The tradition of drumming exists worldwide and serves as a musical universal among indigenous populations who use the instruments in differing rituals, often of the spiritual persuasion.
Whether African, Australian, or American natives, the crafting of the drum is incredibly important in these cultures, explained Julia Bÿl, who has helped many Californians of all ages craft their own instruments. Her latest drum-making class is hosted at CovenTree Books and Gifts in Santa Maria, where locals can craft their own gourd drums on several consecutive Saturdays beginning Feb. 27.
The drum is a profoundly important spiritual tool in Native American and other traditions, Bÿl explained, as the instrument connects its maker to a higher power. That’s why her class is named Heartbeat of Mother Earth, because each drum represents a personal connection to a spiritual realm.
“Rhythm is a part of the human experience because of our heartbeat and our breathing,” she said. “When you go to an aboriginal ceremony, and you hear their rhythm, it transforms you and puts you in a more spiritual mind state.
“But if you’re playing your own drum, you feel the vibration, so it’s reverberating through your body and it’s attuning you to a certain rhythm,” she added.
When making this kind of drum, intention is very important, Bÿl explained. Attendees of her class will begin by deciding how they will adorn their drums. What kind of symbols do they want? How about a spirit animal? These questions are paramount because they will determine the character of the drum, she said, and a free meeting is available Feb. 20 at 1:30 p.m. so locals can decide if they want to join and have time to consider how they want their drum.
The process of applying the elk or deer skin to the head of the drum isn’t a simple, quick process either, Bÿl said, and is the reason the drum making will happen across several weekends.
“You can’t make a drum in one day,” she said. “That hide has to be soaked, put on the drum wet, and strung; so those are the processes that you have to go through to make a drum with me.”
Bÿl said she favors elk or deer hide over cowhide because it’s not as thick, she explained, and delivers a more favorable middle range tone.
There is also the stick for beating the drum, which can be made from sticks she will bring along, or sticks found in a meaningful place and brought to the class by attendees.
Once the drums are completed though, they aren’t truly “born,” Bÿl explained. The last day of the event will include a blessing ceremony for the new drums, an important ritual that begins the life of the instrument.
“How the Native Americans see it is, we own nothing, so a person creates a drum and it’s connected to the heartbeat of the mother, but you also want to dedicate the drum to the four directions, so it’s balanced,” she said. “You want to make a balanced drum so that when you play it, you are balanced as well.”
After that, it’s up to the maker how they want to wield their drum, whether it’s for fun, for personal spiritual practices, or in a group.
“It’s totally up to the person, you can use it however you want,” she said. “You could just play it without any spiritual meaning to it, but I think when someone takes the time to actually make their own drum, they will always have a connection and a memory of how they created it.”
Arts Editor Joe Payne can’t stop drumming on his desk. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Feb 18-25, 2016.