“So my journey with the drum. I had the opportunity to travel to South Africa in 1996, visiting my Aunty who lived in Irene, East of Johannesburg and then exploring as much of this amazing country as I could. The sound of the drum grabbed my soul when I was walking in a market, first it was the rhythm that drew me in, then the smiles on the faces of the musicians as they danced and played. Also, one night camping on the Zambezi River, we could hear the drumming playing into the night. It drew me in from the depths of my soul.
I went home with a drum and began playing around the fire and with fellow musicians. It was time to learn more. I began to do a few classes, learnt therapeutic drumming and then attending a few African Drumming Bali trips. The more a drummed the more I felt grounded, alive, connected and amazed at the healing benefits rhythm can have in your life. The power of rhythm!!!
It is not only the powerful healing the drum can bring, but also the feelings of belonging, joy, fun, release, expression, co-ordination and making friends that music can create.
I have to give a big thanks to Simon Fraser and the African Drumming Team, InRhythm, Tuza, Tara Tucker, Simon Faulkiner from Recovery2Rhythm, Drumbeat and all the other drummers and musicians I have had the joy to learn and share the power of the drum with.
My dream is to keep learning African Rhythms, use the drum as a healing tool in the workshops I run and also as a professional holistic counsellor.
If you want to feel grounded, exercise the left and right side of the brain, feel a sense of belonging, release emotions in a positive way, feel joy from the depths of your soul, meet creative fun people, have adventures to amazing places and meet amazing people, get yourself a drum and get yourself to a drum class then let the journey begin.”
