See above "Drum Resource Pages" for some very cool and unusual drums and other percussion instruments.
All of the photos and text were taken at the awesome Rhythm Discovery Center in downtown Indianapolis, IN. If you are ever visiting Indianapolis, visit this little museum. It is a treasure, and they have an awesome collection!
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Finishing
As I approach the end of my Experiential Education degree program through Minnesota State University, Mankato, I realized that this final capstone project is about going beyond the blog that I created to document my learning in the program. So, I have developed it into a resource that can accentuate the information that I usually provide in my in-person, hands-on drumming sessions.
To that end, I selected an initial list (I will be adding more as time permits) of four commonly used drums for group drumming exercises, ones which I am familiar with, but which some people out there may not be. So, please take a look at the links above (next to "Drum Resource Pages"), to find out more information about these drums...they really add a unique voice to a drum circle, so I hope you enjoy.
To that end, I selected an initial list (I will be adding more as time permits) of four commonly used drums for group drumming exercises, ones which I am familiar with, but which some people out there may not be. So, please take a look at the links above (next to "Drum Resource Pages"), to find out more information about these drums...they really add a unique voice to a drum circle, so I hope you enjoy.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
But the Beat Goes On...
I look forward to following the "drum path" that I've been on, and continuing to document my learnings along the way. I also plan to add more information to the resources section of the blog, so that it could also serve as a clearinghouse of information on group drumming as an organizational development tool in academic settings.
The beat goes on!
The beat goes on!
Book Review -- "The Drum: A History", by Matt Dean
When I saw "The Drum: A History" by Matt Dean on the New Book Shelf at the library that I work in, I thought it would be quite a fitting resource to complete my Experiential Education master's program. It is a hefty book--running 461 pages, it covers the history of the drum (as opposed to more general percussion instruments), with chapters such as "What is a Drum?", "Women Drummers", "The Modern Drumkit", and "Drumsticks". The meat of the book, though, is the history of this fascinating instrument on each continent--each continent has a chapter devoted to it (though Asia is split into "Western Asia" and "Southeast Asia").
Sufficed to say, I eagerly gobbled up the information in this book; I read the book cover to cover (not even skipping the chapter on drumsticks!). I was amazed at how much research the author Dean--who is a writer/blogger, an instructor, and professional drummer--performed on behalf of his dream to investigate the origins, uses, and varieties of the drum in all the world's cultures. The author rightly places his work in a long line of distinguished tomes that classify and describe percussion instruments and their history; I found Dean's book to be a very interesting read. His writing style worked well for the topic at hand, and even though the details of all the drums was a bit dry at some points, there were so many interesting bits of information, woven together in a relatively casual narrative style, that I was won over by it. As a librarian, I was pleasantly surprised to see the comprehensive and detailed back-of-the-book index as well.
The sections of the book that most attracted me were on the development of the hand drum in Western Asia and the many varieties of West African drums, such as the djembe--a popular "drum circle" drum. I learned that much of the drumming in the Near East in ancient times was for religious purposes, and was often done by women; this detail resonates with me, as I have noticed that the most enthusiastic and devoted group-drummers are women, and the drum circles are often used as a tool for spiritual and emotional growth and well-being. I also learned that the West and Southern African drum designs, which ranged from conical and goblet-shaped drums, to cylindrical drums and kettle-shaped drums, have been modernized and updated to what you would see in a typical drum circle today. Some of the most popular drums, the djembe and the ashiko, and even the modern invention of the "tubano" drum (see the "Drum Resource Pages" above the blog posts), are based on these designs.
All in all, a very good read for drum enthusiasts, and one which will probably be added to my personal library soon.
Sufficed to say, I eagerly gobbled up the information in this book; I read the book cover to cover (not even skipping the chapter on drumsticks!). I was amazed at how much research the author Dean--who is a writer/blogger, an instructor, and professional drummer--performed on behalf of his dream to investigate the origins, uses, and varieties of the drum in all the world's cultures. The author rightly places his work in a long line of distinguished tomes that classify and describe percussion instruments and their history; I found Dean's book to be a very interesting read. His writing style worked well for the topic at hand, and even though the details of all the drums was a bit dry at some points, there were so many interesting bits of information, woven together in a relatively casual narrative style, that I was won over by it. As a librarian, I was pleasantly surprised to see the comprehensive and detailed back-of-the-book index as well.
The sections of the book that most attracted me were on the development of the hand drum in Western Asia and the many varieties of West African drums, such as the djembe--a popular "drum circle" drum. I learned that much of the drumming in the Near East in ancient times was for religious purposes, and was often done by women; this detail resonates with me, as I have noticed that the most enthusiastic and devoted group-drummers are women, and the drum circles are often used as a tool for spiritual and emotional growth and well-being. I also learned that the West and Southern African drum designs, which ranged from conical and goblet-shaped drums, to cylindrical drums and kettle-shaped drums, have been modernized and updated to what you would see in a typical drum circle today. Some of the most popular drums, the djembe and the ashiko, and even the modern invention of the "tubano" drum (see the "Drum Resource Pages" above the blog posts), are based on these designs.
All in all, a very good read for drum enthusiasts, and one which will probably be added to my personal library soon.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
More Fresh Air
It's Spring Break Week here in Bemidji, and it's that time when I rediscover this blog. It's quite interesting to read and re-learn my development in organizational development, group drumming...Really this is all preparation and planning for my final, capstone project in my Experiential Education master's degree. Watch this space for more...
Overall, the last year has been one of great learning. The group drumming is going very well, and I have done another session for students and a couple more in the works.
Note to self: after seeing Mu Daiko, a Twin Cities based percussion ensemble that focuses on traditional Japanse Taiko drumming performance, I might want to explore this as another aspect of group drumming experience. It was quite a performance that we saw in Grand Rapids, MN. Watching Mu Daiko was like no other experience...
Overall, the last year has been one of great learning. The group drumming is going very well, and I have done another session for students and a couple more in the works.
Note to self: after seeing Mu Daiko, a Twin Cities based percussion ensemble that focuses on traditional Japanse Taiko drumming performance, I might want to explore this as another aspect of group drumming experience. It was quite a performance that we saw in Grand Rapids, MN. Watching Mu Daiko was like no other experience...
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Review of "The Skilled Facilitator"
I wanted to read parts of the book The Skilled Facilitator by Roger M. Schwartz, because it was suggested to me as an in-depth work, and Schwartz is an expert in facilitative leadership and facilitation in organizations. In a chapter on Guidelines for Using Experiential Exercises, Schwartz looks at experiential exercises in a critical way. This chapter is interesting to me because Schwartz gives cautions about using them, whereas other authors I've read have been more in their favor. He warns that they should be "consistent with the core values and principles of group facilitation", and that the "exercise needs to generate valid information", among other things (p. 374).
His main point, I think, is that the exercises shouldn't be forced, artificial, and rely on deception--for example an exercise where participants are asked to solve a puzzle that is missing a piece. He is also saying that experiential exercises really need to be tailored and valid for each specific group, and should provide actual useful information for the group to improve its functioning. Schwartz says: "In some situations, members learn more when the experience comes from the group's real tasks, and they experience the full consequences of group process." (p. 376) So, many experiential exercises probably may not fit this bill in an extensive, developmental facilitation approach for an organization.
This critical perspective of ineffective experiential exercises has made me think again about what the purpose of percussion-based experiential exercises is. Can a group drumming really engender changes in group behavior and effectiveness? Does a debriefing technique (such as the one I'm studying--funneling), really make an impact as far as carrying the learning forward into a person's work or life? Does the experiential exercise really have an impact?
Some ways that I think that group drumming/percussion-based experiential exercises ARE effective:
- they allow group members to function as a group (playing the group rhythm), but in a way that is out of their usual experience
- they increase feelings of well-being and stress relief (the benefit of the HealthRhythms approach)
- they allow a kinesthetic and musical experience in a low-stress setting; basically, participants can use their musical intelligence and have fun
- they allow groups to have a memorable, unique experience
Looking at this list, and having read several books now on facilitation for changing group behavior and improving group process, I can't help but feel that group drumming is only a small piece of the puzzle. From what I've seen and experienced in the group drumming sessions I've facilitated, it is fun and energizing, and can engender positive group feelings. But it's only one of many tools, and really has to be aligned with an overall learning goal to be effective.
His main point, I think, is that the exercises shouldn't be forced, artificial, and rely on deception--for example an exercise where participants are asked to solve a puzzle that is missing a piece. He is also saying that experiential exercises really need to be tailored and valid for each specific group, and should provide actual useful information for the group to improve its functioning. Schwartz says: "In some situations, members learn more when the experience comes from the group's real tasks, and they experience the full consequences of group process." (p. 376) So, many experiential exercises probably may not fit this bill in an extensive, developmental facilitation approach for an organization.
This critical perspective of ineffective experiential exercises has made me think again about what the purpose of percussion-based experiential exercises is. Can a group drumming really engender changes in group behavior and effectiveness? Does a debriefing technique (such as the one I'm studying--funneling), really make an impact as far as carrying the learning forward into a person's work or life? Does the experiential exercise really have an impact?
Some ways that I think that group drumming/percussion-based experiential exercises ARE effective:
- they allow group members to function as a group (playing the group rhythm), but in a way that is out of their usual experience
- they increase feelings of well-being and stress relief (the benefit of the HealthRhythms approach)
- they allow a kinesthetic and musical experience in a low-stress setting; basically, participants can use their musical intelligence and have fun
- they allow groups to have a memorable, unique experience
Looking at this list, and having read several books now on facilitation for changing group behavior and improving group process, I can't help but feel that group drumming is only a small piece of the puzzle. From what I've seen and experienced in the group drumming sessions I've facilitated, it is fun and energizing, and can engender positive group feelings. But it's only one of many tools, and really has to be aligned with an overall learning goal to be effective.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Fresh Air
To give some context of my state of mind, today I read some from a book about creativity, wrote a song that came to me in a flash of inspiration, and got a much-needed therapeutic massage. I'm on Spring Break, and feel like I can catch a breath of fresh air.
With this awareness of wanting to slow down, I can feel my mind turning into introspection, to reflection. I am keeping the momentum going, but slowing down a bit, too. In the next few weeks, I'm going to work on laying the groundwork for another "percussion-based experiential exercise" for students. Let it Spring.
With this awareness of wanting to slow down, I can feel my mind turning into introspection, to reflection. I am keeping the momentum going, but slowing down a bit, too. In the next few weeks, I'm going to work on laying the groundwork for another "percussion-based experiential exercise" for students. Let it Spring.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Processing the Experience: Drum Away Your Stress Session (2/24/11)
I can't believe that I've facilitated three drum circles at BSU in the last two weeks!
Only 4 people attended the most recent "percussion-based experiential exercise" that was sponsored by the BSU campus wellness group, but even then it was energizing and fun; the drum song was a good one. Because of the low turnout, I decided to do things a bit differently, and only asked a couple of brief "How did that feel?" questions (the What Happened? funneling question). During an informal conversation with a couple of people at the end of the experience, one person told me how it reminded him of his background in dance, and how he would like to get back into dance; so I would say that the circle might have helped them recall that, learn something about himself (the so what?), and apply the learning to his life (the now what?).
I am beginning to learn that the debriefing methods (such as funneling) may be best used in specific circumstances with specific audiences. In the end, it really depends on the purpose of the drum circle you are facilitating. Judging the three most recent experiences, I would say that the more oriented toward fun and stress relief the circle is, the less useful are the debriefing questions. The BSU Women's Hockey team seemed to have a mixed view of the debriefing questions--some said that the experience was too short to really go that deep in questioning, but some said that the questions were useful to think about and discuss. On the other hand, if the exercise were part of a larger experience, perhaps over a few hours or a one-day workshop, I could see the funneling questions having more of an impact on the learning.
At this point in the project, I would say that I've learned a bit about the funneling technique, through applying it in real situations; however, I do want to try out a different debriefing method (such as "Rounds",where participants in a circle each answer a simple question with a word/phrase, number, or by playing on their drum ) in a future circle--perhaps at a conference presentation such as ALA REFORMA, or an Association for Experiential Education conference.
Only 4 people attended the most recent "percussion-based experiential exercise" that was sponsored by the BSU campus wellness group, but even then it was energizing and fun; the drum song was a good one. Because of the low turnout, I decided to do things a bit differently, and only asked a couple of brief "How did that feel?" questions (the What Happened? funneling question). During an informal conversation with a couple of people at the end of the experience, one person told me how it reminded him of his background in dance, and how he would like to get back into dance; so I would say that the circle might have helped them recall that, learn something about himself (the so what?), and apply the learning to his life (the now what?).
I am beginning to learn that the debriefing methods (such as funneling) may be best used in specific circumstances with specific audiences. In the end, it really depends on the purpose of the drum circle you are facilitating. Judging the three most recent experiences, I would say that the more oriented toward fun and stress relief the circle is, the less useful are the debriefing questions. The BSU Women's Hockey team seemed to have a mixed view of the debriefing questions--some said that the experience was too short to really go that deep in questioning, but some said that the questions were useful to think about and discuss. On the other hand, if the exercise were part of a larger experience, perhaps over a few hours or a one-day workshop, I could see the funneling questions having more of an impact on the learning.
At this point in the project, I would say that I've learned a bit about the funneling technique, through applying it in real situations; however, I do want to try out a different debriefing method (such as "Rounds",where participants in a circle each answer a simple question with a word/phrase, number, or by playing on their drum ) in a future circle--perhaps at a conference presentation such as ALA REFORMA, or an Association for Experiential Education conference.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Processing the Experience: Traditional Skills Workshop - Drumming (2/17/11)
The Traditional Skills - Drumming workshop was a different group from the hockey team, high energy and great grooves Participants were mostly students (some who had real drum circle experience!), but also a community member, a faculty member, and a few kids; it was neat that people came out to participate on a Thursday night! It was also great to have the help of the Sustainability office staff to promote the session, and to have a staff member there to help out with setup (and to drum as well).
The students really wanted to play, and mid-stream I decided this one would be better served to do some great drumming together, talk a bit about the traditional aspect of drumming, and to teach some basic ethnic rhythms. So, I skipped the debriefing exercises, except by quickly checking in about how the drumming rounds felt.
As far as my continuing goal to improve my drum circle facilitation skills, these two experiences felt like stepping stones to a higher level of familiarity with my own personal style and approach to group drumming. Being prepared for both (by outlining the session) made me more comfortable during the experiences, and more flexible to change in mid-course, because I know my overall goals. Keeping these goals in mind--practicing debriefing exercises and deepening my facilitation skills--helped me integrate the learning and apply it to my life. Who knows, there may be opportunities for repeat sessions.
One area of improvement for next time: I wish that I had prepared more information about the roots of ethnic drumming (from West Africa, etc.), and also brought in more of the research I've done on drumming in American Indian culture. I decided to make this circle more about drumming than teaching or lecturing, but perhaps in the future I could structure it with a bit more interspersed information--though I did provide some information brief tidbits about traditional/indigenous drumming.
Overall, a really fun circle, and good learning experience!
The students really wanted to play, and mid-stream I decided this one would be better served to do some great drumming together, talk a bit about the traditional aspect of drumming, and to teach some basic ethnic rhythms. So, I skipped the debriefing exercises, except by quickly checking in about how the drumming rounds felt.
As far as my continuing goal to improve my drum circle facilitation skills, these two experiences felt like stepping stones to a higher level of familiarity with my own personal style and approach to group drumming. Being prepared for both (by outlining the session) made me more comfortable during the experiences, and more flexible to change in mid-course, because I know my overall goals. Keeping these goals in mind--practicing debriefing exercises and deepening my facilitation skills--helped me integrate the learning and apply it to my life. Who knows, there may be opportunities for repeat sessions.
One area of improvement for next time: I wish that I had prepared more information about the roots of ethnic drumming (from West Africa, etc.), and also brought in more of the research I've done on drumming in American Indian culture. I decided to make this circle more about drumming than teaching or lecturing, but perhaps in the future I could structure it with a bit more interspersed information--though I did provide some information brief tidbits about traditional/indigenous drumming.
Overall, a really fun circle, and good learning experience!
Processing the Experience: BSU Women's Hockey Team (2/16/11)
This was such a great and energizing experience to have, of the three I'm doing this month. The athletes were very attentive and helpful (even helped pack and unpack the drums!), and we all had fun as we went through a drumming ice-breaker and a couple of basic rhythms together. A memory I'll take with me is the smiles on our faces, as we got into some fun grooves.
This experience also gave me a chance to try a structured debriefing of the drumming with a test group. The debriefing questions focused on applying the experience to team work, hockey, and life. It was nice to process the experience with a willing group in a very team-oriented setting. I also got some great feedback at the end (using a quick pencil survey). It gave me much to ponder over
The question on the survey about the utility of the debriefing questions were telling. A good number of participants thought they were only somewhat useful, and that they would rather be playing than talking! (perhaps a difference between aural/oral learners and kinesthetic learners?) Perhaps one-shot circles like this are more about having fun and de-stressing, rather than reflecting? Depending on the group, more or less structured debriefing activities may be appropriate. I will definitely document the survey responses for this project, because they were interesting and helpful.
I was definitely feeling good after this experience....thanks to the BSU Women's Hockey assistant coach for taking a chance on a different team-building activity, and thanks to the athletes for being such good sports!
This experience also gave me a chance to try a structured debriefing of the drumming with a test group. The debriefing questions focused on applying the experience to team work, hockey, and life. It was nice to process the experience with a willing group in a very team-oriented setting. I also got some great feedback at the end (using a quick pencil survey). It gave me much to ponder over
The question on the survey about the utility of the debriefing questions were telling. A good number of participants thought they were only somewhat useful, and that they would rather be playing than talking! (perhaps a difference between aural/oral learners and kinesthetic learners?) Perhaps one-shot circles like this are more about having fun and de-stressing, rather than reflecting? Depending on the group, more or less structured debriefing activities may be appropriate. I will definitely document the survey responses for this project, because they were interesting and helpful.
I was definitely feeling good after this experience....thanks to the BSU Women's Hockey assistant coach for taking a chance on a different team-building activity, and thanks to the athletes for being such good sports!
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