Pass the Djembe! Indianapolis Drum Circle Reviews.

Drum Circles In Review: Indianapolis, IN 2008
by Eorthan Madame

This past winter was a very transformative winter for me. In the process of growing out of my own chrysalis, I began trying new ways to express myself, and soon enough, I discovered the inner workings of the djembe. The djembe drum is an African instrument that has the ability to, if utilized correctly, create a myriad of amazing tones. One of my favorite aspects of the djembe is that when you play it lightly, it almost sounds like the tone of a voice, because of it’s hour glass shape. It is a highly unique instrument because the sound comes out of the bottom of the instrument. When I walk up around a great fire, to me, the sounds of a djembe blurr and buzz with the conversation of the people around me. I love the fact that you can express yourself with a drum, without saying a word. The music leads me into a trance-like experience where nothing matters but what we’re creating together.

A Drum Circle is an awesome experience if you’ve never been to one. It truly embraces the experience of being an active part in your own community. Each drummer has their own rhythm, and their own style. When we all come together, a kind of magic can be experienced and shared as the circle flows freely through our hearts and minds. For many pagans and heathens in our community, it is a great chance to get together whether or not you like one another and share a common heartbeat. What I love about Drum Circles, is that it’s not about whether or not you like each other, or even know each other- it’s all about the heartbeat that we share at least for an hour or two.

Best of all, you don’t even have to know how to play a drum if you want to get out there and experience it! You can dance, spin fire, pick up a rattle or a shaker, or just sit back and soak it in through meditation. Every circle has it’s own nature, and it’s own influences unique to the people that share it. But nobody minds a great dancer, fire spinner, or simply someone who is willing to lend their energy to a part of the experience that they are gleaning from.

There are many active drum circles here in Indianapolis, and while I wasn’t able to go to everyone’s, I was able to hit a few prime places this year that were all great experiences for us here at Indianapolis Pagan and The Phoenix Feathers.

Bongo Boy Music - Thursday Nights at 7pm in Castleton

The drum circle at Bongo Boy Music embraces all ages and holds an open teaching session at the beginning of each circle. For five dollars, you can get lessons from some great players, and learn to play from the professionals. What do I really love about this? The kids learn how to play the drums too, so they can actively participate! Also, one great feature of the Bongo Boy Drumming Circle is that they get Remo djembes, doomchecks, etc, every year for free, so there are lots of extra drums to pass around, and nobody gets left without a djembe if they wanted one to play and experiment with. Their drum circle is like an instrument petting zoo as they have many different and varied types of drums almost all furnished by Remo. The downside: Remo drums are synthetic drums that aren’t hand made, and don’t have the same ‘warm’ tone that a hand made djembe or doombeck would posses. Synthetic drums are however, relatively indestructible and you won’t have as much maintenance to be concerned with.

All My Relations - Healing Circle Wednesday Nights at 7pm

All My Relations, located on Maine Street in Speedway, has an awesome healing circle going for those who are motivated towards drumming as part of the healing process. Led by Jim and Heather, they lean towards a Native American path and process. At All My Relations, we open the circle with community discussion. As we speak one at a time within the circle, we send healing energy to that which each person is struggling with. Following, there may be other further exercises in group healing depending on what is needed at that time in the universe. Next, there are community announcements and we discuss upcoming events at the shop as well as in the area. We break for a few minutes and come back ready to drum and heal.
Several practitioners within the group will put out chairs in the center and offer their stronger abilities to heal freely to those who are in need. It is an amazing process to watch, as you are drumming and tuning into what is happening in the center of the circle. There are many emotions, and energy shifts happening as we all tune in to ground out that which is ready to be released.

While most of the drums that are out for the night are Native American, there were a few djembes and doobecks at the last session I attended. The Native American drums have a deeper tone like the base tone of a djembe, but with less variation. Shakers and rattles abound at this circle, as not everybody there enjoys playing a drum. When you’re just beginning, it’s easier to play a shaker, or a rattle than to try and keep up with the drummers depending on what style is prevalent at that circle.

To complete the evening, Jim leads a time for group meditation as well as group discussion to follow. The mantra of this circle is that everybody has a purpose within it, and if we all help each other along, we can accomplish more together, than if we all lean on one tree. I really enjoy this concept, and I think we should all consider that some times in life, a stranger has a clearer perspective to offer on our own lives than a friend would. Of course, if fate has stepped in, the stranger with whom you are speaking so personally with may be someone that you already know from a past life, or who is simply meant to be in your life at this time

Overall, the All My Relations Drum Circle is a great circle for beginners looking to understand better what you can accomplish spiritually when you utilize a drum to accomplish healing. Their rhythms may not often be fast and complicated, but what they are doing serves a greater spiritual purpose to fulfill a need for healing at the individual level.

Sacred Healing Rhythms - Thursday Nights at 7PM
Broadripple Park

The Drum Circle at Broadripple Park on Thursday nights, has become a draw for many people on many different paths, but does embrace those of us who are pagan or Wiccan very well. It seems to model itself after what I would call ‘festival’ drum circles; where you have a lot of people that come together, that don’t all know each other, but are getting to know each other through a shared rhythm. The first time I attended, there were a lot more people there than I expected, and I don’t think many of them had played together before. Of course, the core of a drum circle is people all of whom have played together enough to feel each other's rhythms, and that usually will lead the whole group.

On my second trip there were fewer people, but the sound was absolutely awesome because everybody was really working together to hear each other play, and it paid off. That night there were two fire spinners, who entertained us, as well as several people who simply love to dance! What a neat experience it was at this particular drum circle to see that the children at times were more involved in the dancing than the adults were.

Over all, this drum circle was pretty awesome for those who are looking for a drum circle with a lot of pagan and Wiccan leanings, but that also embraces many people from all different paths and walks of life. I think this drum circle in particular draws a lot of attention because it is held at a park, and people do walk in off the street to participate. There is definitely a bohemian feel from what is going on, which is awesome because it’s like a big party in the park pavilion… and everybody’s invited!

Drum Circle @ The Mousetrap on Keystone 7/8ish on Sunday Nights out back.

When I walked into this drumming circle, I met Matt Stromberg (formerly of The Twin Cats). We sat at the bar chatting about Remos, people who we both knew in high school, etc. Matt is definitely an awesome and accepting guy to get to know. He didn’t even wince when I mentioned our review for IndianapolisPagan.com. Getting started, we unloaded Matt’s vehicle which was bursting with drums, and figured out quickly: we had more drums than people!

It was a little more intimate than I had expected, with only five people or so getting us started. Finally, everybody started joining in, and as I discovered: you can’t judge a drumming circle by the number of drummers. They had some of the coolest drums out at that circle that I have seen in some time. There was one particularly tall drum with a synthetic head that I don’t know the name of, but it had an awesome sound! At this drum circle, they welcome musicians of all kinds, and so I got to hear a neat rendition of ‘Bobbie Macgee’. She went on playing her guitar for about a half an hour so, and got a chance to really feel out how she was doing as a musician. It was definitely a mixed crowd out at the mousetrap, as I could tell we were all coming from very different places in life. I liked it because it was a lot like hanging out at a concert in between shows. I was really glad that I showed up early, and got a feel for everybody who would be there, as well as a chance to talk to Matt about how he got it started.

They have about 15 people regularly now, and they just started advertising by word of mouth at the bar about two months ago. Right now, they’re working on flyers which will feature matt’s artwork, and hopefully they will get more people in the coming months. Overall, it was a great opportunity to get to know a very different crowd.

In conclusion, I have to say that drums are a great social lubrican, possibly better than any rum punch I have savored. In the beginning, it takes a lot of practice and willingness to accept our human nature to make mistakes. Along the journey of learning the djembe, I have discovered a renewed charisma for music, and a new capacity for healing. Drumming is a great way to get to know people, learn more about yourself, and your community in the process!

So, take a chance; if you’ve ever felt scared to step out and dance like nobody’s looking? A drum circle is a great place to fall on your patootie a couple of times, without sustaining permanent embarrassment.

Here are some drum circles that I didn’t get a chance to review, but I am sure are just as awesome:

Our Haven’s Drummer’s Retreat and Mabon (French Lick, IN)

Wild Magick at Lotholorien (Needmore, IN)

Eitlejorg Museum’s Saturday Native American Drum Circles

White River Park Downtown Drum Circle: Sunday Nights starting at 7:30pm

Drummunitity gathers to promote drumming for fun and community-building; no musical ability required. Meetings are held twice a month at the Center for Spiritual Wholeness, 10 miles west of Danville off Highway 36. 765/522-1526.

Any others that I missed?
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