Our next gath e ring is
Friday, August 30, 2013
Stittsville United Church 7-9 pm.
Visitors, beginners are warmly welcomed!
In September, we begin playing the introductory tar. These tars are $35.
I will take orders, colour preferences etc for your professional tar (Cooperman) which we will begin learning in January. The approximate cost is $270. This is well in time for you to really enjoy playing with a larger group in April at the Festival on any of the 3 biblical drums.
Here's a summary of our last gathering on August 16th.
We strengthened our basic strokes, and our jingle playing at 3 different speeds. We enjoyed Balladi and Omalu and know both pretty well now. We practised cross stepping.
We had fun with the Sufi Pattern, some of us new to it . We reviewed and played 'Tak Catch' or 'Clock Catch' with the pattern D t T t T t T t D T t T t T t T. Our game was going really well until the teacher through us all off!
We worked on the shakes in Rattlesnake 2.
Everyone is urged to do a brief time of shakes every day to strengthen their wrist and fingers. This strength builds GRADUALLY. Aim to shake the drum evenly for 5 seconds, then 10 seconds, then ? That kind of physical fitness grows slowly through brief daily practice. We all have time for it amid our daily busyness! Besides it is just plain fun -annoying everyone and finishing the exercise before they can even complain!!!!
We learned a new Earth chant and its drum pattern and had a great conversation on the coming together of sacred dance and Biblical drumming via the elements.
Russell Buddy Helm's book, The Way of the Drum, provided our meditation reflections.
Thanks everyone for such a sacred and pleasant evening!
And, of course, joyful thanks be to God!