Don't Miss a Beat

I have played the piano since I was 11 years old and have been singing for I suppose most of my life. I even dabbled in learning to play the violin about eight years ago when I had fewer children and apparently more ambition. But what I've really always wanted to do is play the drums. And last Friday at the Jimmie B. Keel Library, I got to indulge in that dream for a little while.

Giving Tree Music was on hand with a drum circle for the children and it was fabulous! When we first walked into the room, all the kids were having their way with the drums, so I wasn't surprised that the din overwhelmed my four-year-old. The librarian said she could sit on my lap at the drum. But she didn't want to touch it, even though I offered to hold her arms and help her. Sooo, I kinda got to play it myself and I'm not gonna lie and say I didn't enjoy it. 

Steve Turner does an amazing job of leading a drum circle. He knows how to control a crowd—even a crowd of children. He knows how to energize people and he certainly knows his way around a drum. Rhythm and joy flowed through everyone. It filled my soul. He would drum something and have us echo it. He let some kids drum something so the rest of us could echo it. He controlled our volume in crescendos and decrescendos. He even let us go crazy once in a while. 

His belief is that drumming is easy and that we all have a sense of rhythm that comes from our own heartbeat. The drum circles utilize teamwork, inspire confidence, and empower you. He would teach us a simple rhythm, and then play something else that blended with and complemented our rhythm. As Steve says, we weren't just watching a show; we WERE the show. It was pure genius.

He let the kids get up and dance in the middle of the drum circle if they wanted to. At one point, he told them to go get a grown-up to bring to the dance floor. I was a sucker for that one, since dancing is another of my unrealized passions in life. We even had to copy some of the kids' moves and that was a hard act to follow. 

When I got back from the dance floor, my four-year-old had perked up and was doing a little bit of drumming herself. I know what you're thinking and I was not sad to have my drum taken away. I was only happy to see my daughter drumming the music of her heart.

Giving Tree Music drum circles are available for a variety of occasions and reasons, including parties, festivals and even corporate team building. It is truly an experience that you don't want to miss.