Village Recorders

Upcoming Broadway Musical

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Drumming for Eternity

Drumming for Eternity

I have been drumming since I was eight years old- In different locals and in different contexts. Solo drumming and ensemble percussion- Classical orchestral drumming and gut bucket blues drumming. It has always been rewarding. From my current perspective of being seventy four years old the phenomenon of drumming is still a mystery. More so now than ever before I see the need in our lives for an oasis of calm.
Now that the benefits of soothing the Vegus Nerve with low mellow rhythmic tones has been articulated by credentialed clinicians we can allow ourselves to trust this process to save our souls, our minds, our lives and our faith and our culture. The effects of rhythm played in a compassionate manner functions below our intellect or rather outside of our cognitive domain. It has properties that can not be articulated in our zero sum definition of realty, in other words we must surrender to its effect rather than fight it or try to control it. I grew up learning to control my mind and my hands to play drum rudiments in an accepted way that won me medals and status, but at the same time I could only marvel at the natural drummers who could just play. That became my Grail Quest. To drum like I was born to drum. Not like I had to learn it. I am grateful for the teachers I had for showing me ways to play the drums with compassion and heart. This eventually evolved into what had always been a method rejuvenation and salvation from the human condition of struggle and death.
Great drummers are invisible. They function in support of great art and mystical healing whether it is Buddy Rich, John Bonham, Ringo or Jaimo with the Allman Brothers, or Baba Olatunji of Nigeria. Their place in the evolution of consciousness is undeniable. But it is performed with a grace of action that belies its effect and power over people’s lives. Long live the groove!
Thoughts on drumming from Russell Buddy Helm 2023 L.A.

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Bill Liggins

Bill Liggins and me at first Paralounge, Florida. Photo by Bennett Hoffman. Bill was a tremendous healing force in Atlanta. Viet Nam vet turned therapist. All around sweet guy. Miss you Bill.

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Drumming with friends from Florida

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Go fund me for Seasons

https://gofund.me/67260686
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save seasons

https://gofund.me/67260686
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My Life Is A Mess!

It might have started back in the later nineteen eighties when I left the film/television bizness, because the drum was calling me back. But it could have started earlier than that, since rhythm is the essence of life itself. No rhythm- no life. I was sitting in our little ethnic gift store on shi shi Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, California. We had been importing drums from our friends in Ghana. We conducted three drumming meditation workshops every week. I focused on relaxing grooves because all the folks coming in were pretty wound up. I suggested they “Lay back the Groove” which is a Southernism from New Orleans jazz and soul musicians. It means that the player plays in a relaxed manner; that the metronome steadiness is not the goal. Rather laying it back in the pocket was the way the drummer got the people to dance. It was as if the drummer played “late” to the downbeat.

“This drumming THING is doing pretty good for you.” A woman said strolling into the the shop. This was a warning shot across my bow. I had been learning from total strangers how the drum was supposed to work as a healing tool. This woman, dressed well and looking successful, was sending up a distress signal. She needed help of some sort but did not know what it was. Maybe the drumming THING could help her. She was coy; reluctant but eventually she sat down at a djembe. “Just hit a single note in the middle of the drumhead and let it vibrate.” I said as I set up a relaxing tempo with a simple Downbeat in the center of the drumhead. It is the same vibrating frequency as our chest cavity, our heart tone. When it is played gently the body and the critical mind relax. She settled into the easy groove just hitting the downbeat in the middle of the head. Then she shrugged and gave out a sigh. “My life is a mess.” She said forlornly. I was amazed. She opened up as if the drum itself had unlocked her unconscious. I encouraged her to keep hitting the simple downbeat. She continued to talk as she hit the groove. Tempo was slow but with a nice flow. “I’ve been through four marriages. I can’t hold a job. I was abused as a child -Repeatedly. It affected my body. I don’t have children. She went on and I kept the downbeat steady and forgiving.Honoring this woman’s courage to speak truthfully. The spell was broken when a friend psychotherapist came in unexpectedly. The visiting therapist did not pickup on what was happening with this woman. She got up and left without another word. Several weeks passed before I saw the woman again in Seattle’s Best Coffee next to our shop. She was talking with several locals at a table. She called out quietly to me as I was leaving, “That drumming thing we did was very powerful.” She said with a level of seriousness seldom seen on the trendy street. “If you could explain it to me.” I said, “It might help other people.” She nodded and I left. She came back to the shop in a few days and explained. “When I went to my other therapies I got some closure that I did not have before. I remembered “The Beat”. It helped me.” A light bulb went on above my head. Aha! Rhythm is a tool to get inside the subconscious. The person was not passive. They were playing. It made sense. She felt empowered by remembering the FEELING of the beat. The downbeat. The anchoring note. The tone of the heart played in a nurturing way bringing the person back into their bodies in a safe way. This was not intellectual, it went straight to the intuitive. It was an end run around the psychological blocks without endangering the patient. They were playing the downbeat and it gave them hope. It became her friend.
Russell Buddy Helm excerpt from the book: HelmTone Drumming Therapies

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Drumming on Zoom at 4:00 Pacific

Wednesday, Friday and Sunday zoom drumming starts at 4:00

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9024410218Meeting ID: 902 441 0218

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Dr. Coincidence blog post

Blog post on Coincider website is here: https://coincider.com/coincidence-groove/

Interview with Dr. Beitman

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interview with Dr. Bietman

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