Drum Circle Dynamics Part 3

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on November 12, 2012
Posted in: Drum Circles, Drum Jewelry, Music Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , . Leave a comment

More often than not,
once One attends a Drum Circle and discovered how easy it is,
One wants to drum a lot more often!
If you are lucky and live in a household
which loves drumming at all hours of the night
and neighbors cannot be disturbed,
little circles flair up at a moments notice.
Unfortunately it is not like this for most of us.
To have a drum circle,
you have to consider the amount of sound coming out of your place.
For years,
my circle of friends and I would pop out the drums
and we would have at it
only to have the cops at our door within minutes.
There was a often quoted line amongst us:
“It isn’t a party unless the cops show up”.

D'jembay of Fire Amulet
Djembe of Fire Amulet

If you are lucky and have a local drum circle in your area,
much of this is solved.
Practicing your drum at home may be a challenge:
once One gets the hang of drumming,
One discovers it is actually better at lower volumes,
if you are but one drum there is little or no real issue.
In practicing the important thing to work on
is learning the rhythms and taping out beats.
When you hit the drum head harder,
you will sacrifice your speed for volume.
A loud drum means tension in your arms.
A good “rule of thumb” is to first slow down,
hit the head more gently
then gradually increase your speed
without increasing the volume.

When it comes time to play in the Drum Circle
use the same rule of thumb:
start with the basic beats and slowly warm up,
then gradually increase volume;
careful not to over power the other drummers.
Again: if you cannot hear the drum next to you,
you may be playing too loud.

I have been often asked about Drum Circle Facilitation.
It is an interesting choice of worlds.
Notice is it not the Drum Circle Leader,
Conductor, High Priest or Grand Poo-Bah.
A Drum Circle Facilitator’s duties are basically thus:

To keep the beat of the Circle
The Down beat is the primary pulse of the circle
and every one must agree where that is.
Should someone spontaneously start a new rhythm pattern
which does not fit what everyone else is playing,
it is important to encourage them to shift their rhythm to match the rest of the Circle.
One option is for the Facilitator to shift the circle’s rhythm
to match the rogue drummer
or to step through the circle to gently speak to him or her about it.
This may be done gently and without being forceful.
As previously stated,
attitude is extremely important in producing a creative environment.
If all else fails and nothing else can be done,
the rouge drummer may be asked to step out of the circle
but this must be done gently without disrupting anyone else
and only as a last resort.
Enforcing such things is harmful to everyone and should be handled carefully.

To mold the rhythms so it the pattern is constantly changing
This is a challenge.
Some Facilitators use a very large bass drum and stick to Enforce a rhythm.
Although a favorite to some,
I personally find this both irritating and insulting.
This places the Facilitator into the position of conductor
and the life of the circle is cut.
Sure you can be heard,
but it lacks the finesse Music requires to live and grow.
My solution is to play a drum of the same kind as everyone else
(see Part One)
and gently move the rhythm by adding a beats here and there.
If all else fails
start verbally counting out the beat
so the drummers around you can find where the down beat is.

By beating the circle into submission
the Facilitator over rides the creativity of the other drummers
and places them in a more subordinate position,
which is counter productive.
For my part,
I have played in circles which uses the Bass Drum as a goad,
the sensation was akin to being whipped;
to compete with the volume encouraged me to play louder
which in turn damaged my hands.

A Drum Circle Facilitator is not a policeman.
Most Circles have Guardians
to make sure activities outside the circle are moving smoothly.
If there is a disruption the Facilitator cannot handle,
He/she should “catch the eye” of a Guardian
and point out the problem then return to facilitation of the circle.
Guardians are folks appointed by the Coordinators of the Circle
and should be trained to handle problems without conflict
or attracting attention.
This is an art in of itself,
a duty not taken lightly
If not handled properly a “well intended Hall Monitor”
can destroy the circle with a single incident,
chasing out drummers and dancers alike.

If you were to akin the Drum Circle to a Church Service
everyone participating should be handled with respect in Sacred Space,
you should not have any problems.

Without a Facilitator
you will have problems with cooperation between drummers
as to where the down beat is,
over enthusiastic drumming which would be out of synch with the circle,
stagnate rhythms
and conflicts between drummers.
Without a Facilitator there is no progress
between each Drum Circle
as the Circle with fall into the same habits every week.

To become a Drum Circle Facilitator,
I would recommend the following:

First
Practice your drum regularly,
learn as many new beats as you can,
memorizing them as you progress.

Second
Attend different drum circles.
Everyone one is different and you can learn much from everyone of them,
including “how not to do it”;
which is as important at leaning the right way.

Third
Drum with your friends on a regular basis.
By doing this you learn how to
signal each other through your drumming,
encouraging them to shift the rhythms gradually from fast to slow,
from one pattern to another.

Fourth
Teach what you have learned.
By becoming a Student Teacher,
you are both helping yourself and others
to learn Drum Circle Dynamics.

Fifth
Spend time with other Facilitators and learn to their techniques.
Just because you may not agree on a point or two,
do not let that become a game changer for you.
Everyone has their won approach to the various problems in a circle,
some work better than others.

Sixth
Find, teach, encourage and rely on a few selected friends
who will attend Circles with you.
Being a Facilitator is hard work.
You will expel a lot of energy
(it is akin to running miles on your hands!)
by have a good Second to assist in Facilitation
helps you to monitor and encourage other participating drummers in the Circle.
Try not to think of them
(and yourself)
as a performance group for Star Search.
Keep in mind Drum Circles are not a performance,
they are a way for communities
to get together and work on a common goal
where everyone benefits:
like a constellation of Stars.

Peace Music Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on November 9, 2012
Posted in: Amulets, Music Jewelry, Peace Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Peace through Music

From Classical, medieval, jazz, new age and even Rock and roll,
we find music which can evoke the power of Peace.
We use music in our churches, temples and synagogues
to help us turn away from our daily routine of hustle and bustle.
A quiet time alone in our vehicles and homes,
music can calm and sooth our worries.

Peace Music Amulet

Peace Music Amulet

In 20th century America, Musicians were asked to create songs which would inspire,
turn us away from our woes and “put on a happy face” in the shadow of war and poverty.
By playing our instruments and singing we lift our spirits.

In celebration of the power of music in our lives,
I have created the Peace Music Amulet:
a sixteenth note with a peace sign in the dot
designed to hang on a chain or cord from the back bail behind the flags.
Perfect of the musician in your life or a way to help remind yourself and others
about the power of music in our lives.
To get your Peace Music Amulet,
visit my Peace Music Amulet Page.

The Wizard Ring

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on November 7, 2012
Posted in: Rings. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

This is a re-release of one of my first pieces:

The Wizard Ring

The Wizard Ring

The Wizard Ring

Originally designed and carved in 1985,
it has not been available for 15 years,
this Wizard Ring is available for you!
Wizard Rings are made as they are created
for the person who orders it.

The Wizard Ring is made of sterling silver
and holds a “crystal” ball
(Opal Iridescent Glass sphere)
giving a flash of blue as the light strikes it.
The designer setting is his hands and beard.
The wizard’s hat is a little too big for him:
it droops over his eyes as he scrys into the ball,
seeing images of the past and yet to come.

Perfect for the Wizard in your life!
To get yours, please visit my Wizard Ring Page.

Drum Circle Dynamics Part 2

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on November 5, 2012
Posted in: Drum Circles, Drum Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

In most Festivals Gatherings and other Events, we can find a kind of Drum Circle which at first seems chaotic: no set theme, occasionally you can pick out a recognizable rhythm only for it to evolve into something else. This is not the Classical Form you would find in Africa nor the Caribbean. This is an Open Drum Circle.

So, one shows up at one of these Open Drum Circles and asks:
“How do I join in?”

The Drummer Girl Amulet
The Drummer Girl Amulet

In the previous article I suggested listening to what is being played before starting, then warm up with a down beat. I cannot say enough about “warming up” when entering a Drum Circle. This gets you in sync with the other drummers and allows you body to match the “swing” of the rhythm. But what then?

I would like to offer a few suggestions about rhythm and technique.

It is important to protect yourself from your own enthusiasm.
If the energy is high, we have the compulsion to start hitting the drum as hard as you can. Harder is not louder. Before you start to drum here are some options.

Before you show up at the circle, try out your drum’s voice. Start tapping (yes, tapping!) around the drum head and listen to the kind of sound it can produce. “Bounce” on the drum head with your fingers and listen to the change of tone as you move from the center of the drum head to the rim (or edge). As you do so, listen to the various tones produced. In addition, try using your finger tips rather than your whole hand and the various spots between the center and the rim.

At this point, to get the idea, I would recommend spending time with an instructor of the drum. If you do not have access to a teacher, YouTube is a great resource for instruction. The important thing here is to take your time. If you simply start pounding on your drum and knuckles hit the rim too hard, you can actually hurt yourself.

For my own part, I tried simply “jumping in” without pointers in technique and consequently knocked the knuckles of my thumbs on the rim of the drum and raised some painful lumps. I learned after the fact the importance of raising the thumbs when hitting the rim. This kind of hand position allowed me to heal over time and I now have a better tone because of it.

The question as to what to play also requires a little bit of planning. Before you start, listen to the rhythms of music. Again, check out YouTube for drum lessons. The African Rhythms are very popular in Drum Circles and in the Open Drum Circle harnesses the classical beats as a starting place. Once the rhythm is started, you can begin by adding or omitting beats to slowly alter the beat. For my own approach, I do not play the same pattern more than four times before slowly altering the rhythm. This gives the rhythm pattern life; it grows, alters, evolves into something different. From my point of view, a Drum Circle is at its best when evolving into new rhythms, altering the old ones into others and trading rhythms between drums.

Another resource for drum rhythms is in the music you already listen to, no matter what kind of music it is. All music uses rhythms: from classical music to rock and roll, every kind of music uses rhythm. I recall one drum circle which broke out in to some Scott Joplin!

When at the Drum Circle, be sure to remember the Circle is like an Orchestra: it has many different people playing different drums, each with its own set of tones. This makes a wide variety of sound available. That being said, no matter how good one drummer can be, it is important to provide spaces for everyone to be heard. Drum Solos are great for performance groups, but are not too important for the Circle. If one of the stronger drummers dominate the circle for too long, other drummers will abandon the circle because there is simply not enough room (sound wise) for other players.

Finally, attitude is one of the most important aspects of a healthy Drum Circle. The goal is to generate Good Will in the Circle. Many people attend the Drum Circle to raise their spirits. I recall recently after a very trying time I attended a local Drum Circle. Being with others at such a time is like a calming salve over a blister.

If you find your are too hurt, attend and simply listen and allow yourself to become raised by the sound itself. Once you are able to contribute in a healthy way, start to drum: ease in and play. However if for some reason you are angry, withdraw so as not to contaminate the circle with “bad vibes” (as they say). Conflict of this kind has no room in the circle and will sour a Drum Circle. Join in when you feel better. For those Drum Veterans who have been attending Drum Circles for years, many of us have watched Circles fall apart or turn into actual wars between factions because anger dominated the rhythms. People get hurt and walk away angry and depressed, the opposite of what we are working for.

When in doubt: don’t.
Always: Listen to the circle and pay attention to your own state of mind. Sometimes even the most experienced drummer will withdraw and simply listen or leave the circle entirely.

The Drum Circle (at it’s most healthy state) can heal, elevate the spirits and enlighten the participants and the observers alike; a goal we can all agree on.

Drum Circle Dynamics Part 1

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on November 4, 2012
Posted in: Drum Circles, Drum Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

For those who have been exposed to the media’s critique of the Drum Circle, it is not just a group of vagrants beating on stuff to get attention. The Drum circle is one of the oldest ways for a community to play music together. When done in a health way, the Drum Circle incorporates the entire community to participate in creating music and celebrating life.

The Drummer Amulet
The Drummer Amulet

Although I have been a student of music for decades, it was not until the 90s when I was introduced to the Drum Circle. I witnessed a Drum Circle at the close of a Renaissance Faire in California where all of the “players” (participants) gathered to make music and dance. I was amazed at the sheer joy and wanted to participate Later, I had joined the Society for Creative Anachronisms (SCA) and watched as the bonfire blazed away at the close of the evening and everyone pulled out a noise makers to join in. Again, I felt immersed in the joy being produced.

My work led me to travel the Eastern Seaboard from one festival to another where at the close of the day, the fires were lit and the drums came out. I did not remember another kind of music making experience which was quite like it. Although I have been a student of music for decades, this was not the kind of musical discipline I was used to. Playing the piano required skill in understanding rhythm, tone and form which was well defined and practiced. This looked like a free-for-all; it wasn’t. After a little time I began to see the kind of interaction going on between the drummer and the dancer.

In Classical African Music, the Drum Circle is a very strict. There are very specific rhythms (patterns of beats) played against each other: Polyrhythms (two or more specific rhythms previously determined, set to be played together). This was not what I was experiencing. What I was hearing was a wide assortment of rhythms being played together – sometimes imperfectly – with no real set theme. It was explained to me this was called “Open Drumming”, the drummers were not required to play the same pattern over and over again. This kind of chaotic drumming was astonishing! I had to try.

I began to stand with the drummers without a drum – just listening to what they were doing. I was able to follow the rhythms as if they were conversations between the drums. Then the drummers ganged up on me and demanded I play with them and get my own drum instead of borrowing one. A very good move because I learned more about how to drum with my own instrument.

Over the years of listening and playing I began to comprehend how the dynamics of the Drum Circle (the healthy ones) held together and the remarkable experience of becoming one with the drum. Because of this (and other reasons) I decided to write a few notes about Drum Circles, what they are, how to start one and keep it healthy.

To begin with here are the basic components of a healthy Drum Circle.

For this first article about Drum Circles:
the
Drums and the Drummers themselves

Drums come in a variety of sizes and shapes from the stick drums (like kit drums which are designed for a single player in a rock band), to the bodhran (a Celtic hoop drum – similar to the hoop drums you may find in Native American events) to the hand drums of the conga, bongo, ashiko and the d’jembe. Which ever you choose, it is important that they are all of a like kind. In other words, it is best all the drums can be played of a similar volume. Just as you would avoid placing a harp next to a bagpipe, it is best to keep the big bass drum away from the bongo.

My personal preference is the d’jembe for several reasons. Compared to other drums, for me it is the most expressive, I find more tones in the d’jembe than most other drums. It is light weight and can be worn with a strap or played seated in a chair.

Many Drum Circles have a host of rules because of past experiences with silly human tricks. That being said, an “Open Drum Circle” really doesn’t have a lot of rules as to what is to be played – it is what ever fits into the rhythms being played by others. Still there are some suggestions I would offer to make sure the drumming is at it’s best.

First: listen.
When entering a Drum Circle listen to what is being played and match what you hear. This does several things:
It allows you to warm up your muscles while you get yourself in sync with the circle itself.

Second, agree on a down beat.
This is (in musical terms ) the first beat of each measure – the pulse (if you will) of the rhythm. This is the heavy “boom… boom…boom” you hear at a circle. If everyone doesn’t agree on the down beat, the flow of music scatters and falls apart. In some cases, I have seen someone step into a circle where the down beat was a constant and steady pulse and our new-comer forces a strong down beat at a different speed and placement of the down beat. This produces chaos in the Drum Circle and makes everyone angry – which is counter productive.

Third, leave spaces between what you are expressing with your drum.
This allows you the ability to listen to what is happening around you and provides silence for others to speak with their drum. This is where conversations take place: between your own phrases of rhythm.

Fourth: careful with your volume. If you cannot hear other drums around you, you are probably playing too loud. Back it off a touch so you may hear what is going on.

There will be times when the rhythms will get way from you and so enthralled that a musical phrase carries you for a bit, but make sure your phrases fit into what is being said.

I will offer more drum circle pointers later, in the mean time, keep drumming and keep listening!

The Ouroboros Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on October 19, 2012
Posted in: Amulets, Ouroboros. Tagged: , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

The Ouroboros (also spelled Uroboros and Oroboris), is an ancient symbol illustrated by a serpent swallowing its own tail, forming a circle. From 1600 B.C. in Egypt to the movie: “the Never Ending Story” the Ouroboros has been found through out many ages, cultures and lore.

The Ouroboros Amulet

The Ouroboros often represents self-reflexivity, something constantly re-creating itself, the eternal return, and other things perceived as cycles that begin anew as soon as they end. It can also signify the concept of primordial unity related to persisting from the beginning with such force or qualities it cannot be destroyed. The Ouroboros has been important in religious and mythological imagery, used in alchemical illustrations, where it symbolizes the circular nature of the work.

Amulets by Merlin has captured the Ouroboros in an Amulet with a small diamond shape on the forehead symbolizing the “third eye” adding the concept of perception; textured with scales all around it’s body including “belly scales” this is a full three dimensional sculpture of the Famous Ouroboros.

To purchase yours, please visit my Ouroboros Amulet Page.

The Raven Earrings

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on October 5, 2012
Posted in: Celtic Lore, Earrings. Tagged: , , , , . Leave a comment

Corvus Corax:
Creative, imaginative and superior in problem solving,
this bird has been revered in myth and legend for centuries.

Among the Norse,
Raven banner standards were carried by Jarls of Orkney,
King Canute the Great of England,
Norway and Denmark,
and Harald Hardrada.

Symbolic to the Celts
the goddess Morrígan alighted on the hero Cú Chulainn’s shoulder
in the form of a raven after his death.
Bran the Blessed translates to
raven whose head was buried in the White Hill of London
as a talisman against invasion.
Of the Tlingit and Haida cultures,
the Raven was both a Trickster and Creator god;
revered as one of Morgana’s messengers.
Even in Edger Allen Poe’s famous poem
it is a harbinger of thought provoking tidings.

The Raven Earrings

The Raven Earrings

In my collection of jewelry,
I have created a Pair of Ravens flying across the sky,
wings resting on the wind.
1 1/4″ by 7/8″ Available in Sterling silver.

If you want one
please visit my Raven Earrings Page.

The Raven Amulet

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on October 1, 2012
Posted in: Amulets, Celtic Lore, nature Jewelry. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Corvus Corax:
the Raven is a rather large Black Crow of higher intelligence than one might think.
Creative,
imaginative and superior in problem solving,
this bird has been revered in myth and legend for centuries;
and no wounder:
the brain pan of this noble bird
is one of the largest of birds.

The Raven Amulet

The Raven Amulet

Among the Norse,
Raven banner standards were carried by Jarls of Orkney,
King Canute the Great of England,
Norway and Denmark, and Harald Hardrada.
Symbolic to the Celts the Goddess Morrígan
alighted on the hero Cú Chulainn’s shoulder
in the form of a raven after his death.

Bran the Blessed translates to raven
whose head was buried in the White Hill of London as a talisman
against invasion Of the Tlingit and Haida cultures,
the Raven was both a Trickster and Creator god.

Even in Edger Allen Poe’s famous poem The Raven is a harbinger of thought provoking tidings.

In my collection of jewelry,
I have created a Raven flying across the sky,
the his wings resting on the wind.

Please visit my Raven Amulet Page.

The Art of Visualization

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on September 30, 2012
Posted in: Commentary. Tagged: , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Some years ago I was a volunteer in the local school for my Stepdaughter Amber. The program we worked on was Odyssey of the Mind, a very interesting Group to say the least. We assembled “teams” which worked on various projects like building robots, word games and other projects. In the curriculum were various steps to be able to complete projects. One of them was learning the art of Visualization.

Renderings

I live in Newport News, Virginia. As you may already know, school districts are run by a School board of local parents and other “interest groups”. In this area the Fundamentalist Christian community is very powerful and resists anything that even hints at something non-Christian (in their view). When I volunteered I thought there would be no real problem. Though I am of a rather small religious community (Pagan), my Ethic is strongly based in my background: raised by a Presbyterian Minister, I learned Christian values from my earliest years. To this day I still practice respect for other people’s views, ethics and choices.

Althea B. McLaren taught me what it is to be an Artist: from being able to perceive the world, to interpreting it through an “artist’s eye”. Again, I was taught this from my earliest years and it has become second nature.

When working with the kids in Amber’s school, one of the basic steps outlined in the Odyssey of the mind’s curriculum was to visualize various things: from beginning to end it was “required” to visualize the basic steps of a given project including the final result.

Imagine my shock as the Teacher involved told me:

        “You are not allowed to speak about Visualization to the children, it would lead to Satanism and the School board forbids it.”

Please remember this was in the 1990s, not the 1590s.

Saying such a thing to a Professional Artist is akin to Blasphemy. It was as if a solid wall was placed between our project’s concept and it’s conclusion. Hobbling the children in this way caused me to second guess what we could do vs what we should do. Needless to say our “team” did not come in first in the district.

This was a tipping point for me. I was able to understand the basic problem with local education. Compounded with restrictions such as cutting music and education down to it’s most basic forms, a severe dress code, -even a ban on “hopping” at dances,: all of these instances and more only provided ingredients of an educational system that was not to educate at all, but to hobble the minds of the students. When the results are obvious, the parents blamed the teachers, the teachers blamed the students when in fact the real problem is with the School board: the heinous crime of distorting people in childhood who later grow into malformed adults.

And so, for those of you who have suffered from similar abuse, allow me to encourage you to begin a daily practice of Visualization.

First start with the basics:

Spend a little time each day on a break, a quiet moment to yourself, Imagine sitting on a beach, in a meadow or another favorite place. Try to recall everything you like about the place: the movement of the air, the smell, the light, the sound. Relax into the process and enjoy (it should be a fun thing for you to do). If you have problems, go the the place and observe every detail, recall the place and surround yourself with it.

Once you practice a little bit, start adding things to the scene, things you enjoy. Try to avoid visualizing things which are harmful, for Thoughts are indeed Things, and you are hurting yourself. Should troubling images arise, banish them with a nix sign, say “NO” out loud, or leave the vicinity. Be gentle with yourself.

If you are an adult, this may become difficult for you because you are out of practice. By doing this each day, even if for only five minutes, you will begin to develop these “muscles” in your mind and it will become easier. Later when you are doing a task you will find it easier to visualize various problems and develop solutions. Give yourself time.

Visualization is one of our greatest Gifts, we should use it.

Amulet to Protect Against Evil

Posted by Amulets by Merlin on September 25, 2012
Posted in: Amulets, Moon Jewelry, Pentacles. Tagged: , , , , , , . Leave a comment

I typically create amulets of an esoteric nature, most of the time specificity to enhance Spirit, to focus on the Sacred or to celebrate joy, beauty and other worth while endeavors. However from time to time I am requested to create an amulet for protection.

Amulet to Protect Against Evil

Recently I created one of the classic amulets to “Protect against Evil”, from the classic body of work: Greater Key of Solomon.

The Key of Solomon is a collection of composite symbols (or mandalas) which combine sacred writings and symbols, each dedicated to specific “Planets”. When originally developed the concept of a “Planet” included both the Moon and the Sun. Although attributed to the Hebrew King Solomon, the earliest found references to the Key is near the 12th to 14th centuries (depending on your historical reference).

A client requested the seal of “Protection against Evil”; the The Fourth Pentacle of the Moon. –

From the Greater Key of Solomon:

    “This defendeth thee from all evil sources, and from all injury unto soul or body. Its Angel, Sophiel, giveth the knowledge of the virtue of all herbs and stones; and unto whomsoever shall name
    him, he will procure the knowledge of all.”

The image is that of a hand emerging from a cloud and pointing to The Divine Name Eheieh Asher Eheieh, and the Names of the Angels Yahel and Sophiel.

Around the edge of the disk is written in Latin : “Let them be confounded who persecute me, and let me not be confounded; let them fear, and not I.”

I did not make a mold for reproduction, and for this kind of work it really shouldn’t. Making each one by hand enhances the purpose and intent of the piece as well as calibrating the amulet for the person for whom it is intended.

If you are interested in one of the keys made for you, or any amulet with a Purpose, please visit my How to order Custom Page.