When you play drums on a regular basis, make your strokes ergonomically. Use your body in the most effective and easiest approach possible. One way to do this is to study the movements involved in playing your notes: bass, tone, and slap. Find the flow–the way to go from one note to another in the most direct way possible.
Sitting in front of a mirror to play, and observing yourself is a great way to learn.
And that, my dear friends, is scary. You will see everything how your posture changes, how your hands change when “they don’t mean to”, the look on your face while drumming: everything from clenching your lips together, grimacing, looking like you have just attended a funeral, or are about to meet your worst enemy! Stay with it. Keep at it! Try playing very slowly so that you can track everything that you do, and make corrections as you go.
If your hands hurt, STOP! Look in the mirror again. See what needs to change.

We can “achieve” flow, however. Each note we play “sets up” a relaxed way to “travel” to the next note and the next. Easy, effortless, and consistent.
This is part of practice also–finding the best way to do what you are doing, repeat it, and repeat it again.

You have the potential to make practice interesting and illuminating. Learn about yourself. In one sense that is what a good practice develops: the ability to tolerate what is.

The drum also becomes an instrument that strengthens our bodies and augments vitality.
The upper body – arms, shoulders, upper back, and torso all experience positive effects of repetitive exercise. Many people who have had arthritis in their hands report that they feel increased circulation and flexibility from playing their drum.
As you can increase speed and playing time, experience the cardio-workout of drumming.
The lower body, keeping the spine erect and holding the drum with the legs, can strengthen the pelvic girdle and the legs.
Or, you may choose to stand and use your feet and legs to ground and balance you as you play.

And finally and most importantly, coordinating the breath with drumming can invigorate, stimulate you, lowering stress and increasing the immune system. And if you want to push yourself further, sing while you play. Start singing the notes you are playing. As you continue, see if you can sing another set of syllables other than your drum notes. Experiment! When you lose track return to your drum-note-song.
Notice how you feel when you finally bring the drumming and singing to a close. Spacious? Spaced-out? Connected? Make a note of how these singing sessions progress– and they will.

Anyone who drums regularly know that they feel good after playing, but Remo Drums have a created a division called HealthRHYTHMS Research specifically to study the immune system and social systems and significant impact that drumming can have on our health.
They have published research in the following areas:
Impact on Immune System
Employee Burnout; Turnover Reduction
Reducing Student Drop-out Rate
Genomic Impact
Corporate Employee Wellness Benefits
Creativity; Bonding in Seniors
Stress Impact Research Summary

Invest in your Practice. Enjoy your Practice. Remember that it is you that you are playing for. Cultivate the sounds that you want to hear. PLAY!

Deborah Masterson and I arrived at the Still and Moving Center on Friday night, preparing to set up our first night of our yearly TaKeTiNa workshop in Honolulu, HI. We have been leading TaKeTiNa workshops for over 10 years.

This evening, we walked into the lobby and saw a sub-woofer, mixing board, and other sound paraphernalia. For lo and behold, an ecstatic dance jam was scheduled during the same time as our meditative, internal, rhythmic process! In the room above us.

In our rhythm circle, as long as there was movement and song, the sound above us faded into the background. But at the end of every rhythm journey is a beautiful time to lie down and feel the effects of continuous movement in the body…
Usually, this space is a deep, penetrating silence. Rhythm has quieted the busy mind.

Instead, imagine what it was like to hear the pounding vibration of the bass through the floor and feet above us dancing. Small herds of elephants!Furniture crashing. Chaos!

The good news is this: this dance music became a continuation of what we had set into motion- lots louder, more vibration, but what the hell.
Yes, although the situation resembled a comedy movie, it was a wonderful way to realize that everything is rhythm… Maybe not how we want it sometimes, but always present.

2. Practicing Drum Technique
With each hand drum there are sounds: bass, tone, and slap.
In Baba Olatunji’ s drum language we call it gun (the bass note), go do ( the tones or middle sound), pa ta ( the slaps or high sounds) and depending on your “axe” there are different ways to learn to play these notes efficiently and ergonomically.
Sitting down to HONESTLY listen to yourself will help improve the consistency of your playing and make you a more confident drummer. Your drum can become a melodic instrument as well as a rhythmic one!
I am a big believer in the 5-minute method. Attend and intend to play with concentration on your bass, tone, and slap 3 times a week for 5 minutes. Really focus on each sound. Work on only one thing for each session: i.e. Tuesday morning is working with the bass note. Listen to the difference with how it sounds and feel to play with your dominant and your non-dominant hand. If you spend less time with more concentration, you will probably want to play more because you LIKE how you sound! Sneaky, huh?

Spend a good amount of time working with your non-dominant hand. Leading rhythms from your weaker side allows you to become stronger and quicker. The difference will be clear in a short time.

Stamina! Have one of your 5 minute sessions include stamina drills! Take a rhythm that is simple and continuous. Practice it slowly. Gradually build your tempo.As soon as your sounds become muddied, slip back to a slower speed. Do this as many times as you can and see if your speed WITH clarity of sounds doesn’t improve. When you get to your top speed hold it as long as you can! Breathe a lot. See if your breath can become more rhythmic. Stay with the rhythm until it drops away from you. And then do it over again.

There are other reasons why practice is advisable.
If you only take out your drum when the jam happens there is a very good chance that A) you may injure yourself or B) you may poop out. Practicing consistently for shorter periods (with concentration) builds greater rhythmic attention. When you are a consistent, grounded center, it is easier playing with those that are beyond your skill level– and there will times when you are the “strong one” for those “younger” in skill level.

2 practice tips: Leave the phone in the other room when you are practicing! The mind hates to focus on one thing. But you KNOW you can make this time sacred for 5 minutes.
Try to find a practice buddy. Even if you can’t always play together, you could remind each other to give attention to your sounds. Also, if you have forgotten a rhythmic pattern, your practice buddy might remember!

Finally, practice can be a meditation on sound. Sing with your drum. Baba always said when you and sing and play simultaneously, the drum becomes a tool for healing. This is truth for me. When I sing and play, all the worries, all the world stuff that gets me, melts– and I am left with a feeling of calm and deep connection to myself.

I hope that this information will serve you!
Peace and love, Zorina

1. Cooperative Community
Although drumming is happy being a solitary event that can occur at the beach, in the woods, or in your living room, drumming is exciting (and of course amplified!) when playing with others.

Drumming could be improvisational. This is what happens in a community drum circle.

Drumming also could take the form of orchestrated-playing: a planned set of orchestrated rhythms of a particular ethnic style or self–created music.

Whenever we play together we have the opportunity of something synergistic happening, something magical, unpredictable. Drum music creates the most amazing groove everyone is so locked in that we are like one giant animal, lumbering though the undergrowth, or… a positive train wreck!

Because we are so new at non-verbal, cooperative play (well, maybe since kindergarten,) it is an experiment in truth. My friend, Arthur Hull, a master drum circle facilitator, reminds us to A) LISTEN, B) know when to add something, and C) know when to GET OUT OF THE WAY!

But if at first you don’t succeed, try. Then try again. Nobody here but us chickens.

For the hope of a predictable groove another approach! We can take turns playing different accompaniments and learning to listen to how these parts sound with one another… if we are really lucky there are a few strong drummers who can really hang out with a primary groove and juice up the rhythm machine for others to have the room to experiment.

The main thing is to learn to support each other and more importantly, support the music!
Play a simple bottom groove often to refresh your palate. Enjoy the people you play with and what they add to the circle. As it is said in ancient texts* “you don’t have to like the person you are drumming with in order to create music together.”

I am hoping that someday our drum culture comes home with a report card that says A+ – Plays nicely with others.

(To be continued)

* I made that up.

Life has gone on.

Time has passed and the building, the rhythm-and-meditation-and-dance-and-art temple is now open for business. It is beautiful and healing in this space!

Village Heartbeat home

The weather has changed. It is now something like summer.

My left arm has healed, thank god.

Now my ears are ring, and I am getting older, but so what? Am I complaining?

No, I am not.
My mom had 8 pat phrases towards the end of her life that would allow her to feel that she was contributing something to a conversation–even though she really was losing her grip on where and when she was at any given time.
One of those phrases was: Every day is blessing. That’s where I am now.

Will write more soon.

Love, Zorina

I had an amazing experience at Tirta Empul.. the Holy Water Temple dedicated to Vishnu. The temple is divided into three main areas. (I hope I get this right … If not I will amend.) First is the secular area–where people meet and hang out. Second is the area where offerings are prepared.
The third is the area of concentration and prayer.
We arrived at the temple about 8 in the morning. Not many people were there.
Wearing appropriate clothing is sign of respect for entering the temple space. Both men and women wear sarongs.
Wearing our sarongs, Terry and I both entered the temple pool. We went from one spring water-spout to next, going from left to right.
As the water washed over my head and body I felt a lightness enter me. All the
thoughts began to still.
Going from one spout to the next, the water felt like it was washing away worry, doubt, and fear.
After completing the full cycle through all the pools’ water spouts(what felt like washing away all thinking,) we left the pools.
Terry and I then changed into our second set of sarongs and went in to the inner temple compound with our offerings– food, flowers and incense.
Ngakan, our friend, guided us through the prayers and offerings.
It felt healing to be in a place where so many offer their prayers. I felt quiet and concentrated offering thoughts and love to my parents, family, and those I love.
I experienced the powerful healing energy of Bali at this water temple–truly spiritual.

Interestingly, and weirdly, I posted the message of her passing on Facebook and was flooded with kind thoughts and gentle messages.
I called our friend and driver, Ngakan, and his presence and wisdom helped to ease the oddness of it.
The guys who run our cottages took me to the family temple to do offerings and pray for her.

My mom was (and is) a powerhouse– so much so that I spent about 10 years in therapy trying to find a middle path to accept her as she was, and also accept myself in the process.
She was (and is) a star in her own right– the queen of fucking everything.
To know her is to love her.
She rules, she rocks! So many pictures will follow when I get home to Washington.

One time as I was getting older, she acknowledged that I was coming into my own. “I am the queen”, she said… “and you, Zorina, can be the queen too.” Then she amended it.. “No, you can be the princess of the West.”
“No Mom ,” I said. “You can be the queen of the East, and I will take the queenship of the West.” She thought about that for awhile and then begrudgingly agreed. Big time step for both of us.

My mother is and was generous of spirit, wisdom, and money.
She could also be the opposite.

SO many things I could say about her.
But isn’t the most important that I loved and love her still? She was a huge influence of everything about me.
She loved my drumming and came often to my classes. SHe encouraged me to not be afraid of my dreams.

She was also extremely controlling, but let’s talk about that on another day!

Dance in peace, Mama. Have a party out there where you are!
Om shanti shanti om.

ducks afield

I hope this picture translates. If not I will repost when I get back home.

I went to see a Balinese healer. I posted on facebook just the facts… ooooh ow ahh.
The gentleman named Tjorkoda is about 82. You would never know it. Very fit, very good english. Very good on the medical intuitive realm. Uses touch and these instruments of torture for reflexology on your feet. OOOOOOW!

I went to see him about my left shoulder. I have been in some discomfort since November. I began to worry about a month later. The thoughts of “what if I can’t drum anymore??”.. and the like had started in.
First, the healer touched my shoulder and gave me a sort of “adjustment”. He told me I was not to worry about this at all. In the beginning of the treatment I could hardly stretch my left arm in any direction and by the end, I could move around pretty easily in all directions. Whew! More intense than rolfing even~!

Tjorkoda gave me a poultice of some kind to put on my shoulder and instructed me on how to exercise it.
It is not completely healed but I have more range of movement daily. When I begin to worry I remember him telling me not to. Very effective.

getting ready to dance

We then journied over to another temple where classical dance was taking place. The pictures show a young girl, maybe 9 or 10, as the lead dancer. Precise movements, and control of every facial movement, exquisite costumes. The Ramayan and Mahaburata told over and over again in dance, in shadow puppet, in painting.

Offering is the way of life. On the street in the house, in the restaurants, offerings are placed, prayers are given.
Personally, it all makes me aware of the stinginess of my own heart.
Although there is an economy to deal with, and money to be made, the over-all energy is one of giving where it is needed.

Thank you BAli, for this profound teaching!

We went to the pavilion to see a sort of battle of the bands, gamelan style.
The wait for the performance to begin was interesting.
All the kids were running around. The dogs were walking around.
We waited and waited. Meanwhile, torrential rains occurred.
I finally got it that all the musicians had to be blessed before the event could begin. About 50 musicians… so that took awhile.
Finally, finally, they began to play.
And then the dancers. O. My. God.
Drum and dance is one. gamelan and dance is one.

All of this is free. No concert series tickets.
I am amazed. Amazed.

Cannot even get into shopping yet.. everywhere is every kind of the same thing. So much art! The greatest art is the art of offerings, which are done constantly– not to appease the gods as much as please the gods! This is my greatest lesson so far… GIve thanks, give thanks give thanks!