Drum Circle
    Facilitation

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Earth Day 2007 
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    on My Space

Drumcircles.net
    on AM Radio

Drumcircles.net
    in the News


Djembe
     Tuning Instructions 
     & History

Dancer & Drum
    Paintings


Morse Code Djembe
    Rhythms  

Virtual Hang Drum 

Drummer Jokes  


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Shannon 


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101 Drum Circle Rhythms DVD + Drum Circle CD $15 Shipped (USA)
You can order them below, or click here for more detailed information.


101 Drum Circle Rhythms DVD - Full Description.

Check out the Google video sample to see what the DVD looks and sounds like. 
The 2-minute sample includes 4 rhythm clips of 30 seconds each, which run 
consecutively. (On the DVD the hand drum rhythms are one minute long each.)
The focus was on getting as much material in there as possible, 2 hours +

I think we are all feeling the crunch of the economy. Gas keeps going up and 
up, along with everything else it seems! Even our grocery bills somehow jumped 
up a hundred bucks every 2 weeks. What happened?
 
So to try and help out, I am offering my own drum circle stimulus package. (LoL)  
If you order a copy from my website (only) I'm including a free drum circle CD 
along with your order of my DVD (or any package that includes it). This CD is 
over 70 minutes of live drum circle jamming. This special is good through May.

(You might notice it looks like I'm wearing a ring on my finger while I'm 
drumming -- which would be bad for the drum. It's actually a wedding ring 
Tattoo. I'm not really into tattoos, I kept misplacing my wedding ring.)

101 Drum Circle Rhythms For The Hand Drum. The 2-hour DVD for $15, includes Shipping 
& Handling anywhere in the USA.

The DVD actually includes 125 rhythms from around the world, each about a minute long,
it's 132 minutes total. That's a whole lot of rhythms. You can view the hand positions
up close and personal, as well as hear the various sounds created within the rhythms.

This is a huge body of work, featuring many different kinds of rhythms:

African, Afro-Cuban, Native American
Jamaican, Irish, Taiko
Greek, Middle Eastern
Funk, Soul, Blues
Rock & Roll

Perfect for the Djembe, Congas, Doumbek, Bongos, Ashiko, or any kind of hand drum.



For more detail about the DVD please click below
 

101 Drum Circle Rhythms DVD - Full Description.

(Also see the Drum Lovers 6 Pack below)

Buyer Comments

A couple of nice emails from buyers:

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

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. 



(Thanks guys, I really appreciate those kind words.)

Visit the Ultimate Live Drum Circles page and hear some 5 minute mp3 samples.
Various live drum circles were recorded on CD, as they happened. Some very
entertaining drum circle action, featuring all kinds of hand drums - djembes, 
congas, doumbeks, etc.), wood flutes, Australian didgeridoos, and lots more.


For more detailed information, please click below.

Ultimate Live Drum Circle CDs

    -- or get a weekly one kick started

I facilitate drum circle events throughout the state of Florida. Spice up your festival, event, 
or spiritual gathering with a multi-cultural drum circle experience everyone will enjoy.


Two views of the weekly drum circle happening every Tuesday in Dunedin, FL.





"Jazz on the Green" Faciliated Drum Circles 2006 & 2007
"It involved children and adults in making their own music, 
easily learning the rhythms Shannon taught."

-- Polly R., Coordinator - Jazz On The Green
   Ft. Myers Jazz Festival
   Featuring Euge Groove & The Rippingtons 2006
   Featuring Acoustic Alchemy, Rick Braun, & Jeff Golub 2007


Three views of the "Jazz on the Green" 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.




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!







More About Drum Circles

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

Drum Circle Facilitation



The Power of Rhythm

The sound of drums speaks to all of us. 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 slow
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 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 is one of the biggest factors in the 
popularity of modern 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. I guide you around the world in music.

My drum circle facilitation style has been influenced by what I've learned 
from various top rated drum circle facilitators, including Christine Stevens,
Kalani, Arthur Hull, Jim Donovan, & Babatunde Olatunji. But even more so 
by over 30 years of just attending and hosting drum circles, and seeing what 
works (and what doesn't) in order to create a fun and magical atmosphere
that encourages creative expression, and some great musical compositions.

I prefer to work with small groups, from 5 to 50 people. That way, I can give 
more personalized and individual attention. I deliver an authentic drum circle 
experience by staying away from the rigid formula, structured drum circle that 
is so commonly seen. The emphasis with me is on fun! I believe in not telling 
people how, when, or what to play, but focusing more on self discovery. But I 
do offer a few pointers! And I help guide people to find their musical selves 
at their own pace. 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.

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 and 
optimize the quantity and quality of new ideas. Think about it...it works.

Click here for much more detailed information on hosting a corporate, company, 
or a small business drum circle.

 Corporate - Company & Small Business Drum Circles 


Community 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, & 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 seniors. We smile, we play, we heal, we dance, we laugh, we learn, and have 
fun together. No hand drumming experience is needed. You're going to love it!

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, and stay for as long as they like. I don't want people to be 
drummers, I just want them to be able to enjoy drumming together.



"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind,
                   and life to everything." - Plato

Click here to read more about having a facilitated drum circle event:

Drum Circle Facilitation



Charities and Funding

I do some charity work around the Tampa area. Such as The Nina Harris Exceptional Center,
the Florida Sheriff's Youth Ranches, the YMCA, P.A.R.C and a number of other organizations. 
There is a little wear and tear on the hand drums and percussion I provide at these events.

The proceeds from the sales of my drumming CDs and DVDs helps me to fund this type of work 
in our community. I try to provide them at as reasonable a cost as possible. So thanks for 
helping us all out with repairs of mutilated tambourines, drum heads, & expenses. Drum Some!

Locate drum circles worldwide with the International drumcircle finder. Includes
Canada, Australia, Thailand, Germany The UK, and many more.

International Drum Circle Finder

---

Local Drum Circles in the Tampa Bay Area

Join The Tampa Bay Drum Circles Yahoo Group

Click to join TampaBayDrumCircles

Clearwater Beach Drum Circle

Meets Saturday, 9:30 p.m., at the Pavillion. After the hired band finishes, city staff 
turn off the lights. Then drummers gather under the shelter of the Pavillion and play.
Around 8 p.m., a small group of fire spinners and drummers gather on the shore line.



Dunedin Beach Drum Circle
Meets Fridays about 7:30 p.m., half way down the Dunedin Causeway, just West of the 
kayak rental business on the left. Great sunsets, and parking right by the shore line. Take 
Curlew Rd. towards the ocean, and it turns right into the causeway. (Started up again 04/08)




Dunedin Brewery Drum Circle
Meets every Tuesday, 8-11 p.m., at The Dunedin Brewery, 937 Douglas Ave. 
This is one of the more popular drum circles in the Tampa Bay area. Belly Dancers, 
Hula Hoopers, all kinds of great positive energy. All skill levels are welcome. 
There are dozens of great drum circle photos, and a couple videos from the past 
two years, which give you a pretty good idea of how much fun we have there. 


Dunedin Drum Circle Directions, Photos & Videos



Treasure Island
Meets Sunday evening, it gets hopping hours before sundown, on Treasure Island,
near Madeira Beach. This is a popular open drum circle. If you ever get down our way, 
this is a BIG one, and lots of fun. Beautiful sunsets, white sands, great drumming, 
and friendly people. Directions to the Treasure Island drum circle & photos below.
Plus a short video, and a little on the history of how this drum circle got started.


Treasure Island Drum Circle Directions & Photos 



Siesta Key
And, a little to the south of us is Sarasota Beach. The Siesta Key drum circle 
is "toadly ossum, dude". If you ever get down that way, it's a BIG one also.
Below are some more drum circle photos. (This redirects you to another website.)


Siesta Key Drum Circle Photos 



Venice Beach
A little farther on down the coast, is the Venice Beach drum circle. 
The west coast of Florida has it going on. Below are some more great drum circle photos, 
from the popular Nakomis Beach drum circle. (This redirects you to another website.)


Venice Beach Drum Circle Photos 



Other Tampa area Drum Circles

Check my drum circle finder for more of our local drum circles, such as:


Orange Street Cafe- 306 Orange St. in Ozona - 3rd Thursdays 7PM - 9PM
Take Tampa Rd. West till it ends at Orange St. Turn right, go 2 blocks.

Espress Yourself Coffee 101 Drum Circle in Plant City

Mitchell's Coffee House Drum Circle in Lakeland

The Davis Island Drum Circle in Tampa

Drum Circle at Sweetwater Organic Community Farms - Tampa

Safety Harbor Drum Circle at The Taste

St. Petersburg Drum Circle at Sacred Lands

A photo slide show of a drum circle celebration of Earth Day held at Dunedin Beach.
Loads of great pictures set to some drum circle audio. Connecting with nature.


Earth Day Drum Circle Honeymoon Island

Drum Circles Bulletin Board

Got a comment or suggestion? Or a drumming event going on? Post it on the 
'drumcircles.net' bulletin board. Lots of interesting, and helpful ideas.

Drumcircles.net on My Space

If you'd like to visit me on My Space, or send me an invite, I would like that. 
I worked in Hollywood as a charactor actor and musician for 14 years, and had some
strange experiences. (including on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and on Star Trek: 
The Next Generation). I posted a few pictures there, and wrote a little bit about 
what it was like on a blog. Please have a look if you have a few extra minutes.

Drumcircles.net on AM Talk Radio

Why would a board-certified neurologist start prescribing drum circles for his patients?

Listen to this recent national syndicated broadcast of the Healthy Talk Radio Show, featuring 
Deborah Ray, Neurologist Dr. Hammesfahr, and myself, to find out why. It's interesting to hear 
his perspective on drum circles and their benefits. (It's 55 minutes long -- a 25MB mp3)

Follow up interview number two will be posted here real soon.

Drum Circles on Talk Radio

Drumcircles.net in the News

Some recent interesting articles with drum circles and myself in the news, 
at Tampa Bay Online.com (April 2007).

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 told 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 djembes.



Djembe Drum Tuning Instructions
(A printable Adobe PDF file with illustrated, step-by-step instructions.)


Djembe Drum Tuning (PDF) 

Dancing and Drumming Paintings

I love it when art captures a moment in art. Below is a link to some original 
watercolor paintings depicting belly dancers, hand drummers, and various 
other artists. These original watercolor paintings are for sale.

Morse Code Drum Rhythms

I'm an amatuer radio operator, and one day I was drumming out Morse code to a few friends.
They got a kick out of it, so now we make up new rhythms all the time. Try making up your 
own Morse code drum jam rhythm. Just pick a couple of letters and put them together.

A dash is a bass note, and a dot is a tone note, done in 4/4 time.

I like to let people yell out a couple letters or numbers, and make up new rhythms on the
spot. Sometimes it works great, sometimes it doesn't, but it's always fun! LoL 

C + X is a nice sounding one:  ( - . - .   -  .. - )

Pretty cool with youth groups, or any group. Try it out! 

Here is a list of Dumb & Dumber Drummer Jokes -- 100's of them (seriously!).

Drummer Jokes