Drum Circle Facilitation by Drumcircles.net
Pinellas County - Tampa Bay - Florida State
Read more about having a facilitated drum circle below.
So What is A Community Drum Circle?
I believe in offering quality, over quantity in a drum circle experience. Rather than multiple drum circles a day,
I spend days preparing and tailoring a single drum circle for whatever group that would like to have one. And I
spend time afterwards to talk about the experience with everyone, in order to ensure that they all get the most
enjoyment as possible from it.
This is not about making as much money as I can from this, it is about making a difference in people's lives. I
charge as little as possible for what I do, because I believe that a life is measured by what I give, rather than
what I can get. Especially with today's economy, things are tough for all of us, and hand drumming can take you
away from all of the day to day issues. When you drum, all you think about is being in the moment, and drumming.
Whether it is hosting, or facilitating a drum circle, I do the very best I can to help make a difference, and
offer something that is unique to you and your group. Below is a few letters of recommendation on my work.
Letters of Recommendation
A drum circle is a rhythm based experience in which a variety of world percussion hand drums from various
cultures are brought together. Ethnic drumming rhythms from many different parts of the world are explored.
They change, evolve and morph in a magical unpredictable way. The result is spontaneous, beautiful music.
created by everyone involved. It is an "in the moment" musical event that everyone can participate in. It
is a place for everyone to express themselves with drums and other smaller percussion instruments. The level
of experience doesn’t matter. A person can participate with little or no skill or technique. Drum circles are
never the same, even with the same group. It is always new, fresh, enlightening, and it's an exciting event
for entire families. Here is an activity where parents and their children can do something fun together. Teens
can be doing something positive. People with disibilities can just be one of the guys at the drum circle. The
feelings of fun and euphoria are hard to describe when the group dynamic is created. It takes about 15 minutes.
Drum circles combine recreation, aka FUN, with music therapy. I feel what works the best, is to bridge the gap
between overly structured facilitated drum circles, and the more open community drum circles. I bring you the
best of both worlds. Simply following someone's instructions while they parade around in the center of the drum
circle is not all that effective, or nearly as much fun.
The techniques and skills needed to host a drum circle for a particular group can be taught (if you want them).
And that is one of the key things that I love to do when I'm hired to host a drum circle for you. I can show you
and the staff how to continue the process on their own when they feel they are ready to take over. It is not
necessary to have any musical training in order to learn the essential basics, although those who have a musical
background do have an edge. I do this at no cost beyond what I am being paid to facilitate the original set of
drum circles. Drum circles need to be customized to fit the needs of the group of participants. I have worked
with everything from highly professional musicians, to adults and children with severe mental or physical
restrictions. And, each individual group needs a slightly different approach, since everyone has their own skills,
limitations, and quirks. It can take anywhere from just a single drum circle to as many as four to work out the
ideal approach for a specific group. However, I never require any kind of contract beyond a single day at a time.
In addition to demonstrating how to host a drum circle by my doing it, I am happy to spend some time with the
staff to answer questions and help them to work out their own way of facilitating for their own group as soon as
possible. I provide handouts of drum rhythms CD's - DVD’s and printed material to be used as reference material,
so they have something to review and draw from. I'm also happy to assist those who are interested in finding the
various places to buy drums that fit the needs of the individuals or group.
Different types of drums work for different types of people.
A key part of the intent of groups that are oriented toward those with physical and/or mental restrictions is
finding ways to bring them into general society as much as possible. It has been my experience that drum circles
are an excellent path to this goal. The guiding of a special needs group in our community led to exactly that, a
two hour performance on a big stage in front of 100's of people, where they were wildly applauded, appreciated,
and sounded great. It was a proud moment for them, and for me. I believe that real personal growth comes from
the inner expression of each individual, & self discovery.
It doesn't matter whether or not the music itself sounds good, although it usually does. What matters is letting
the participants know they can just be themselves and find their own inner rhythms. By letting people discover
themselves, and knowing they have the freedom to make mistakes, takes them on a journey where I only act as a sort
of a tour guide, and they find that feeling of safety from being in a community made up of the other drummers. I
provide a safety net by being constantly tuned in to the group and the individuals, so they can have a good time.
Helping someone who says, " I have no rhythm " to find their own inner sense of rhythm takes very little guidance
and can be done spontaneously right in the middle of an ongoing beat. You can see the light turn on, in their face.
Natural rhythm flows within all of us. Our hearts beat to a rhythm, we walk to a rhythm, many aspects of our daily
lives are done to a rhythm. Whenever we hear drumming, we begin to move to the universal rhythm inside us all. The
drum connects your heart to your hands, then your hands start to dance. We start out a beat, we just follow the beat,
and all of a sudden we are improvising, experiencing and talking with our drums. You are the instrument, the drum
becomes your voice. Drumming conversations begin to emerge as people become connected beyond the music being played.
I prefer to work with smaller groups, from 5 to 80 people. That way, I can give much more personalized and individual
attention. I can work with up to 80 participants. I deliver an authentic drum circle experience, only guiding when
necessary. The emphasis with me is on fun! I bridge that gap between standard formula facilitation, and the more fun
community drum circles. I believe in not telling people how, when, or what to play, but focusing more on self discovery.
I do offer a few pointers on holding a drum properly, and hand technique. I then help guide people to find their musical
selves at their own pace. I begin a drum rhythm as a starting place, and let the group take it wherever it goes. Kind of
what you see with musicians drumming at the beach, except in a bit more managed format. Just a good time jamming and
having fun.
Whenever it's possible, I like to host drum circles that are outdoors connected with nature. Nature has a natural rhythm
to it, so do we. Hand drumming brings us back to that fundamental rhythm of nature. I am just a one man small business.
When you hire me, you get me and the benefits of my experience. For me, this is a life long calling. Unlike many of the
others, I'm not a big drum circle corporation, or a big money making drum circle venture. You get just little ol' me,
with lots of high quality hand drums from around the world, & strange percussion toys. And we just have a great time.
Two views of the weekly drum circle happening every Tuesday in Dunedin, FL.
Three views of the "Jazz on the Green" drum circle event.
Add hula hooping to your drum circle for some real fun! (Get Professional grade hula hoops.)
Try laying down with your eyes closed for a minute in the center of the circle. Powerful stuff!
Drum circles can be extremely effective for companies that want to enhance the generation of new ideas and better team
work. When people discover that they can collectively produce a good sound without any musical training or background,
they start to realize that they can be more effective at work by putting their heads together and working as a team.
Also, drumming uses the brain in a different pattern than the linear thought process that is usually needed in the work
environment. A drum circle brings the group to a more open mental and psychological process, which can be carried over
to the production of new and better ways of working. An excellent tool to kick off any kind of brain storming session &
optimize the quantity and quality of new ideas. Please read a little more about it below...because it actually works.
Click here for more detailed information on hosting a corporate, company, or a small business drum circle.
My drum circle hosting - facilitating style has been influenced by what I've learned from various top rated drum circle
facilitators, including Christine Stevens, Kalani, Arthur Hull, Jim Donovan, and Babatunde Olatunji. But more so, by over
30 years of just attending and hosting drum circles, and seeing what works, and what does not, in order to create a fun
and magical atmosphere that encourages creative expression. This is how I learned how to bridge that gap between formula
facilitated drum circles, and the more spontaneous, creative, & fun community drum circles more commonly seen in public.
A drum circle is hardly ever a professional ensemble playing prepared music, or a drumming class. It’s a unique event that
is created by just real people, preferably with the help of a host, or facilitator, who acts as a musical guide to make it
easier for the group to achieve it’s goal. I don't want you to be a drummer. I just want you to be able to enjoy drumming.
Community drumming has been an ancient musical tradition for 1000’s of years in almost every part of the world. Drum playing
is probably as old as intelligent man. The idea of banging on something to make noise is second nature to us. As for me, my
parents got me my first drum at age 10, so I would stop making drums out of things in the kitchen. I joined the school band
as soon as I was old enough. After playing in the concert band, & drum line through high school, I've been a musician since.
As far as I could tell, the oldest recorded drum discovery is from 6000 BC excavated from a Neolithic Era archeological dig.
Small drums used for ceremonies have been found in Egyptian tombs. Many caves in Peru contain wall carvings depicting drums
in various aspects of societal life. Indian drums from the Middle East are as old as 5000 BC, and Mesopotamian ruins have
yielded cylindrical drums as old as 3000 BC. And of course our Native American Indians have a rich history with drums made
of gourds, and wood for celebrations, ceremonies, and music. Many of the same style of drums are still used to this day.
Drums and percussion were the first musical tools people made for use in group music. Drumming was used for a variety of
purposes, including communication. In Africa for example, drumming was not just a form of music, it was used as a speech.
A rhythmic pattern of beats played a certain way could communicate a variety of information. Drums were used for things
like fertility, a new birth, healing, grieving, emotional release, various types of ceremonies, & building communities.
Typical Drum Circle Set Ups Prior To The Start
I am there to provide the drums, musical instruments, and to create a welcoming, enjoyable atmosphere. I help all the
participants to play music together. Or simply put, to help make it easy for everyone to enjoy creating a group musical
song. I’m there to help guide and make it easier to participate, not to manipulate. I’m trained to help everyone feel
comfortable in the group setting, and act as a rhythm starter. Then everyone begins to experience their own creativity,
fun, & excitement as they begin to improvise on the foundational support rhythm. After a brief warm up, & demonstration
of some basic hand technique, a variety of easy to play along rhythms from various cultures are explored, including ours.
We try out Rhythm & Blues, Belly Dancing, African, Latin, and Funk, as well as some more mellow, grooving, more danceable
beats, and many others. I use a variety of ideas and activities such as talking with the drums using Morse code which is
loads of fun. I’m an amateur radio operator and playing letters of code is really very easy, yet challenging enough to be
fun and rewarding. Sometimes, we literally “say it with drums.” As the host, or facilitator, I develop a rapport with the
participants, and I’m there to help assist the group to orchestrate their hand drumming into musical compositions.
The quality of the music produced in a drum circle is not really based on the musical experience of the players, but on the
developing quality of the relationship of the participants that emerge. As a facilitator I help them to empower themselves
through drumming, music, and fun. They need no experience at all to play in a drum circle. I present various activities that
are accessible and fun, as well as encourage individual creativity, expression, and cooperation. The group dynamic emerges.
The chairs are arranged in concentric circles, with an arrangement of professional level quality drums for people to choose
from. I believe everyone should experience real high quality musical instruments. There is a huge difference in sound. You
can't experience the full range of sound and tones on a poor quality $70 djembe drum. Some of the drums I have seen at local
events are of appalling quality. It sounds like trying to make music drumming on dry wall. I provide professional grade nickle
plated Doumbeks from the Middle East, brass and copper etched Darbukas from Turkey, hand carved mahogany Djembes from Africa,
Native American frame drums, and High end Cuban style Congas. (Like Latin Percussion Giovanni's) Professional level Remo drums,
as well as many other unusual symphony grade percussion instruments for people to choose from. I have a concert model washboard.
Who would have thought there even was such a thing? So I had to have it. I didn't know there were pro grade hula hoops either!
I like to begin a drumming session by letting everyone just choose something, sit down in the circle, and start playing. This
approach helps everyone to relax before the formal welcome, introductions, and then into organized rhythms. The reason I just
let everyone play first is the nerves, and the barriers just begin to melt away. Later as the rhythms join together, everyone
joins together. The result is there is no distinction between them and myself. We just all sense the feeling of the one song we
are creating in the moment. This was the tried and true approach of the elders who would begin their gatherings, and ceremonies
in this fashion. I prefer this way also. (But I am flexible, we can create a program to meet your vision whatever it may be.)
This is an original watercolor painting of me hosting a recent drumming event. It captured some of the magic and joy of the day.
Here's some more watercolor paintings of drummers and belly dancers.
My Review Of "The Visitor" - A Movie With Drum Circles & Hand Drumming in it.
(And photos of the drum circle held the opening night of the film.)
There is a new movie out called, "The Visitor". I think it's helping to bring drum circles more
and more into the mainstream. In the film, it showed how drum circles can help to bring people
from different cultures together. And how hand drumming can help you to be a better person.
It also addressed some important immigration issues. Anyway, here's my review of the film from
a drum circle lover's perspective, also a review of the drum circle just before the opening.
The Visitor Film Review
This link will redirect you to the official "The Visitor" film website where you can view a short video
and more. Or just do a search on The Visitor Film and it will come up.
The Visitor Film Official Website
Drum Circle Advice
If you live out of the Florida area, and need some advice, suggestions, ideas, or anything at all about hosting
any form of drum circle, I am more than happy to try and help you along. Even if you arn't sure what kind of drum
might be right for you, or your group, just email me and I will try to help you out. I don't actually sell drums,
but I do have years of experience with most major brands, styles, and retailers. I can recommend the places to you
I buy mine from. If you are wanting to host or facilitate drum circles, this art form has evolved a lot in the last
10 years alone. Art can be very subjective. There used to be only one or two widely accepted ways to facilitate drum
circles. Now there are dozens of styles all around the country, and the world. (Some of them are mentioned above.)
Even at age 50, I am always looking for new innovative ideas and ways to work with various different groups.
Think of it like the way martial arts has evolved. It used to be if you were proficient at Judo, Karate, wrestling,
or some other disipline, just being an expert at one style left most at a disadvantage. The ones who are the most
well rounded in all the different styles do the best now in mixed martial arts. And drum circle facilitation is similar
in this way. We have all these different cultures that each have their own style of drumming, and ways of group drumming.
So in my opinion, the way to become the best, is to try and learn from as many facilitators as possible. (Not just one)
And also learn as many cultural styles as possible, so you can be more well rounded in your skills, and work with any
group under any circumstances. Try to study, or study with as many professionals as you can. The learning process should
never end, because we are in an ever evolving field. Your style that you develop can be uniquly yours, a combination of
the best of all of them. It takes a lot of work to be a good facilitator that understands group dynamics, and musicality.
For me, this is about taking the gift of music that God gave me and sharing it with other people.
A life is not measured by what we have, but what we have given.
What’s The Benefits of a Drum Circle?
It uplifts the spirits of all the participants
Unity is achieved through diversity.
It invigorates the body and mind. Enhances focus and clarity.
It builds group cooperation skills and camaraderie.
It’s proven to reduce stress, and it’s cheaper than therapy.
It reduces employee routine and burnout in the workplace.
It improves motor skills, and it’s a positive musical experience.
It's an opportunity for self expression, and increased listening skills.
It stimulates creativity, experimentation, and self confidence.
It breaks down communication barriers, and celebrates the joy of life.
It’s empowering, healthy, and most of all it’s Fun!
Scientific research is now validating the health benefits experienced by drumming. Across the nation, organizations
are bringing together people of diverse ages, cultures, and even work teams through the community building of the
drum circle. Here's one. And more of these articles and studies can be read on my home page: drumcircles.net
Read about Drum circles, and myself in the news - TBO.com (click below)
(Please note, this link redirects you to the Tampa Bay Online website)
Drumming with Drumcircles.net
What’s Required and provided?
I facilitate the drum circle, and provide all the necessary drums and other smaller
instruments. Some of them are pictured below. All we need is some chairs, and shade.
(Some of the drums you can expect to see)
Biography
I have been playing the drums since 1968. It mainly started as an outlet for hyperactivity, but I grew to love it and
became the lead snare drummer in the High School marching band, and the Percussionist in the symphony. I went on to play
percussion in various bands & orchestras. I have been a working session musician ever since, touring and recording with
the Manhattan Skyline, Soul Corruptors, and a number of others. I've been attending and facilitating drum circles for
over 30 years. I was a faculty member, and taught hand drumming at The Dunedin Fine Arts Center. For 15 years I performed
in a number of TV shows, and commercials in Los Angeles. I was also a guest performer on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno"
for 8 Seasons. I'm a member of AFTRA/SAG, the two major performing arts unions. I’ve released 3 solo drumming instructional
CD/DVD's worldwide, and have trained with a number of highly respected hand drumming instructors. My drum circle hosting &
facilitation style is influenced by what I've learned from various top rated drum circle facilitators, including Christine
Stevens, Kalani, Arthur Hull, Jim Donovan, & Babatunde Olatunji. But more so by just attending lots & lots of drum circles.
My mission statement is:
To help people discover their own sense of rhythm, at their own pace.
- SL Ratigan
Copyright 2003 - 2008
Please email me for any questions, rates or availability. We can tailor a custom
program to meet your vision. I work throughout the State of Florida. Thanks
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