Drum Circle Finder
     USA & Global

101 Drum Rhythms DVD
     & Free Drum Circle CD $15 

Facilitatated
    Drum Circles   

Spiritual
    Drum Circles

Drum Circles
    With Kids

Special Needs
    Drum Circles

Drum Circles
    With Seniors

Hand Drumming &
    Drum Circles Kindle Book $8

Drum Circle Music CDs
     2 CDs or as mp3s $10

Djembe Notations
     Reading & teaching Drum Music 
     Tuning Instructions, History
     Notated Drum Circle Rhythms 

Drum Circle World Blog

Drumcircles.net on
    FaceBook & Twitter

Testimonials & Refrences

Contact Me

My 101 Drum Circle Rhythms DVD is also available at Amazon.com for a couple bucks more, & also on Amazon Instant Video for $14.

101 Drum Circle Rhythms at Amazon.com

       101 Rhythms DVD Buyer Comments


"It is an excellent and noteworthy DVD because it is a simple, easy to use video showing hand movements for more than 101 
different rhythms that can be played in drum circles or by a drummer playing alone. The demonstrations are played on a djembe, 
but the rhythms could be played on almost any type of drum. Those of us who work with beginning drummers welcome a basic 
drumming learning tool such as this. It differs from a lot of more complex drumming videos in that it focuses just on the rhythm 
and how to play it, and someone playing along can "get it" without being distracted by multiple players, voiceovers, and 
complex rapid rhythms. Every drummer has a preferred learning style, and this DVD fills a need for simplicity. 
Just watch and play along."  -- Keith Russell, University of Kansas

"I just wanted to say I watched the DVD and I think it is great. Simple yet brilliant, very clear in presentation, you can get 
the hand movements quite quickly and because you play them, I think you said it is a minute, which is quite a good amount 
of time you can really get a feel for the rhythm. I am really impressed. I have a few other instructional DVDs I think yours 
is the most practical and easy to use I have found. I have also listened to most of the 1st CD and again I like that it is 
straightforward and you play the groove long enough to get a feel for it, and it is clear and precise enough that you can 
pick up the rhythm quite quickly. I am looking forward to having a lot of fun with these. Once again thank you for making 
this resource available and at what I consider to be a very good price, certainly fantastic value for the money. 
The DVD and CDs are great quality."  -- Ian R. 

Visit the Ultimate Drum Circles page & hear a few full length tracks from my CD's. You can get the full 2 and 1/2 hours 
of drum circle music for $10 (on the ever popular format CD from me), or mp3s at iTunes Amazon & most other retailers.

These live drum circle jams were recorded just as they happened. Some entertaining drum circle action, featuring 
all kinds of hand drums, djembes, congas, doumbeks, djun djuns, ashikos, flutes, didgeridoos, and lots more.


         For more detailed information, please click below.

Ultimate Live Drum Circle CD's & Drum Circle Merch Page Link
                               

       Wild Drum Circles 2 CD set $10. 

Also check out the Wild Drum Circles page and listen to a few tracks from these. You never know who's going to show up, 
and what's going to happen at the drum circle. That's part of the fun. Bellydancers, didgeridoo and flute players. 
Drummers and dancers from all different paths, cultures, and walks of life. Spoken word, chanting, singing, crazy 
instruments, and some good musicmaking. All of that, and much more on these two 75 minute CD's. Amazing jamming, 
grooving, dancing, craziness, and spontaneous self expression. (2 CDs or ITunes & Amazon) 


       For more information and some mp3's, click your way below.

Wild Drum Circles Page Link

    -- or get a weekly one kick started

I facilitate a variety of drum circle events around the area. Spice up your party, gathering, festival, meeting, 
or spiritual gathering with a multi-cultural drum circle experience that all ages will enjoy.


A birthday party drum circle. What a cool idea!





       
"Jazz on the Green" Faciliated Drum Circles
"It involved children and adults in making their own music, easily learning the rhythms he taught."

-- Polly R., Coordinator - Jazz On The Green
   Drum circles at the Ft. Myers Jazz Festivals
   Featuring Euge Groove, The Rippingtons, Acoustic Alchemy, Rick Braun, and Jeff Golub




Three views from the "Jazz on the Green" children's drum circle event.
I love the joy of this little boy smiling playing that great big djembe. Mom tried to give
him that little tambourine, but he wanted to play that big ol' drum. (Don't we all?)




Drumming and yoga go really well together. I love drumming to any kind of movement. Tai Chi, Poi, etc.







Add some hula hoops, and dancing to the center of your drum circle for something real to connect to! 







Try laying down with your eyes closed for a minute in the center of the circle. It's powerful stuff!







More About Drum Circles

Read on, or click here to read more about having a drum circle:

Drum Circle Facilitation Page Link


The Power of Rhythm

To briefly describe drum circle facilitation by me, it's like putting a bunch of people together, and making a band out of them. 
It's fun to be in the band for a day. Friends, strangers, co-workers, beginners, or pros...it doesn't matter, we're all equal. 




I was a very selfconcious kid. Playing music helped build my confidence, and I overcame it. I was hyperactive 
also, and playing the drums gave me an outlet for it. Many drum circles are family friendly - it's something 
positive and fun to do with your kids. It may help them as well - even encourage them to join school band.

I offer drumming lessons, workshops, and drum circles. I provide only drums with synthetic drum heads, because I can clean 
and sanitize the drums after each use. Many of the people I work with are especially vulnerable to colds and flu. Children, 
seniors, and special needs groups in particular. Also synthetic djembe, doumbek, and frame drum heads are more durable, 
and they never need tuning. Personally I prefer playing goatskin head drums, but for me they aren't practical.

The sound of drums speaks to us all. Everything has a rhythm, from the staccato beat of raindrops to the soft rhythm of the surf. 
Most importantly, our hearts have a strong rhythm. Sometimes our heart beats speed up, then slows back down. But, there is a basic, 
natural rhythm that is ours exclusively. Drum circles allow us to let our imagination soar, our heart beats changing their speed 
as we think about things we might otherwise avoid. We can feel safe doing this in a drum circle because that bottom beat, the basic 
elementary pulse of the circle will always bring us back to our "home" beat. And that gives us an element of security that may not 
be conscious, but which we instinctively recognize. The therapeutic benefit of feeling safe exploring things with our thoughts 
and emotions are one of the biggest factors in the growing popularity of open community, and facilitated drum circles.

A drum circle is something a little different from the usual things you tend to see. I provide African, Egyptian, and Latin drums, 
and introduce rhythms from various cultures. Think of me like a tour guide, that goes with you around the world in music.

I prefer to work with smaller groups, from 3 to 90 people. I can give you more personalized and individual attention. I deliver 
an authentic drum circle experience. The emphasis with me is on fun! I believe in not telling people how, when, or what to play, 
but rather focusing more on self discovery. But I do offer a few pointers! And I help to guide people to find their musical 
selves at their own pace, with no pressure. It's kind of like what you see with musicians drumming at the beach at an 
open drum circle, except in a little bit more managed format. Just a good time being in the band jamming & having fun.

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 a brain storming session and optimize the quantity and quality of new ideas.



Spiritual and church drum circles - Saint Louis County area:

Spiritual & Church Drum Circles Page

Click the page link below for information on team building, corporate drumming, or small business drum circles.

Team Building, Corporate Drumming, Small Business Drum Circles Link


Community, Culture, and Fun

Cultures from around the world use drumming to unify their communities. A drum circle anywhere brings people together 
by using our uniqueness to create something that belongs to all of us. It's educational, healthy, it releases negative 
emotions, provides joy, opens creative expression, and brings us back to the rhythms of nature. 

But most of all, it's a lot of fun to play the drums. Anyone can participate, from kids to elders. We smile, we play, we heal, 
we dance, we laugh, we learn, and have fun. No drumming experience is needed. Parents and thier kids can play together.

I help everyone to drum with ease in a matter of minutes, so they can discover their own sense of rhythm, and experience the fun 
of hand drumming. It's a fun colorful way to jazz up an event, or special occasion. And it's very casual, people can come and 
go as they please as it's going on, and stay for as long as they want to. I don't want people to be drummers, I just want to 
help them to be able to enjoy drumming together. If you have a desire for lots more detailed info, my Kindle book is $8.

Click here to check out my 300 page book on hand drumming & drum circles

"A Practical Guide To Hand Drumming And Drum Circles" Link



Testimonials & Refrences

I do some charity work around our local area. There is some wear and tear on the musical instruments that I 
provide for use at these events. I don't receive any funding now or have in the past. The proceeds from the 
sales of my drumming CD's, DVD's, and drum circle book help me to fund the repairs, and to be able to 
continue working for organizations with limited recreational budgets. (Who benefit from it the most.)

Testimonials, Resume, & Letters of Recommendation (page link)




Drum circles With Elders and Seniors. (St. Louis area.) Also, Info and more tips for facilitators:

Drum Circles With Seniors (page link)


As an independent artist, money is tight, so I always appreciate a product that is a good value for the cost. 
That's the idea behind my book, DVD, & CD's. If you choose to purchase something from me, thanks in advance 
for helping out with drum repairs, and expenses. (Please visit the links to see my DVD, CD's, 300 page book, 
"A Practical Guide To Hand Drumming And Drum Circles". $18. It includes a different free drum circle jam CD.) 

The Earth Day drum circle celebration at Honeymoon Island. A gathering of our community, and an adult 
special needs group performing in pubic up on the big stage. How it all came together, photos, and more.

Special Needs Drum Circles Link



Kids Drum Circles & Drumming With Kids


Children's drum circles, drumming with kids at schools, youth groups, birthday parties, functions, & festivals.

Drum Circles For Kids Link

Check out the Drum Circle World Blog at blogspot.com (Link)

The drum circle world blog has plenty of helpful ideas, hints, drumming tips, 
& more for all levels. Some of my past posts cover drumley topics including:

Soecial Needs Drum Circles in Florissant & Ferguson School District
Reading Drum Music - Ways to Notate & Teach Drum Rhythms
Putting Together A Drum Circle Facilitator "Set List"
Cleaning & Sanitizing Drums For Facilitated Drum Circles
Ways To Get Free Drum Circle Facilitation Training
How To Get A Drum Circle Started & Including Everyone In It 

Wedding Drum Circles & Drum Circle Receptions 
Team Building Drum Circles - Small Business & Corporate
Drumming Via Webcam, & With Special Needs Children
Improving Drum Circle Hosting & Facilitating Skills On Little Or No Money
Publicizing And Promoting Your Drum Circle – Getting The Word Out
Eeeking Out A Living Facilitating Drum Circles In This Economy

Special Needs Drum Circles And Drumming - Kids & Adults
So What's A Good Choice For That First Djembe Drum To Buy?
What Are Some Good Types Of Drum To Buy For Your Child? 
What That Very First Drum Circle Really Felt Like...
Different Ways To Notate, Or Jot Down Drum Circle Rhythms 

Drum Circles in Churches and at Spiritual Gatherings
A Long List Of Assorted Notated Drum Circle Rhythms To Try Out
Suggesting & Vocalizing, Easy ways To Start Out A Drum Circle Rhythm
Ways To Understand And Read Music & Playing Notated Drum Rhythms
Starting Drum Circles In Pubs, Night Clubs, And Cafe's...Really?

Some Drum Circle Benefits - Social, Physical, And Mental
Drumming And Drum Circles In The Winter Cold & Summer Heat
Tuning A Lug Tuned Drum, Head Replacement, & Marking Your Name On Your Drum
Things To Look For in Finding a “Good” Doumbek Drum...(On a Budget!)
Sitting In With Bands, & Learning To Play By Ear

Drumcircles.net on FaceBook YouTube Twitter & CD Baby

If you'd like to visit me on FaceBook or Twitter etc. and send an invite, I'd like that. I worked in Hollywood as a character actor, 
and musician for over 2 decades, and had some mighty strange experiences. (Including on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and 
Star Trek Next Generation as a Romulan). On my actor page below, I posted a few pics, and wrote a little about what it was like. 

Have a look if you have a few extra minutes. As I'm sure you are aware, many musicians and artists of all media cross over 
into the acting business. My acting biz Kindle book is $6. 280 pages, the title is, "An Actor's Face" Have a look if the acting 
field is something you might be interested in. Also check out some drumming videos on my YouTube channel, and my Twitter 
feed has some interesting stuff. There's 100+ drum circle, and dancing photos on Flickr. Some of them are pretty cool.

Hand Drumming & Drum Circles Book - More information at the link below.

I wrote this 300 page book to share my 30 years of experiences, learning, and put some good out there in the world. My hope 
is to help people enjoy hand drumming and drum circles more. Working with all ages, settings, and with at risk groups. Ideas 
and suggestions for keeping your drum circle fresh and interesting, or even if you are just trying to get one started. It's 
on Kindle for $8. Or, get an inscribed physical copy with a free drum circle CD if you order it here at my website.

Here's the link For Amazon Kindle ($8): (Physical copies are also available at Amazon.com (But the free CD isn't included.)

A Practical Guide To Hand Drumming And Drum Circles Book on Kindle

A Practical Guide To Hand Drumming And Drum Circles Book Link

Some Djembe Drum History

A little about the history of the Djembe drum. Also called The Storyteller. It is traced back to the Mandingue Empire of 
West Africa, the Djembe is used in ceremonial dances, communication and healing practices dating as far back as 800 years.

I was taught the original name for the Djembe is JebeBara, coming from the Bamana language. This translates as the unity drum. 
The Djembe brings people from all races and nationalities together with its song. Due to its unique shape the Djembe is able 
to produce distinctive low and high slaps and tones creating sounds that are completly unmatched by any other drum.

In the language of the Maninka people, "jem" refers to the tree used to make the drum, while "be" refers to goat, the hides 
of which were used for the drum head. Often ceremonies are held in the making of a djembe, to honor the goat, the tree
it's hand carved from, and the craftsman who builds it. These are the real deal djembes in my opinion. The problem is
finding an honest retailer who sells the real thing. There's lots of knock offs out there. Last time I checked, the 
djembe's not indiginious to Indonesia. Some of them sound okay, but I suggest seeking out an authentic one.





How To Tune Up Your Djembe Drum

The djembe tuning doc below is a printable Adobe PDF with illustrated, step by step Mali Weave instructions.
YouTube has lots of "How to tune your djembe" videos on there. Use the print out, and watch a few.


Djembe Drum Tuning (PDF) 


Reading Drum Music, Notated Drum Rhythms & Facilitation Set List
 

This is a list of various drum circle rhythms I enjoy playing. It's my interpretation of them. There are a few 
different ways I like to notate, and/or and vocalize the start of a drum circle rhythm. Print it out if you 
want to. I like to help people enjoy drumming more. The list might make a good guideline, set list, or just 
some fun stuff for you and your friends. Reading drum music & more. 7 pages, Microsoft Word (.doc) Here: 


Printable - Reading Drum Music - Ways to Notate & Teach Drum Rhythms (word.doc) 



Printable - Longer List Of Notated Drum Circle Rhythms (word.doc)

You can listen to, or download these drum circle mp3's free here at my website. No registering, or signing up for 
anything is required. Times are difficult, and not everyone can afford even minor music purchases these days, 
so I want to provide these free of charge. There are a few more at the mp3 page link below. Thanks, & enjoy.

Sometimes we tend to loose track of time drumming at the drum circle, 25 minutes can go by like it's only 5. 
The four drum circle mp3's below are on the 70 minute CD included free with my 101 Drum Circle Rhythms DVD.

 BellyDancing Drum Circle Jam 2 mp3 Download


 More Cowbell Drum Circle mp3 Download Part 1


 More Cowbell Drum Circle mp3 Download Part 2


 Almost Fanga Drum Circle mp3 Download Part 1


 Almost Fanga Drum Circle mp3 Download Part 2


These tracks, and more of my drum circle music is available at CDbaby iTunes Amazon and most mp3 retailers. 
CDBaby.com has 2.5 hours of mp3s you can download for $10.  CD Baby Drum Circle Music Link


If you are a film maker - show producer - making a video - for samples - or for any other purpose, I have about 7 
hours of hand drumming, & drum circle music. It can set the perfect background mood or tone to a scene, or project.

It's world music group drumming from various cultures, and at a variety of tempos. African, Latin, Native American, 
Mid-Eastern, Belly Dance, Funk, Soul, R & B. Lots to choose from. It is all copyrighted and licensed.

My rates are very reasonable. Permission to use a track is usually on a non-exclusive buy-out, so no royalties. 
Have a listen to a few samples at my CDbaby artist page, & contact me if you're interested in 1 or more. Thanks

These are 20 second ringtone downloads, but all are on a single djembe drum. There's 7 of 
them. I hope you like one enough to use it as your ringtone for awhile. Check em' out.
These were made from my 101 Drum Circle Rhythm CD's. 2 hours for 10 bucks. Amazon, iTunes etc.

 Djembe drumcircles.net 51 mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Djembe drumcircles.net 42 mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Djembe drumcircles.net 41 mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Djembe drumcircles.net 40 mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Djembe drumcircles.net 34 mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Djembe drumcircles.net 30 mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Djembe drumcircles.net 15 mp3 Ring Tone Download

These are group drum circle jam ringtones (free also), so your phone can be jammin' when you get a call.

 Bellydance Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Didgeridoo Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Djembe Jam Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Heartbeat Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Hip Hop Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Kaki Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 King Kong Jam Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download


 Screaming Man Drum Circle mp3 Ring Tone Download

I hope you enjoy your visit to my site. Please consider picking up a set of my drum rhythms, or drum circle CD's. 
All of my drum circle CDs and rhythms CDs are also available instantly at iTunes and most other mp3 retailers.

You get over 5 hours of live drum circle jams to put in your mp3 player, iPod, iPad, smartphone, or any 
other mp3 compatible device. It's some fun listening, and a pretty good deal! There are number of full 
length drum circle jams you can listen to, and a few that are free downloads. Here's the page link: 

To the Drum Circle MP3's Page

Visit the Wild Drum Circles page, and listen to a few more full length tracks from the 2 CD set.

Wild Drum Circles Page, & 7 Djembe Drum Ringtones Page Link

Here is a list of Dumb And Dumber Drummer Jokes - 100's of them (seriously!). Some of them are very funny,
some of them are well...kind of stupid. You may have already heard a few of these before, but have a look!


Drumming Humor & Drummer Jokes Page Link

Privacy Statement:

Again, please feel free to contact me with any questions. I respect your privacy, & I never share email address with anyone.

My contact email is: drumcircles_net@hotmail.com (or, click the link below.)

 Link To Email Me With Questions, Or Comments 

Thanks kindly for helping to support independent musicians, and music. 

This website, text, music, & photos Copyright © Shannon Ratigan 1999 - 2016 All Rights Reserved.