Drum On - Music, Movement and Singing for Seniors

Drum On is an intergenerational, playful workshop exploring the joyful connection between rhythm, movement, voice and community. BYO drums or traditional African drums, bells and shakers are available.

Through accessible drumming, body percussion and singing, participants are invited to find their own rhythm while listening and responding to the rhythms of others. We explore pulse, groove, call and response, improvisation and free style.

Drawing inspiration from diverse cultural movement and music traditions, the workshop creates a space where rhythm becomes a shared language — connecting us to ourselves, to each other and to the world around us.

No musical or movement experience is necessary. Come ready to move, make some sound, sing, play and Drum On!

TIME 

11.00am - 12.15pm weekly

INVESTMENT 

Causal class $20 or $150 per ten week term or $15 pro rata.

ADDRESS

Bellbrae Heartspace. Wadawurrung Country, 1544 Anglesea Rd. Bellbrae, Surf Coast, Victoria, Australia, 3228.

10 Health Reasons to Start Drumming 

1. Makes you happy. Participate in a drum circle or take a cardio drumming class and you will see how happy it makes you. Drumming releases endorphins, enkephalins and Alpha waves in the brain, which are associated with general feelings of well-being and euphoria.

2. Induces deep relaxation. In one study, blood samples from participants who participated in an hour-long drumming session revealed a reversal in stress hormones.

3. Helps control chronic pain. Drumming can certainly serve as a distraction from pain. And, it promotes the production of endorphins and endogenous opiates, which are the body’s own morphine-like painkillers.

4. Boosts your immune system. Studies show that drumming circles boost the immune system. Barry Bittman, MD, neurologist and President of the Yamaha Music & Wellness Institute, has shown that group drumming actually increases natural T-cells, which help the body combat cancer as well as other viruses, including AIDS.

5. Creates a sense of connectedness. Drumming circles and group drumming classes provide an opportunity for “synchronicity” in that you connect with your own spirit at a deeper level while also connecting with other like-minded people.

6. Aligns your body and mind with the natural world. The Greek origin of the word “rhythm” is “to flow.” Drumming allows you to flow with the rhythms of life by simply feeling the beat.

7. Provides a way to access a higher power. Shamans often use drumming as a means to integrate mind, body and spirit. They focus on the whole body and then integrate the healing at both the physical and spiritual level by drumming, which connects spiritual forces.

8. Releases negative feelings. The act of drumming can serve as a form of self-expression. You can literally drum out your feelings. When held, negative emotions can form energy blockages. The physical stimulation of hitting the drums can help remove those blockages. Drumming has even been used therapeutically to help addicts deal with their emotions.

9. Puts you in the present moment. While drumming you are moving your awareness toward the flow of life. When you are flowing with the rhythm of life you cannot be caught up in your past or worrying about your future.

10. Allows for personal transformation. Drumming stimulates creative expression. When you drum in a group, you not only get to self-express, but you get feedback from the other drummers. It’s the equivalent of talk therapy! Drum circles provide a means of exploring your inner self, and expanding your consciousness while being part of a community.

​Jacqui Dreessens is an ethnochoreologist, choreographer, and percussionist with over 30 years of professional experience spanning teaching, performance, and community arts facilitation. Born and raised on the Surf Coast and Geelong, her work explores performance ritual, the ecology of place, and how communities express identity and environmental connection through music and dance.

Director of Wild Moves International 

Rooted to the Earth and connected to the Universe...you are Wild Moves!!!