| Jeff Mann Drums PO Box 634 Brockport, NY 14420 |
| "One of the fundamental things that we know about our Universe is that everything in it is vibrating, is in motion, and has rhythm. Every molecule, every atom is dancing its own unique dance, singing its signature song. In the beginning there was noise, and noise begat rhythm, and rhythm begat everything else. This is a kind of cosmology that a drummer can live with !! Spirit Drumming is like an organic compulsion to translate the emotional fact of being alive into sound, into rhythm and into something you can dance to. This excitement we feel, when we hear it, tells us that the door into other realms is opening." ~ Mickey Hart |
| "Follow your bliss . . . and doors will open where there were no doors before." - Joseph Campbell |
| "We are all pioneers, but very few of us have taken the time or seized the opportunity to see for ourselves what lies just beyond or just behind the familiar world. After all, life is not about being a marketplace conquistador who has misinterpreted the meaning of abundance and is willing to sacrifice others for commercial gain, any more than it is about running off to the mountains and shaking rattles, beating drums and imitating Indians." ~ Eric Jendresen |
| "Music is nothing less than the picture of our Beloved, and our Beloved is that which is our source and our goal. If we could only listen to the voice of all the beauty that attracts us in any form, we would find that in every aspect it tells us that behind all manifestation is the perfect Spirit, the spirit of wisdom. Music inspires the soul and is the language of beauty." - Sufi Inayat Kahn |
| The following are from our great discussions at the Weekly Drum Sessions . . . and the words that inspired them.* |
| What is Spiritual Awakening ?? Life is becoming more and more artificial everyday, and if sound and rhythm were understood in their nature and character, then music would not only be used as a pastime, but would become a source of healing and upliftment ... music answers the deepest demands of our souls. Through self-discovery and personal healing, many people are beginning to realize that Human Kind is preparing to make a quantum leap forward into a new spiritual awareness. This will only be possible with the emergence of people like you who break the old habits of skepticism and denial to find their own intuitive way of uplifting the world. Although each person is separate and independent, we are all connected to the patterns of intelligence that govern the whole cosmos. Our physical bodies are part of a universal body, and our minds an aspect of a universal mind. This universe is made up of pure dynamic energy that creates all the forms and substances of what we call reality. Because energy is interconnected, it is malleable to human consciousness through the action of Intention. Our radiating thoughts and feelings can cause energy to flow out into the world and then affect other energy systems. If you sincerely desire to make a real contribution to others, through your life and work, you are already radiating out a level of support that will assist in the growth of new thinking. Information seems to come to us when we need it. Perhaps information is a constant stream, and our intention starts a 'sorting' process for relevancy and need. When we use our gifts and abilities with the right Intention, things come to us. As we shift to a higher vibration, messages tend to flow more quickly. Expect that during the day you'll encounter people who have messages relevant to your needs. Since we never quite know how universal energy will appear with a message for us, you must look for messages in the events of the day. |
| It's all about Energy !! We can no longer look out at the world around us and think of everything perceived as composed of material substance. We are coming to know the universe as a vast field of energy, a quantum world in which all phenomena are interconnected and responsive. We have access to this universal energy through ourselves, and we can project it outward with our thoughts and intentions, influencing our reality and others. It is the energy field that surrounds you that connects us to the universe and creation. Too often people cut themselves off from the greater Source of Energy. To gain energy we have all learned to manipulate or force others to give us attention and thus give us their precious energy. When we successfully dominate others in this way we feel more powerful, but they are left weakened and will often fight back. Competition for scarce 'Human Energy' is the cause of all conflict between people. The exchange of energy happens so constantly and everywhere, that we are barely aware of it until our energy is perceptively drained or increased. When we compete with our communication instead of giving our energy and full attention to a speaker, the flow of information slows to a point where no one gains. By observing our own and other people's interactions, we can learn to become more conscious of this competition and begin to understand the underlying nature of conflict. As we become more aware, we will also come to realize that energy gained in this way doesn't last very long. Further awareness helps us realize that the true energy we seek comes from a universal source. This universal source of energy is infinite and open to all beings. When you give yourself to others, through will and intent and in recognition of beauty; this universal source instantly refills you with all the energy that you have used and sometimes more. We must transcend the struggle amongst ourselves and begin to engage each other in ways that benefit all of us. This will clear us to become that which we really are and free us from the unconscious games we play. To do this we must all begin to learn to build our energy level and connect with the Higher Self. |
| Becoming More Spiritual !! Awareness of how we all vie for energy is the first step toward reclaiming our own power. Balance will begin to be restored when we stop tapping into others for our Energy Charge and begin to look inside ourselves for our connection to Spirit. Once we stop depending on control as a way to make things happen, our lives will miraculously open up. A key point in Spiritual Evolution is to increase consciousness about yourselves and the universe. You will be presented with all that you need to be aware of, but be patient as your new insights need time to become integrated with your whole belief system. Your life has a purpose that is in the process of being revealed to you. Keep your current questions in the forefront of your attention and whenever there is need for clarification; ask the universe. In Sanskrit breath is called Prana, the very life. And what is voice? Voice is breath. If there is anything in life, in man's constitution, which may be called life it is breath. And the sound of the voice is breath manifested outwardly. Therefore a person can best express himself in song or what they say. If there is anything in the world that can give expression to the mind and the feelings, it is the voice. Very often it happens that a person speaks on a certain subject with a thousand words, and it has no influence; yet another person who expresses a thought in a few words can make a deep impression. This shows that the power is not in the words, but what is behind the words; in the psychological power of the voice which comes from Prana. A major contribution to a Spiritual Awakening in the West has been made by those who began to study and practice some of the Eastern philosophies and healing arts. This influx of good information about the mind / body connection has contributed significantly to expanding our perceptions of the world. It has given us a tremendous tool for accessing the unlimited range of Universal Energy. Discipline and Intention make this path available to all who wish to apply themselves. The driving impulse in Human Beings to connect with the spiritual domain is an extremely powerful and important force. Denial and repression of this transcendental impulse introduces a serious distortion into human life on both an individual and collective scale. Remember that you live in a universe of pure energy, and at anytime you have this energy available to you. |
| Why Spirit Drumming ?! Spirit Drumming, and some music, is not just a source of amusement or a pastime; it is both the source of creation and the means of absorbing it. The music of the universe is the background of the small picture which we call music. Our sense of music, our attraction to music, shows that there is music in the depth of our being. Music is behind the working of the whole universe. What makes us feel drawn to music is that our whole being is music; our mind and our body, the nature in which we live, the nature of what has made us, all that is beneath and around us . . . it is all music. Music interests us and attracts our attention and gives us pleasure, because it corresponds with the rhythm and tone which are keeping the mechanism of our whole being intact. There are different ways of listening to music. There is a technical state, when a person who is developed in technique and has learned to appreciate better music, feels disturbed by a lower grade of music. But there is a spiritual way, which has nothing to do with technique. It is simply to tune one's self to the music; therefore the spiritual person does not worry about the grade of the music. The spiritual person will cultivate the sense which raises a person by the help of vibration to the higher planes. No doubt the power of music depends upon the grade of spiritual evolution that a person has touched. There is nothing better than music as a means for upliftment for the soul. The word Spiritual does not apply to goodness, or to wonder-working, the power of producing miracles or to great intellectual power. The whole of life in all its aspects is one, single music; and the real spiritual attainment is to tune one's self to the harmony of this perfect music. When we use our will and our intent to share ourselves openly and honestly with a drumming group, we can become one vibrating field of energy that is receptive to Spirit. It is very easy to jump right in and join the fun. The more you learn and practice; the easier it will be to link up, find a voice, and speak as a group. |
| A Friendly Drum Circle Etiquette 1) The Goal of Our 'Open Jam Drumming' is to Have Fun and Share in the Live Experience. 2) It's traditional for drummers to be grouped by their skill level, function, and volume, so that the less skilled drummers do not dominate, and the quieter drummers can be heard ... giving the drum circle a clear focus. 3) Part of your skill should be the ability to influence the less skilled drummers through playing. 4) Watch the other drummers. If you can't see or hear what they are doing, you should play more quietly and with fewer notes. 5) Drummers playing badly, but quietly, are no problem. If you're not sure what to do, by all means feel free to fake it. 6) The emphasis here is on instinctive and inspirational rhythms ... rather than rehearsed or formal ones. *smiles* |
| * "Music" by Sufi Inayat Kahn - 1962 Sufi Publishing, England. "Earth Medicine" by Jamie Sams - 1994 Harper Collins, USA. "Dance of the Four Winds" & "Island of the Sun" by Alberto Villoldo and Eric Jendresen - 1990 & 1992 Destiny Books, USA. "The Celestine Prophecy", "The Tenth Insight", "The Celestine Vision" & "The Secret of Shambhala" by James Redfield - 1993, 1996, 1997 & 1999 Warner Books, USA. "Drumming at the Edge of Magic" & "Planet Drum" by Mickey Hart with Fredric Lieberman and Jay Stevens - 1990 & 1991 Harper Collins, USA |
| Click Rick McBride's "MxdBlood" Symbol Above for an Explanation of Native North American Drumming !! |
| Spirit Drumming |
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