 21st century.
So, I wanted to find out, through Young Bear's story, the meaning, significance, and use of the drum for the Lakota. Here's what I discovered.
Drums, along with the singing of traditional or sacred songs, are used mainly at ceremonies, festivals and dances, and other sacred events. Sometimes a drum was even accorded honors that a person would receive. Young Bear mentions that the drum the Porcupine Singers used for many years was named "The People Hear Its Voice", and it was treated in a reverential way. It received gifts that were usually offered in honor of a warrior or wise elder. Young Bear also relates that hand drums were often used in the home to accompany family members' signing, and that this home-based singing was a way for the family to connect with each other and to work through emotions--off happiness, sadness, anger-whatever the mood was at the time. Unfortunately, Young Bear said, this tradition is no longer prevalent, and that the drum and singing voice has been replaced by the radio in most Lakota homes.
Young Bear talks about the communal and sacred aspects of the drum. The drum was used as a way to communicate, to send messages through a Lakota camp, so that all could hear it, such as to call people to a special event or dance. On the sacred side, the powerful voice of the drum helped the singer go beyond him or herself to reach the Great Spirit with song. This idea resonated with me, because I often feel that sense of connection that the drum brings, of being in a sort of sacred space. He mentions that, traditionally, the drum was also called "the heartbeat of grandmother earth"--the sound that lies within the earth. This is a very apt and powerful image, that speaks to me of the moving and grounding power of the drum, and music in general.
Another literally striking aspect of Lakota drumming is the emphasis on the drumstick. There are types that have a sheepskin or a leather head; some drummers use wooden sticks, and others use sticks made of synthetic materials. Young Bear says that the "serious and dedicated singers take pride in their drumstick"; and that "you can tell the kind of singer by the way he takes care of his drumstick; after all, that's his main equipment." This reminded me of the fact that I had to make my own drum mallets for the group drumming session at the library, and that I taped an old sock to one of them to act as the beater. It's no wonder that it got a lot of laughs when that sock started unravelling in the session!
In many cultures, there are rules about who can play the drum, because of the its use in sacred ceremonies and rituals. In a Lakota community or band, there would usually be someone whose special gift was to make drums for use in ceremonies; this person knew the best time of year to cut down the cottonwood tree, how to correctly shape the drum body, and which skin to use to get the desired sound. There would also be honored members in the community who could strike the drum to call people to a dance or ceremony; this person would know how to strike the drum to convey the information about what specific ceremony or dance was being called. The Lakota word for drum--cancega--means "wooden bucket"; what a down-to-earth term, and right on!
Young Bear and Theisz's conversations, as put down in Standing in the Light, has helped me see how the drum is just a part of an overall mosaic of Lakota traditions and values. I have glimpsed the important role drumming and singing play in keeping the songs and ceremonies, indeed the identity, of the Lakota alive. In reading the thoughts of a respected artist, singer and drummer, and community leader, I hope to call forth other deep meanings in my drumming with groups.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
The Circle Ended, A Circle Renewed...
The group drumming session for staff at my library was this past Friday, and I felt that it was a success!
This was my first “real” HealthRhythms group drumming session, which I tailored to fit the needs of the staff of my library. The guiding idea for the session was to decompress as a group, and to end the semester “on a good note”. From the start, I wanted the flavor of the session to be fun, play, celebration, and the chance to be together in a different-than-usual setting. Besides participants’ initial nervousness about drumming and team building activities, I also envisioned there would be lots of healthy laughter and a good beat (and there was!)
Interspersed throughout the experiential exercise, I tried to play the theme of how each person’s drumming symbolized their unique “voice” they brought to the group. While I didn't necessarily talk about “team work”, I think that this experience created more positive feelings among the group that can improve their work in the future.
I was especially thankful of the chance to continue to deepen my facilitation skills. Judging from the participant evaluations (brief questions about what they did and didn’t like about the exercise, as well as general comments), people enjoyed the exercise. They talked about the session as fun, celebratory, and a chance to “come together” as a group, and these were some of the purposes I set for the session. I also noticed that I was much less nervous than previous times practicing the method, and I looked forward to the day of the session. Because of this experience, I feel more confident about my ability to facilitate group drumming sessions in the future.
This was my first “real” HealthRhythms group drumming session, which I tailored to fit the needs of the staff of my library. The guiding idea for the session was to decompress as a group, and to end the semester “on a good note”. From the start, I wanted the flavor of the session to be fun, play, celebration, and the chance to be together in a different-than-usual setting. Besides participants’ initial nervousness about drumming and team building activities, I also envisioned there would be lots of healthy laughter and a good beat (and there was!)
Interspersed throughout the experiential exercise, I tried to play the theme of how each person’s drumming symbolized their unique “voice” they brought to the group. While I didn't necessarily talk about “team work”, I think that this experience created more positive feelings among the group that can improve their work in the future.
I was especially thankful of the chance to continue to deepen my facilitation skills. Judging from the participant evaluations (brief questions about what they did and didn’t like about the exercise, as well as general comments), people enjoyed the exercise. They talked about the session as fun, celebratory, and a chance to “come together” as a group, and these were some of the purposes I set for the session. I also noticed that I was much less nervous than previous times practicing the method, and I looked forward to the day of the session. Because of this experience, I feel more confident about my ability to facilitate group drumming sessions in the future.
Monday, December 15, 2008
HealthRhythms as a Team building Approach
I want to reflect on the upcoming staff planning day, which includes a a percussion-based experiential exercise, facilitated by--yours truly. While this is not the first time I've used the HealthRhythms protocol, it is the first "real" one, where a group is gathered together for the purpose of team building and reflection. Sure, I have some nervousness about it. But, I have felt that before; whether it is a Info Lit class for undergrads, or a presentation for academics, that nervousness usually goes away once I'm there.
I know some key pieces of data as well: who the participants are, and something about how they work together. I know that, as a unit, they have been through some tough emotional times, especially in the last year. But, they also seem flexible and able to enjoy themselves together.
I also know that, as a facilitator, I have good experience in teaching classes, am comfortable leading sessions (once I get over the initial nervousness), and have a desire to facilitate. Of course, I still wrestle with being a perfectionist; I still have that straightjacket-fits-all feeling of having everything "go right". I am still feeling a bit unsure about the entrainment (or "drum groove") part of the protocol; I don't think I have the hang of that quite yet. Perhaps this is the place where I can grow to see the space that the group needs to get to in the entrainment part, and then, once they are "locked in", I can join in myself and let it flow a bit more.
A couple other things that I know: the research conducted by Barry Bittman, Christine Stevens, and others, investigating the health benefits of a group drumming method, is important to the argument that HealthRhythms can be used as a team building method. The main way it helps build teams, in my view, is that it promotes stress relief and positive group and individual feelings; it explores the relations of the group outside of the usual boundaries of work, using a creative experiential exercise; and, it also can celebrate an accomplishment--in this case, the end of a successful semester, and the beginning of a much needed break.
And another aspect that deserves mention: the use of the group drumming protocol in higher education, and libraries in particular. The article by Keith Russell et al., ("Organizational development, best practices, and employee development.” Library administration & management 17(4): 189-195, fall 2003), in which they describe the use of group drumming exercises in the organizational development program at University of Kansas, shows that this is a method that can be used successfully in a higher education setting. The authors observe that "(1) drumming and drum-circle activities have a remarkable and positive impact on stress levels; (2) drumming can be used for meditation, which is one of the stress management techniques that many institutions teach; and (3) corporations have been using drumming activities for years for team and community building." This tells me that the use of an experiential learning method that stretches people's ideas of themselves, can have a good impact on their mood, and that can lead to improvements in productivity. The article also mentions that using teaching methods that employ and speak to more than one of the intelligences delineated by Howard Gardner are more likely to be successful with a larger number of participants.
Overall, through Friday's library session, I hope to gain more confidence, skill, and experience in facilitating group drumming exercises. And, while I don't think we will get too loud, I think that the drum groove started there will have a ripple effect, in ways that I can't even see yet.
I know some key pieces of data as well: who the participants are, and something about how they work together. I know that, as a unit, they have been through some tough emotional times, especially in the last year. But, they also seem flexible and able to enjoy themselves together.
I also know that, as a facilitator, I have good experience in teaching classes, am comfortable leading sessions (once I get over the initial nervousness), and have a desire to facilitate. Of course, I still wrestle with being a perfectionist; I still have that straightjacket-fits-all feeling of having everything "go right". I am still feeling a bit unsure about the entrainment (or "drum groove") part of the protocol; I don't think I have the hang of that quite yet. Perhaps this is the place where I can grow to see the space that the group needs to get to in the entrainment part, and then, once they are "locked in", I can join in myself and let it flow a bit more.
A couple other things that I know: the research conducted by Barry Bittman, Christine Stevens, and others, investigating the health benefits of a group drumming method, is important to the argument that HealthRhythms can be used as a team building method. The main way it helps build teams, in my view, is that it promotes stress relief and positive group and individual feelings; it explores the relations of the group outside of the usual boundaries of work, using a creative experiential exercise; and, it also can celebrate an accomplishment--in this case, the end of a successful semester, and the beginning of a much needed break.
And another aspect that deserves mention: the use of the group drumming protocol in higher education, and libraries in particular. The article by Keith Russell et al., ("Organizational development, best practices, and employee development.” Library administration & management 17(4): 189-195, fall 2003), in which they describe the use of group drumming exercises in the organizational development program at University of Kansas, shows that this is a method that can be used successfully in a higher education setting. The authors observe that "(1) drumming and drum-circle activities have a remarkable and positive impact on stress levels; (2) drumming can be used for meditation, which is one of the stress management techniques that many institutions teach; and (3) corporations have been using drumming activities for years for team and community building." This tells me that the use of an experiential learning method that stretches people's ideas of themselves, can have a good impact on their mood, and that can lead to improvements in productivity. The article also mentions that using teaching methods that employ and speak to more than one of the intelligences delineated by Howard Gardner are more likely to be successful with a larger number of participants.
Overall, through Friday's library session, I hope to gain more confidence, skill, and experience in facilitating group drumming exercises. And, while I don't think we will get too loud, I think that the drum groove started there will have a ripple effect, in ways that I can't even see yet.
Frames of MInd
What lead me to reading Howard Gardner's Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences ? (New York: Basic Books, 1983) I had heard a lot about it, and it was included along with several other works by Gardner, on the bibliography given to me by the the Organizational Development expert. The big reason, however, was because I am intrigued by the concept of multiple intelligences, and want to learn more. From one angle, I had been a believer in multiple intelligences for a while, probably since a teaching methods course early in my library career. As a popular notion, multiple intelligences seemed to make sense to me. I also wanted to discover what the theory behind it was; I thought that Gardner's book could answer some questions about how the intelligences work, where they come from, and how (if at all) they are different than ingrained personality traits or abilities. Plus, there is something exciting about reading the ground breaking work that created a sensation in the education and psychology world.
In my encounter with Gardner's theories, I also had a desire to see how this applied to team building and group work. I thought that I could get some good information about how the musical intelligence might factor into what people are doing in a drumming session. I focused also on the chapters about the body-kinesthetic intelligence, and the personal intelligences, since I thought these might also play a role in the groups. The introductory chapter where Gardner lays the groundwork for his theory of intelligence by putting it into context of the historical concepts of intelligence, was important. I began to see the intellectual and scientific theories of intelligence out of which the theory comes. As I found out through my reading, Gardner approaches his subject very much from a cognitive psychology point of view.
It seemed that Gardner was painting a picture of intelligence as not being some static thing that each person has a certain amount of, and no more or less (such as the static score given from an IQ test). Rather, he seemed to be building up evidence to show that what goes under the umbrella term "intelligence" is really a combination of differing actions and processes, talents and gifts, or even simply ways of processing information and understanding the world. He states: "Reason, intelligence, logic, knowledge are not synonymous; and much of this book constitutes an effort to tease out the various skills and capacities that have to easily been combined under the rubric of "the mental" (p. 6-7). He wants to better elucidate what is at work when someone "intelligently" interacts with the world. What do they do? He echoes Dewey's Pattern of Inquiry when he states that "an intellectual competence must entail a set of skills of problem solving--enabling he individual to resolve genuine problems or difficulties that he or she encounters, and when appropriate, to create an effective product--and must also entail the potential for finding or creating problems--thereby laying the groundwork for the acquisition of new knowledge.: (p 60-61).
It is instructive that a lot of the examples for the multiple intelligences comes from research into the activity of the brain (the ubiquitous "brain research" you read about in education periodicals) when a person is performing certain activities. If I understand Gardner right, there are specific locations that are energized in the brain when, say, hearing musical tones, than when someone is reading a book. The areas of the brain are a hint to the fact that a "separate intelligence" might be at work.
Of course, I was interested to see what Gardner said about musical intelligence, since I would think that people who are involved in a group drumming exercise might want to know something about their innate musical intelligence. The chapter was interesting, and I focused on his description of the evolution of music cultures: Stone Age instruments have been found, and the fact that there is presumptive evidence that music played a societal role in organizing work groups, hunting parties, and religious rites (p. 115). Gardner also states that there is "a core set of abilities crucial to all participation in the musical experience of a culture. These core abilities should be found in any normal individual brought into regular contact with any kind of music" (p. 104) My point would be to emphasize to participants that, despite a belief they may hold that they "are not musical", that there are basic ways that they make music, and that drumming and rhythm is one of them. Yes, they are musical and we can all participate in this kind of music! Rhythm is very basic, and it is something that we are all attuned to; just listen to your heartbeat, and you will see that you have an innate rhythm. Just tap your feet to some music that you like, and you know that you have rhythm.
While I did not delve into Frames of Mind too deeply, I did learn some things. The book was written in an academic, sometimes stilted style which I sometimes go for, and sometimes think it gets in the way of my understanding. However, I think his attempt to expand the notion of what it means to be "intelligent", is very creative and important to today's world. We need to see how we all have a unique set of abilities, but we also have much in common. All of this is to say that I am glad that I read selections of Gardner's book, if only to get some background and (hopefully) to bring some of these concepts into my group team building sessions. I think I now have a more informed perspective, and can recognize different kinds of intelligences that are at work in everybody.
In my encounter with Gardner's theories, I also had a desire to see how this applied to team building and group work. I thought that I could get some good information about how the musical intelligence might factor into what people are doing in a drumming session. I focused also on the chapters about the body-kinesthetic intelligence, and the personal intelligences, since I thought these might also play a role in the groups. The introductory chapter where Gardner lays the groundwork for his theory of intelligence by putting it into context of the historical concepts of intelligence, was important. I began to see the intellectual and scientific theories of intelligence out of which the theory comes. As I found out through my reading, Gardner approaches his subject very much from a cognitive psychology point of view.
It seemed that Gardner was painting a picture of intelligence as not being some static thing that each person has a certain amount of, and no more or less (such as the static score given from an IQ test). Rather, he seemed to be building up evidence to show that what goes under the umbrella term "intelligence" is really a combination of differing actions and processes, talents and gifts, or even simply ways of processing information and understanding the world. He states: "Reason, intelligence, logic, knowledge are not synonymous; and much of this book constitutes an effort to tease out the various skills and capacities that have to easily been combined under the rubric of "the mental" (p. 6-7). He wants to better elucidate what is at work when someone "intelligently" interacts with the world. What do they do? He echoes Dewey's Pattern of Inquiry when he states that "an intellectual competence must entail a set of skills of problem solving--enabling he individual to resolve genuine problems or difficulties that he or she encounters, and when appropriate, to create an effective product--and must also entail the potential for finding or creating problems--thereby laying the groundwork for the acquisition of new knowledge.: (p 60-61).
It is instructive that a lot of the examples for the multiple intelligences comes from research into the activity of the brain (the ubiquitous "brain research" you read about in education periodicals) when a person is performing certain activities. If I understand Gardner right, there are specific locations that are energized in the brain when, say, hearing musical tones, than when someone is reading a book. The areas of the brain are a hint to the fact that a "separate intelligence" might be at work.
Of course, I was interested to see what Gardner said about musical intelligence, since I would think that people who are involved in a group drumming exercise might want to know something about their innate musical intelligence. The chapter was interesting, and I focused on his description of the evolution of music cultures: Stone Age instruments have been found, and the fact that there is presumptive evidence that music played a societal role in organizing work groups, hunting parties, and religious rites (p. 115). Gardner also states that there is "a core set of abilities crucial to all participation in the musical experience of a culture. These core abilities should be found in any normal individual brought into regular contact with any kind of music" (p. 104) My point would be to emphasize to participants that, despite a belief they may hold that they "are not musical", that there are basic ways that they make music, and that drumming and rhythm is one of them. Yes, they are musical and we can all participate in this kind of music! Rhythm is very basic, and it is something that we are all attuned to; just listen to your heartbeat, and you will see that you have an innate rhythm. Just tap your feet to some music that you like, and you know that you have rhythm.
While I did not delve into Frames of Mind too deeply, I did learn some things. The book was written in an academic, sometimes stilted style which I sometimes go for, and sometimes think it gets in the way of my understanding. However, I think his attempt to expand the notion of what it means to be "intelligent", is very creative and important to today's world. We need to see how we all have a unique set of abilities, but we also have much in common. All of this is to say that I am glad that I read selections of Gardner's book, if only to get some background and (hopefully) to bring some of these concepts into my group team building sessions. I think I now have a more informed perspective, and can recognize different kinds of intelligences that are at work in everybody.
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