I stand as a conductor

A facilitator of an orchestra

Of drums, hearts, new players

Diverse voices and spirits

In a symphony of unity and music.

The magic begins

As empty pages become filled with notes

Rhythms of the group’s improvised composition.

Like in Nature

Where beautiful landscapes grow from seeds we cannot see.

I turn the page.

Facilitate.

Create.

Listen.

Enjoying this once empty score

Now filled with a song beyond written possibility

Born in each moment

Christine Stevens
UpBeat Drum Circles

www.ubdrumcircles.com

www.ashtidrum.com

310-770-3398
SKYPE - ubdrumcircles

Facebook - upbeat drum circles

Drumming the tone of universal drone
fish in the cave, glyph as a face,
found in the web of polyrhythmic cycle within cycle
all hearts as one chanting gratitude, family and recognition.
Dancing the birth as a bird breaking the eggshell and flying away in beauty,
The dash of a spear sets the tempo as a fast thin line
directed to the point of the one and truest target... love.
The drumming shook the dancers
the dancers shook the ground
the ground sprouted answers
and the world was free.
Deep in the desert coyote calls while in the distance
the ghost of ancient train does the shoo shoo on the rail

Luix Saldaña

Boom spoke the Dun sparking bodies
into instant motion...
 
Its voice of authority sounding clear
enhanced by shakers, bells and drums
layed a most solid foundation
tone-touching deep the primal inner-relation

 Boom spoke the dun, bang answered the tam,
Shakers hissed, bells clinked
And this wrapped a whole tribe into an upward spiral
Sending souls whirling into the core

Thus moving in the rhythm of the shadows
over the ashes of our ancestors,
the tribe danced trough the night
and step after step the ritual unfolded into a massive trance

Being one mind, one heart and pure energy,
The portal of the unknown was wide open
And just as one, we flew in through to the other side
Where we locked with the pulse of unity and unrestrained love
 
The moon was new so the stars blinked bright
and drew a fancy sky-wide silver lace over black velvet
 
Down by the fire celebrating myth and mysticism
and dutifully anchoring the energy,
the elders free-sustained the magic world 
of the invisible and the eternal
 
Then the chant exploded with a thousand voices
with the full power of timeless tradition, and just
like a whirlwind, it took us up to the next level

Time to retreat, time for the inner self and time to be as one
with the universe and the spirit of creation:
thus we grew, we healed and then became a global family
 
The prayers done, all souls grounded,
all minds purified, the circle multiplied,
multiplied, multiplied.

Luix Saldaña

Just like a stone dropped in a peaceful mirror-lake
Drawing endless loops
An inspired groove as ephemeral as it might seam,
It really never ceases to exist

Luix Saldaña

Taking on the beauty walk
As native cultures do
Is within the path of awareness
Focused on eternal dualities such as day and night,
Male/female, silence/sound… word and thought.
Intention driven towards the welfare of the whole
Attuned with the forces of the universe,
The fair interpretation of natural cycles
Giving life to sacred art,
From the ingrained divine wisdom
Of the inner patterns within the self
To the out-patterns solving the cosmic puzzle
And ever building the endless web of life.
Drum, dance and chant are just but a few
Mirrors reflecting the ultimate cadence,
Holistic Bio-choreography of all life

Luix Saldaña

Coming from the trees of multi-percussive gear
And stalking from a forest of drums
Impro on the works evolving from mind to soul.
Jungle ambience sets in the prelude
Slowly weaving the body into layers of notes.
Two bar stopping gives wind to the frame,
Repetitive strokes give frame to the song,
Soaring roll sends up the transition-call
and a shooting by the brim whips up the slap
Only to gracefully top it right on the one
falling on a handsome brass-crash…
2, 3 and a 4.

Riding on precisely and to the point,
A solid bass-tone lays the down-beat
Rock-foundation to the castle of sounds

Luix Saldaña

Strong as a storm,
Face-voice of a thunder drum
Crack-Slashing as lighting in the sky
Power-riding deep into the night.

Explosion song tone-rattles brains and soul
From allegro to staccato
Happy-chasing the inner monkey
No restrictions apply.

Fly by night will hook you to the stars
And as you go by you won’t need a tourist guide…
Only wings, beat and dreams.

Luix Saldaña

Free-form drumming:
Answers without questions,
Insights as true seers
Decoding the puzzle of the self.
The sacred gift of the beat
Unlocking the great inner powers.
Take off flowing with the groove
Wings of light as the eagle’s fly,
Such a flight where the self
Is found in the collective-mind…
And only in the collective-mind

Luix Saldaña

Down-beat, up-beat, fly feet,
Synch-click and rest, 2, 3, 4.

Twist with the mix
Flow with the fluxing
And fix the reflex

Fluke without flunking
Keep time by tapping
And shine out a smile

Light up the inner flame
Ride on in the groove
And kiss the goddess

Fade down the fear
Free out the inner-power
And ya ya’s out-far… no questions asked.

Luix Saldaña

Skin so taut it makes a sound
Energy from it flows all around.
A beat of bass a slap of tone
Makes me feel so not alone.

I start off slow and increase the pace
I feel a pull from a distant place
Where people sing and dance in time
To a beat of sound and a tap of rhyme.

I hear the others who have come to play
Who drum beside me here this day.
I feel them weave their drums to me
Within my rhythm their thoughts I see.

A puzzle of sound is what we become
A piece added with each beat of the drum.
And then a story begins to unfold
As the dancer tells of tales of old.

Hear the bells upon their feet
The faeries come to hear our beat.
They play along within our sound
Within our circle their energy is found.

And soon our song it begins to end
And strangers before now are friends.
We brought a piece to play as one
And though it has ended it’s only begun

Talisen

In our group song I hear
people grooving...
hands and fingers dancing
on drum heads.
In the moment
in the music
we are co-creators
co-creating.

I glance at your face
and hands...
and knowing
nothing
about you...
I know everything that matters
now.

In our group song I feel
emotional energy...
that unique blend of tension,
frustration
sadness
apprehension
and joy.

I let this simmer a while
so the flavors combine
then add a bit more joy...
(One can never add too much joy).

We have lived
another week
in our respective worlds.
I don't know your stressors,
and you don't know mine...
but we are here drumming
our group song
in this roomful
of cherished hearts and souls
and for a time...
nothing else matters.

© Rick Cormier, www.differentdrummersdrumcircle.com