Drumming, Drumming and more Drumming
Posted on | May 17, 2010 | 2 Comments
My hands are starting to hurt, my back is a little stiff… all in the name of fun! I’ve been doing a lot of drumming these days. Mother’s Day weekend, hippie chick, friends and I drove about 3 hours north of Orlando to Live Oak, Fl. where we took up camp for a few days. We went to a twice annual drumming gathering called Paralounge. What is a Drum Gathering you may be wondering? What you don’t know? Doesn’t everyone go to these? {I wish}
According to the Paralounge website, the Paralounge Drum Gathering is a celebration of human spirit with drum and dance. It is labeled a “Gathering” because the atmosphere provides a community experience through music and dance in a traditional sense. You will see live performances, but this is not a concert. Everyone has gathered for the purpose of engaging in creative musical expression using indigenous instruments our ancestors created. It may be a “Drum” gathering, but there is a lot more going on. You do not have to know anything about drums. The drums are merely an instrument used to release creativity and explore musicality through an experience of self empowerment. The Drum Gathering experience is made to allow children to interact with adults and build community structure through rhythm and dance. No prior experience necessary!
Paralounge means, Para = “to go beyond” and Lounge= “to sit or move in a relaxing way.”
Now that I have enjoyed my first gathering, I couldn’t agree more with the web-site’s description. It is a community of people gathered to express themselves artistically, through music, through art, through friendship. There were vendors selling their creations, musical talent preforming, teachers passing on their knowledge to new comers like myself and a nightly drum circle for everyone to share in the experience.
It was a beautiful weekend spent with my daughter and friends. It was peaceful, relaxing and I felt a wonderful feeling of getting back to nature in almost a tribal sense being surrounded by the rhythm of the drums. “When you go beyond relaxation, you reach toward the realm of meditation. You find the place of self healing. You find the instrument inside of you that keeps your internal rhythms healthy.”
Last week, I went to 3 more drum circles, a facilitated one in College Park, one on Saturday night in College Park @ Albert Park and then Sunday Drumday yesterday. It has been a busy month of drumming!
“EXPLORE” was my word for 2010. This wonderful new experience may not have happened without going outside of my day to day world and being receptive to learning and meeting new people. I encourage you to take a chance… you never know what is waiting for you in this awesome vast world of ours.
Peace and Love,
Kim
Comments
2 Responses to “Drumming, Drumming and more Drumming”
Leave a Reply
About
Keep Your Face to the Sunshine and you will Never see the Shadow - Helen Keller
Welcome to Save My Sunshine. I'm Kim, a wife, mother, amateur photographer, blogger, djembe drummer enthusiast, artist, animal lover, dog owner, beach dweller, travel junkie, tattoo bearing, positive thinker, newbie "empty nester", and a full time professional. ...and that's just on a Monday.
I write about my thoughts, things I find interesting, my tribe and our adventures. Come back often, as you never know how this will evolve. I am a work in progress and so is this site. Take a look around and stay awhile, I hope you will find a little sunshine while you're here.
Feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you think at contact@savemysunshine.com.
Peace & Love,
Kim xoxoFollow Save My Sunshine
-
May 18th, 2010 @ 4:53 pm
that is some fantastic photography! You have got me so curious about this, I need to find something like this in my neck of the woods!
May 19th, 2010 @ 12:02 pm
Makes me want to bang on my drums right now.. need to find something like this around here.