Getting ready...

Only a few days left before I head off, and I'm working doing drumcircles for the local council in the two days before I go, so it's all got to get sorted out now!

First off, I'm visiting a conference in Pennsylvania - http://www.presbymusic.org/confwestminster.htm

which is the reason for this whole trip. I met the organisers last year at a music week I was running on Iona:

http://www.iona.org.uk/Centres.htm

- which was one of my all time favourite weeks of the year - a wonderful group of diverse people, who made a very special community that week, and some extremely groovy music! I still have very fond memories of an Abbey full of 'surprise' boomwhackers (the congregation were even more surprised!)...

So I'm off for a small reunion - and a good few more workshops - two drumcircles and one 'sing' per day, and a few more extras - I can't wait!! They've very kindly provided me with the means to get across the atlantic, and extended the ticket to give me three weeks travelling time afterwards - so I'm hopefully using the time to further my research studies (and be a bit sociable) by connecting with other drum circle facilitators.

These three weeks are a little flexible at the moment to say the least! I have made some great connections already, but there's not very much pinned down yet... today I took a deep breath and emailed the drum circle facilitators list:

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/DrumCircles/

to see if anyone felt like meeting up!

I'll definitely (hopefully!) be dropping in at the following destinations:

http://www.mind-body.org/ - Barry Bittman - who's done a whole lot to promote drum circles in health and wellness contexts

http://www.fundrumrhythmcircles.com/rumbleclub/ - and the lovely Jonathon Murray

http://www.newrhythms.org/ - with the extremely hospitable Heather McTavish

and winding up at the:

http://www.remo.com/portal/events/index.html?type=1

- Remo Recreational Music Center - thanks to John Fitzgerald, Mike, and Jerry, where we'll be running an event which in my mind is called 'Rhythm and Pews' (cos I like the pun) - but in reality may get called something else. It's aimed at encouraging the use of rhythm in church congregations.

...and the rest is a mystery at the moment!!


yippeee!

Jane