whatever kind of tribe it comes from-- african, australian aboriginal, american indian, hawaiian, or filipino, i love them all. listening to the drums gives me a sense of rootedness and groundedness. the primal beats connect me to a deeper aspect of myself; it connects with people of different cultures; and it connects me with mother earth.
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i'm actually a frustrated drummer. despite having attended drum circles here and there, i haven't really developed the skills of expert drumming. the most i can do is teach some elementary hand drumming rhythms to participants in my growth groups. it usually is an enjoyable experience for the participants.. when i received the invitation to attend an introductory workshop on japanese taiko drumming, i was all excited! the word "taiko" means "big fat drums," as in "humongously obese" drums. taiko drums were once used in the battlefields of japan to scare away the enemies. the sounds produced were so deafening that they were reputedly heard across the battlefield! now here was my chance to be a brave warrior and beat the hell out of those sumo-sized drums! .
and so what was taiko drumming like?
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let me just tell you that it was a "whole-being experience!" the ecstacy of the experience is in giving all of yourself-- "wasting" yourself as you beat the drum. and the reward you get is the beat that comes back to you in the same intensity with which you produced it. taiko drumming teaches you to consume yourself in the act of pounding the drums. there is no holding back in taiko drumming!
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i always wondered why taiko drummers wore only loincloth as they did their performances, and now i know. taiko drummers get profusely drenched in their own sweat! they urgently need to hydrate themselves with gallons of water to gain back the fluids lost!
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three days after the workshop, my body still aches. i am still ecstatic though from all the pounding i did. truly, it was a one-of-a kind experience!.
and so what was taiko drumming like? .
let me just tell you that it was a "whole-being experience!" the ecstacy of the experience is in giving all of yourself-- "wasting" yourself as you beat the drum. and the reward you get is the beat that comes back to you in the same intensity with which you produced it. taiko drumming teaches you to consume yourself in the act of pounding the drums. there is no holding back in taiko drumming!
.
i always wondered why taiko drummers wore only loincloth as they did their performances, and now i know. taiko drummers get profusely drenched in their own sweat! they urgently need to hydrate themselves with gallons of water to gain back the fluids lost!.
three days after the workshop, my body still aches. i am still ecstatic though from all the pounding i did. truly, it was a one-of-a kind experience!.
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