Ladies DRUM Night ROCKS

WHO: Women of the Palisades

WHAT: Ladies Drum Night Out

WHERE: The Home of the Illustrious Laura Lee

WHEN: last Tuesday, Nov. 28 2006

Directions/Other


Laura Lee, an amazing lady I know through my drumming classes at Circle Yoga Studio loved drumming so much that last year she decided to invite all of her cool friends to a drumming party at her home in the Palisades neighborhood of DC. And thus began LADIES DRUM NIGHT OUT (LDNO).

These sort of became a phenomenon all their own and i doubt they exist in many other places - at least not quite in the same way. The women come - most of them in their 40s and with crazy busy lives. Laura's place is beautiful and she always has a spread. Several different kinds of wine plus hors d'oervers (sp?). Not snacks - hors d'oervers. There's a lot of catching up and chatting when I arrive with my 15 or so large West African djembes. Laura plays some music on the stereo - usually something with a good beat to get folks revved. Everyone's affectionate, curious, excited for what's to come. They put down their wine glasses when i enter - and they come outside to my car to pick up drums, weighing anywhere from 10 to 30 lbs.

We heft the drums back to the house and start moving furniture around. Laura's got a beautiful cracklin fire going - there's always a decision to make about where to put the wine/food altar. This time - which was our 5th LDNO - I insisted that the food go outside the circle so that the energy could flow better. This necessitated a couple of wine breaks during the session, which is always welcome and fine, regardless of the awkwardness of drums and wine together.

This is something I want to explore further as well. In the West African drumming communities from which I've acquired knowledge and understanding, I have never seen beer or wine mixed with drumming. It's a very spiritual practice and one in which a person must be grounded BEFORE playing, as well as maintain proper posture and body composition and breath support WHILE playing. In a word, it's a sobering act - though it brings you the kind of natural high that can never be gained through a substance. Perhaps because it IS substance.

Regardless, you gotta give these ladies CRED. FULLY.
How many women approaching middle age from wealthy neighborhoods DO this sort of thing? And so much is offered to me - and I consider all of it a form of a blessing - including the wine. So we all partake - with wine breaks in between drumming - though the altar is outside the circle the bottles slowly move to the center, and while I'm going around the circle teaching them the "slap" by demonstrating it on the other side of their drums, i knock the wine over on the carpet, and laura doesn't even flinch. she's cool - very down to earth lady and i am constantly amazed at her ability to stay that way.

So I talk about the culture because it's very important to me to relay what I know - we are not playing drums we are playing DJEMBES. And Ashikos, plus my one wonderful Bougarabou. Then I talk a little about how the drums are used to heal in today's culture. They get a laugh at my reference to how drumming helps to stave off Alzheimer's disease and helps improve nerve function in Parkinsons patients...and how it can keep off dimentia. None of them are even close but I enjoy the laughter. I always give my plug too about YWDEP - and this past drum night out we gained a new YWDEP member to my delight.

We learn the basic notes of the instrument and I teach them a rhythm - 2 parts usually and they play them together. We sound good. We raise the freakin roof. Then we jam - we add one drummer in at a time and bring out the bells and shakers and make it happen. I "woo!" here and there and remind folks to listen, use my voice to change the dynamics and end with a solid heartbeat and everybody's eyes are closed and we fade out - then begin a roll that starts on the bass and moves to the tone and then the slap, louder and louder, until we are looking up at the ceiling and screaming (or wanting to). And everyone stops and in the silence you can feel molecules of positivity and joy.

They hoo-rah. I feel complete.
And then they give me hug.
And they pay me WELL.

Though I marvel at watching the girls in YWDEP grow and become incredible young women drummers and poets, though I would never even think to compare the two situations, the feeling I get after coming from the LDNO is one I want more of, because it is completely regenerating.

Thanks, Laura.