Drum Making
JOURNEY OF THE DRUM
Heartbeat of Mother Earth
The making of a Drum is a Sacred Act. It is a meditation, an act of creation that brings to life a ritual instrument of power and prayer. In this ritual of ceremonial creation, each person will construct an authentic Shamanic Drum. This Drum will be the expression of their individual uniqueness and the relationship they have with the Spirit of the Drum.
Bringing the Drum to life involves returning the animal Spirit, of the hide used, back to its Spirit Home and connecting, in gratitude, with the life-force that brought the other materials used in making the Drum into existence, thereby giving each a voice in the song your sacred Drum will sing.
The Story of The Drum
It is said that when Creator was giving a place for all the spirits to dwell who would be taking part in the inhabitance of Mother Earth, there came a sound, a loud BOOM, from off in the distance. As Creator listened, the sound kept coming closer and closer until it finally it was right in front of Creator. "Who are you?" asked Creator. "I am the spirit of the drum" was the reply. I have come here to ask you to allow me to take part in this wonderful thing." "How will you take part?" Creator questioned." I would like to accompany the singing of the people. When they sing from their hearts, I will to sing as though I was the heartbeat of Mother Earth. In that way, all creation will sing in harmony. "Creator granted the request, and from then on, the drum accompanied the people's voices. Throughout all of the indigenous peoples of the world, the drum is the center of all songs. It is the catalyst for the spirit of the songs to rise up to the Creator so that the prayers in those songs reach where they were meant to go. At all times, the sound of the drum brings completeness, awe, excitement, solemnity, strength, courage, and the fulfillment to the songs. It is Mother's heartbeat giving her approval to those living upon her. It draws the eagle to it, who carries the message to Creator. It changes people's lives!
"The drum is the Great Spirit's favorite instrument. That's why we were all given a heartbeat." Mano, Navajo Elder
Drum Making Workshop
The workshop is a sacred ceremony to honor mother earth. It will last about 3 hours. It will begin with a short meditation where we honor the seven sacred directions and invite Gaia to enter into our ceremony. Once we are in tune with Gaia and one another you will receive your drum and drumstick kits. The rawhide drumheads and lacing need to be soaked in water for 24 hours to make them pliable. This will be done before you receive them. The kits already have the holes in the rawhide so that will save us a step. I will show you how lace, tie and put tension on the hide to get the best sound out of your drum. 8 laces will be used to secure the drumhead. And buckskin will be used to wrap the laces to make the drum more comfortable to handle. When the drum is complete, you will have to put clothespins on the back of the drum to hold the hide in place while it dries. The drum is then inverted and allowed to rest on the clothespins while it dries.
Next, we will construct the drum stick from the kit provided. When the drums and sticks are finished there will be a cleansing ceremony where we will use sage to cleans the instruments and ourselves in preparation for the guided meditation to welcome the spirit of the deer back into the skin
Materials Provided by Drum Maker:
Bath towel - to set the wet drumhead on while making the drum.
About 30 clothespins - The wood kind that you have to pinch to open. They help the drum head form to the drum hoop while drying.
Pen & Paper - To make notes on the meditation with the spirit of the deer.
Materials Provided:
DRUM
12” to 16" round, Maple drum frame
Deer rawhide to cover the drum
Deer rawhide lace to secure the drum
Buckskin to wrap the laces
Drumstick
A natural stick – tree branch
Drumstick padding
Buckskin covering
Sinew for securing padding & buckskin