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DCM 2018 – More than Drum Circle Facilitation

June 4, 2018 by kalani

Why are people taking the DCM course?

It offers a lot more than drum circle facilitation.

DCM is about facilitating creativity, community, and is based in a universal process of Inclusion, Cooperation, and Appreciation.

Drum circles are fine, but we can do so much more. A lot of people are looking for fun ways to engage people in music-based experiences without the need for music skills. They want to help people enjoy some of the many benefits of music making without having people feel the anxiety that can come from music performance or learning. The DCM course provides answers. Kalani is a master musician, educator, and music therapist. His specialty is in helping people make connections while being creative.

“Facilitation is much more than standing up in the middle of a group and conducting different activities. That’s more of a form of control. What we’re doing at the DCM course, is developing our skills to help empower people to be the ones leading themselves towards something magical. We believe that people are inherently creative and playful. Our role, as facilitators, is to unlock that creative, playful side of people by creating an environment that is free from judgement, abundant in resources, and encouraging.”

When we study DCM, we’re not just thinking about drum circles, drumming, or even music. We’re thinking about people. When we root our goals in what people can do, create, and feel, we point towards a personal outcome. We’re not just thinking about getting people to play the same beat or follow directions from a conductor. We’re giving people the permission and resources they need to find the magic in purposeful play. We never have to get out of the way because we’re never in the way in the first place.

Because DCM has its roots in music, education, and therapy, it’s especially powerful for people who wish to be of service to others, whether in the areas of recreation, education, or therapeutic experiences. As founder of teh Therapeutic Drumming Network, Kalani understands how to create meaningful experiences that help people make progress in a variety of areas, from emotional to cognitive and spiritual. DCM participants often find that they learn much more than they expected, which is one of the main lessons of DCM: Always expect to discover more than you were looking for.

There’s still room in the 2018 DCM course in Los Angeles.

Register

Filed Under: Community Drumming, Education, Facilitation, Study Tagged With: drum, drum circle, drumming, faciltation, learning

Akiwowo – World Drumming Song and Classroom Arrangement

March 20, 2018 by kalani

Akiwowo – Chant and World Drumming Arrangement

Learn all the drumming parts below.

Get the notation! Join the Club.

Akiwowo (Aki Wo Wo) is a song popularized by Nigerian Sing/Drummer Babatunde Olatunji. This arrangement was produced and performed by World Drum Club founder, Kalani Das and features Djembe, Dundun, Agogo, Caxixi, Ukulele, and Bass. World Drum Club is an online resource for drum and percussion lessons in a variety of styles, including latin, brazilian, west african and more. Kalani teaches lessons for beginners, intermediate and advanced players, as well as music therapists and music educators. Drummers of all kinds can enjoy percussion lessons for congas, bongos, cajon, dundun, djembe, shakers, rattles, cowbell, and a wide variety of hand percussion instruments. Music educators can use this channel to help teach their students about rhythm, timing, pulse, steady beat, dynamics, phrasing, meter, poly-rhythms, practice, ensembles, soloing, techniques, and playing world music. Support WORLD DRUM CLUB, for http://patreon.com/kalani. By supporting WDC, you support music education and the growth of quality drumming around the globe. Patrons get more access to videos, notation, and downloads and may message Kalani directly. Percussionists who are serious about their own education join WDC as part of their self-enrichment program.

Join Kalani for the Developmental Community Music Course

Filed Under: Community Drumming, Education, Study, World Drum Club Tagged With: drum, drumming, Elementary Music, kalani, music education, Percussion, World Drum Club

Afro-Cuban Bell Pattern

September 4, 2016 by kalani

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 17:22 — 20.0MB)

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Kalani teaches a special rhythm used in Afro-Cuban music. It’s called the Afro-Cuban 12/8 bell pattern and it might pose a challenge for you if you’re not at least a little experienced in drumming and work music. After listening to the podcast, make sure to visit the WORLD DRUM CLUB YouTube channel and subscribe. Then make you way over tot he WDC Patreon Site and become a Patron! Patrons are important because they’re the ones who make World Drum Club possible. WDC is a 100% viewer-supported channel and all contributions go directly to the creation of new educational media – for YOU and others who are interested in WORLD DRUMMING.

Afro-Cuban 12:8 Bell Pattern

Filed Under: Community Drumming, Education, World Drum Club Tagged With: bell, drum, drumming, kalani, patterns, rhythm, world drumming

Producing Better Media and Therapeutic Drumming

May 1, 2016 by kalani

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:14 — 27.5MB)

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This episode gives you a few resources for producing better audio and videos to share with your fan, students, friends, and family. Kalani gives you two ways to create therapeutic drumming experiences for yourself and others. You learn about rhythmic breathing, also called resonant breathing, as well as a mindfulness-based approach to active music making for health and wellness outcomes, reducing stress, and increasing a sense of wellbeing.
Visit Kalani at http://kalanimusic.com and listen to the EVOLVE podcast at http://kalanidas.com

inclusion

Filed Under: Health, World Drum Club Tagged With: drum, drumming, facilitation, health services, mindfulness, rhythm, therapeutic drumming

Drum Circles Defined

September 1, 2013 by kalani

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:29 — 38.3MB)

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Kalani defines and describes the drum circle in this LIVE episode. A drum circle is a form of community drumming where the participants are free to co-create music through an improvisational process, leading to a product of community value. Drum circles have been around since the late 1950 and early 1960’s as a form a recreational music making, defined by their inclusive and open nature. The term is an American one, given to groups of people who come together to create in-the-moment music for personal enjoyment.

What do you think? LIKE and share this episode through your social media channels.

“TIAN” (energy, spring, or heaven)

tian

Filed Under: Community Drumming, World Drum Club Tagged With: dcm, drum, drum circles, drumming, facilitation, Group Drumming, teaching

How Playing Music Rescued Me

June 7, 2013 by kalani

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:01 — 55.0MB)

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This is my personal story of my struggle with dyslexia, how I became discouraged with school, and how I came to believe that I couldn’t do the work until my musical experiences help me rebuild my self-concept. This podcast is dedicated to those brave people who have overcome a learning disorder and come to live rewarding lives.

If you, or someone you know, has a learning disorder, please share this with them. Comment below and share your story. Help others understand what it can mean to live with a learning disorder and what we can do to help ourselves and each other.

Thank you!

-Kalani

Filed Under: Health, World Drum Club Tagged With: belonging, dcm, drum, drumming, Education, kalani, music, musical connections, teaching

A Quick Guide to Group Drumming

December 15, 2011 by kalani

Group drumming is a popular form of music making, used by all types of people for all types of reasons. From elementary classrooms to advanced ensembles and from drumlines to drum circles, group drumming offers people multiple choices for choosing ways to plug into rhythm and do something that is both fun and rewarding on many levels.

There are many forms of group drumming. Some are defined by the types of instruments that are used, while others are defined by the goals and methods that are used by the participants. This post will help you identify different types of group drumming by name, even when they might look similar in many ways. The most important aspects in identifying any form of group drumming is 1) the qualifications, training, and  experience of the leaders, 2) the dynamics that exist between the participants and the leaders, and 3) the overall goals for the experience (education, recreation, ritual, therapy, team building, etc.)

Note that the following are general descriptions and that in reality, there is some overlap between drumming types. Each type is often used in conjunction with other types. For example, within a group drumming program, the leaders might have participants engage in different types of group drumming at different times (and for different reasons). Some types look very different and some look similar, but they all have different dynamics and qualities that make each type unique.

Drumming Ensemble

Groups of people who meet to develop their drumming skills as a group, often with the goal of performance. Most ensembles fall into two main categories; traditional music and contemporary music. Many ensembles practice and perform both traditional (re-creative) music as well as write their own pieces (compositional). Drumming Ensembles are usually run by a leader or team and often require participants to audition, come to rehearsals, and maintain specific standards of skills and knowledge.

Drum Class

A drum class is a group of students who gather under the guidance of a teacher for the purpose of learning the art of drumming. Most classes meet regularly and are progressive in nature. Some do allow drop-ins, but many are setup as a series of lessons. Students learn how to hold and play their instruments, how to play specific rhythms, how to combine instruments and rhythms to create ensembles, and how to function as a member of the musical community, often guided by traditions that provide status based on someone’s level of skill and experience. Classes are taught by experienced drummers and usually open to anyone who wants to participate.

Drumming in Music Therapy

Music Therapists sometimes use drumming, either with an individual or with a group, within their clinical practice. Within the contact of therapy, group drumming can take the form of an ensemble, an improvisation (similar in appearance to a drum circle), or even a drum lesson (demonstrating, learning, practicing, etc.). The therapist determines which type of drumming experience will best serve the clients’ therapeutic goals. Drumming in music therapy is  guided by the therapeutic needs of the client and shaped accordingly by the therapist. While there might be some similarities in appearance to other types of group drumming, music therapy services are very different with regard to the types of interactions that happen on both a musical and personal level.

Ritual Drumming

Drumming is often used as a form of ritual, as a cultural tradition and within contemporary programs, as a way to structure aspects of a gathering. Ritual literally means ‘to fit together’ and group drumming, by its nature, provides structures and dynamics that assist in the creation of both temporal and textural aspects of a program. Workshop leaders, speakers, and presenters often use drumming or drop rhythm making as a way to bring people together, organize around a central theme, and create a ‘container’ for other elements of the ritual or program.

Drum Circle

A drum circle is a form of community music making where the primary focus is on inclusion and in-the-momement music making (improvisation). The main characteristic of a drum circles is that the music is co-created by the participants, who are often at various levels of technical musical development. There’s no leader in a drum circle and no agenda, except to make music together and have fun. Drum circles take many forms and might have a host, facilitator, or conductor, or they might be completely ad-hoc and open to the public. Drum circles are unplanned and spontaneous. Often, there are no requirements for participation, aside from some etiquette and general guidelines for keeping drums and people safe.

Interactive drumming

Interactive drumming is a structured music-based program that is led by a percussionist for individuals who often have no prior drumming experience and no expectations of continuing to play drums beyond the scope of the program. Interactive drumming provides instruments, musical guidance, and thematic material to safely bring a group of people through a program. ID Programs are often designed to promote certain beneficial qualities and values, such as communication, sharing, teamwork, and mutual support. ID Leaders are sometimes accompanied by dancers, singers, and other musicians. This type of group drumming is very popular in the world of corporate training and events.

Drumming Games

Drumming games, also called Rhythm Games, are uses of drums and percussion instruments within a game or play format. To qualify as a rhythm game, there must be ‘play rules’ that structure and guide participants. The rules often limit, shape, and guide the ways people interact and play the game, just like any other type of game. Games sometimes have a beginning, a middle and an end, but they can also be cyclic – ending when the leader stops the game. Games are often played with teams, but  sometimes participants self-select or switch roles depending on the play rules. Games are typically not focused on creating music as much as they are on creating certain types of relationships and dynamics between group members.

Drum Play

We engage in drum play when we use drums and other percussion instruments in non-musical ways. For example, we might create a sculpture out of instruments, or use instruments as props in a story. We might tell a story about an instrument or use drums to create a kind of ‘obstacle course’ within a space. If there drums are being used for something other than creating music, it’s likely that drum play is happening. Drum Play can be similar to Drumming Games in many ways and the two are often combined.



These are just a few types of group drumming, but there are others. I hope this article has helped you understand some of the differences and similarities between them. As always, if you have questions, please leave them below or send me a personal message.

Filed Under: Community Drumming, Education Tagged With: drum, drum circles, drumming, kalani, music, rhythm

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