Drumming through the Holidays

Winter often gets a bad rap; whether for the cold and dry elements it brings along or the sheer silence the summer birds have left in their wake. With the chilly season fast approaching, it is often too easy to fall into a slump remembering the good times spring and summer provided. While winter does offer a good excuse to cuddle up with a cup of hot chocolate at home, it is also a time of family and friends, holidays, celebrations filled with music, love and happiness. For many of us, we follow the traditional path of drumming to set the beat of our joyous times together. Sometimes, it is inevitable to experience stress during the everyday ebb and flow of life, and drumming, no matter what medium is used, can provide relief for these tensions. It is a proven fact that music is an effective stress management tool and holds the power to evoke positive emotions from its listeners as well as the person producing it.

Drumming is a simple yet beautiful way to interpret our feelings of friendship and affection during these holiday celebrations. The djembe drum is a well-known medium for telling a story conveying peace and love. Because it is so versatile, the djembe drum has the unique ability to express the feelings of the drummer and bring people together with its steady and blissfully joyful rhythm. Even for the times that we simply gather for only the reason of being together, djembe drums can easily set the mood for the occasion. The drummer has the opportunity to give the gift of music to a circle of friends, providing a steady beat to withstand the slow-moving months of winter at hand.

The djembe drum can be used in a wide variety of special occasions, including weddings, holidays, birthdays and every day celebrations. It can even be given as a gift for beloveds, showing a true admiration for the beating of their hearts and giving them unique opportunities to express themselves musically with the equally unique sounds the djembe drums offer. Whether celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or the winter solstice, djembe drums play an essential and traditional role. For hundreds of years, people have developed and refined the use of the djembe by creating more than just a traditional accompaniment to celebratory ensembles, but by developing a timeless instrument for building new traditions and occasions for togetherness.