EDC Newsletter #15
by Morwen Two Feathers
Since we began planning the very first Earth Drum Council gathering six years ago, Jimi and I have been motivated and inspired by a vision of drumming being universally accessible to all who were drawn to it. In 1990, you may remember, drumming was hardly a blip on the national cultural scene. It was an oddity outside of the enclaves of traditional "ethnic" music, just beginning to be explored by the men's movement and the alternative cultures of the pagan community and rainbow family. Yet within those communities the realization was dawning that drumming is a powerful tool of transformation, and the spread of interest in this form of self-expression was underway. At that time it was hard to find places to learn about the drum and to play, especially if you were a woman. In creating Earth Drum Council, our intention was to create a safe space for anyone, whatever their gender, color, or skill level, to be in relationship to the drum. This intention guided our selection of teachers, and over time supported the creation of a very special, diverse community of individuals who found that drumming together forged deep bonds.
Now, as we begin 1996, the spirit of the drum has spawned a widespread cultural phenomenon. The pulse of drums is heard at gatherings and festivals, in parks and streets across the country. Drum circles are ongoing in almost every city of any size in this country, and in a remarkable number of small towns, too. It is rare that a day goes by for us without a call or letter from someone wanting information about our events, or looking for a network of other drummers in their area, or asking how to start a drum circle.
We are honored to be a part of this cultural shift. For the spread of drumming is not simply a fad or a superficial trend. Because drumming by its very nature opens the way to ecstacy and deep communion with the sacred, I believe that the proliferation of circles and networks of drummers is nothing less than a spiritual revolution. It seems to me that this is so even if individuals do not believe there is any spiritual or religious significance to the music they are making with the drum. I have observed too many cases of profound personal transformation and intense energy being raised to doubt that drumming is changing the world by touching the capacity of people to experience the numinous.
In doing our work we learn the same lessons over and over: the simple truths speak loudest. Listen. Leave space for others' voices to be heard. When in doubt, go back to the One. Trust your body. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. These are tools not just for drumming, but for living. In creating spaces for others to experience these truths, we experience them at deeper and deeper levels. Every time I see a group of people create a rhythm together, each one finding her place, his voice, I give thanks to the Universe. Each person in that circle will leave having experienced a connection to source.
I want to express my thanks to all who were at Four Quarters Farm for the EDC Weekend in September for giving us another opportunity to be with these truths. Again we found that to come together to drum and dance in circle is to create family. May the energy we raised there together join that raised by others across the planet in service to healing and peace.