The Drummer Amulet

I know you have seen this guy at your drum circles, I have! He is the guy that walks into the circle, straps on his drum and changes the sound from a basic pulse to music that sends the dancers flying. Other drummers crowd around him as he plays that Djembe like it as a full orchestra. Dancers prance before him as if filling themselves with his rhythm – yet he seems unconscious of the fact he is drawing so much attention, caught in a wave of music himself. I saw him too…

In my attempt to capture the moment in a tiny piece of jewelry I created this three dimensional sculpture of the Drummer is only three quarters of an inch tall. I tucked a lock of hair behind his head to create a bail so you can wear him or hang him on your drum. His hands are in the midst of playing a roll as his palms stroke the goatskin drum head, invoking the sound of the drum circle.

This amulet is the first of many tiny drum circle drummers, dancers and guardians, each of the same scale, all three dimensional sculptures, all may be worn as amulets or charms on a drum marking a particularly good drum circle or as a dedication to music itself.

One in Spirit

There are few things in life that can inspire such joy. It is one thing to perform while an audience watches: expectations, stage fright, critics… it is quite another when a group of people create music for the sole purpose of making each other happy. Many music groups describe sessions where it was “just the band” that were jaw dropping, pure beauty and healing in just the experience. In a healthy Drum Circle, one can see an entire community gather together and create something that is fresh, unique and joyful. Each drummer “holds” the down beat which provides a “floor” where the community dances both figuratively and physically.

I have taught “Drum Circle Dynamics” to children for years, helping them to realize how to interact through rhythm. On more than a few occasions a little one would approach and want to play my drum with me. In those moments I felt a bonding with the younger generation that transcends nearly every other experience.

In an attempt to capture these moments, I sculpted the piece: “One in Spirit” which features a drummer and a small boy learning the down beat, a moment that erases gender, age, generational perspective and sync the two into a single moment: Playing as One in Spirit.

The Drum Mom

For many years I spent a great deal of time at various Drum Circles. If you have never attended an Open Public Drum Circle, you have missed a great deal of fun! One of the many things to watch is how children respond to the experience. They naturally move with the beat and want to participate in every way they can. As the older ones can dance and drum just as well as many of the adults, some are still a bit too little and could be easily stepped upon by spinning bodies and the like.

Typically, the Drum Mom is a position often held by one of the mothers attending. She supervises the water and snacks and watches over the health and welfare of the Drum Circle: as drummers tire and take a break through out the night (if we are doing an “all nighter”) the Drum Mom make sure that they are cared for and makes a safe place for the dancers to gather to share snacks and words.

I have attempted to capture the many aspects within the Drum Circle through my work: mostly jewelry, however I still love to revel in my first love: sculpture. I indulged myself in this one: The Drum Mom.

This piece holds an aspect of the tiny struggle between the Drum Mom and a pair of little ones who are more exuberant then for their own good. One struggles to climb into her lap while the older of the two wants to break away into the circle, armed with a shaker. The Sculpture is a tiny moment, a single beat in the Drum Circle, in fact in one’s life; yet it is an iconic position, one of honor. Every healthy Drum Circle has such people looking after each other; in this way the drummers and dancers may focus on their purpose: to generate Joy and Bright Blessings.

Drum Circle Jewelry

It all started with the Drum Circle. Years ago I had attend a few Renaissance Fairs and I saw the employees break into a Drum Circle as the guests were leaving. I wanted to join in! Once I got into the business of traveling about to the Fairs, I was able to attend a few and was enchanted. Then, in the 1990s, I began to sell my work at a variety of Events and attended drum circles after dark. After watching for several months, a drum was thrust into my hands and I was hooked! All my music background gave me a launch pad into the fray of rhythm and dance. The opportunity to drum with others was liberating, I found myself being a part of music like I have never experienced before.

I met Freedom: a Drummer that taught me this kind of music, then Bezel, Night Hawk and Tawny, Kelly and Miguel. I found it hard to concentrate on my jewelry creations between drum circles; always leaning towards the down beat of every manifestation of sound.

Some years later, in the mid 90s Freedom inspired me to create the “Drummer” a small amulet that is actually a tiny sculpture of a little fellow drumming on a Djembe. From there I created a host of dancers; I created an entire set of these little people, designed to hang on a chain or cord around your neck or bracelet or attach to a drum. And then finely a couple of years ago a young lady requested that I make a “Drummer girl” and so I did. The dancers were inspired by people I have seen around the fire over the years: The flowing Lady, Man Astride, Amy, and so on.

These Amulets of the Drum Circle may be used as charms for your drum; components to your charm bracelet hang on a jacket or as a pendant around your neck. They are meant for those that love the drum, rhythm and music in general. They are meant to evoke exuberant cooperation, spontaneous creativity and Joy.