Alpha state

Every week when i go drumming i think that it was the best ever but it is like that. Every lesson is better and better. I find that I tend to be a highly strung individual. It takes a lot to get me relaxed but after a drumming session its like I'm in tune with myself. I can tell my body to relax. Djembe drumming is known to lead a person to alpha state and i know this for a fact as for three days after drumming i am blissful and hardly stressed. I love it! Man this is my life, i just wish I'd found it sooner:-) 

 

Here is a link that explains Alpha State in more detail, enjoy - Alpha State  Yours in djembe:) dee

The drumming crowd grows

This might be a while before I blog again but this week end was definitely my best one yet. I finally got the rhythms! So excited!! The crowd is growing at an enormous rate and will have to organize an alternative venue at some stage at the rate we're going :) There was a Japanese film crew filming and tourists taking pictures. It's all pretty surreal! My son played with us and he drummed the djembe for two hours solid, I am very proud of him!

My mother also gave it a try and found it to be quite amazing! So I am going to attempt to upload a video clip.. I am very thankful to the djembe master drummer for teaching his skills. I feel very lucky and honoured to better my skills!

Blame it on the wind

This saturday, the wind blew continuously.. I didn't get to go to the drumming circle :(

I had to take my son to a kiddies party and my attempt at packing boxes was an absolute flop as well. So you can imagine my dissapointment.. I will have to wait a whole week until I drum again.. however, Djembe is popular and I didn't realise the affect it has on many people. We went for lunch at my dad's house and his friend was talking about his Djembe drum and how much he loves it. He didnt' know that we go to drumming circles and we started chatting about it. Before we knew it, he had gone to fetch his drum and I had my little drumming session at my dad's house. His drum has great base!! If you are serious about drumming it is better to get a larger drum.  I really can't wait to make my own drum! The drumming master said that he had made his own and when you build your own drum.. it becomes so personalized. It is a part of you. There is a connection between you and your drum and the base, tone and slap sounds better when it is your own drum!

So anyway, I had my little stress release and even though I am moving house next week end, I will drum! no matter what! unless there is galeforce wind of course!

I will eventually be uploading video clips but all in good time. Rome was not build in a day.. and this blog is only 3 weeks old. Keep visitng :)

And there was Fire..

our fire fighters dedicate their lives to save ours!
They have been fighting over 23 veld fires in the last week!
Well Done to all of the Fire Fighters!
We applaud you!

I know this article is straying from the main topic of this blog but I also know its good to throw in something different in between. This month has been one of the weirdest months I have ever had. Not only am I moving at the end of the month but the place where I currently live was at a high risk of being burnt down. This all happenend last night.

There was a huge fire in the bush about 5 meters from our home. I was at work when I received a call from my brother. He said, "Dee, are you home? are you okay? are you safe?" At first I didn't register why he was asking me all these questions and then he said, "your house looks like it could be on fire, there is smoke everywhere!"

I was panicked, stressed, tired, irritated, upset, fearful.. you name it.. any kind of word that can describe an unhappy emotion, that was me! I phoned my husband and he knew already what I was going to say. He had just arrived home to find smoke everywhere. The complex was filled with  fire fighters everywhere. There must have been at least 40 of them. They had managed to contain the fire! Thank goodness! Our animals were safe, the house was full of ash and it still smells of smoke but we have a roof over our head.

I was amazed how the fire department all worked together! I am very proud of them. They stayed until late last night to make sure the fire was gone. They really worked hard and they deserve a high five or a holiday! I am very grateful and I am sure I speak on behalf of everyone who lives in that area.

So this week end is a tight one.. I cannot afford to miss a Djembe lesson. I have so much happening but I will not miss it. I will have to miss drumming next week because I am moving house so I have to go this week and get all of this stress out of my system. Djembe is so good for that! So yes, as usual this Saturday its drumming time! woohoo!

Sixto Rodriguez

For those of you who haven't heard of Sixto Rodriguez.. .. He is one of my favourite singers of all time! For some reason he isn't as well know in other countries as much as he is well known in South Africa. Us South Africans spread his music around like wild fire! Our children and their children and our great grand children will know his music! He is a legend in this country!

Visit his website to learn more Sugarman . I love his music! The lyrics are amazing. There are no djembe rhythms in his music that I can recall but his words and the tunes are very much up my ally. Ask most South Africans who he is and they can certainly tell you.. a childhood memory.. teenage years of laughter or a reminder of our youth.. I am still young..in my 30's urgh.. but the young and the old both appreciate his music.

His album Cold Fact plays at least twice a week in my home. It's one of those albums that you can't help but sing along as loudly as possible. I sing it loud and proud even though I don't have a good singing voice. Rodriguez Rocks!

What a day

I am working on interviewing our drumming master, Ala, and will be uploading that soon I hope.. This saturday was a really good one for me. I had my best friend join my husband and I for a djembe lesson. This session in particular was a surprise for me because some of the drum rhythms which I previously struggled with seem to be more natural to me now. It goes to show that practice makes perfect.

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