The Rhythm of Life
Posted July 02, 2007
After reading a newspaper article about a woman who hosted a regular drum circle in her house, Caroline Imbrunone decided to stop by for a session.
With the recent death of her husband, Imbrunone was looking for a new experience. So she went. Someone let her borrow a drum. And she realized something special was happening - she had a connection with each person in the circle playing his or her own rhythm.
In the vibrations that came from tapping her hand against the animal skin drum, Imbrunone felt life. The drum beat was like a heartbeat, said Imbrunone, 69, of China Township.
“Everybody has a heartbeat, everyone has a drum beat,” she said.
After reading a newspaper article about a woman who hosted a regular drum circle in her house, Caroline Imbrunone decided to stop by for a session.
With the recent death of her husband, Imbrunone was looking for a new experience. So she went. Someone let her borrow a drum. And she realized something special was happening - she had a connection with each person in the circle playing his or her own rhythm.
In the vibrations that came from tapping her hand against the animal skin drum, Imbrunone felt life. The drum beat was like a heartbeat, said Imbrunone, 69, of China Township.
“Everybody has a heartbeat, everyone has a drum beat,” she said.
The sensations created by the drumming were so addictive, when the drum circle she first visited disbanded 4 1/2 years later, Imbrunone decided to start a drum circle of her own.
“I couldn’t let it drop,” she said.
Imbrunone, who is an adult foster-care worker, even integrated drumming into her professional life, bringing in drums for patients who couldn’t speak. The drums allow them to make noise and be heard.
While drumming remains rare in the Blue Water Area, members of local drum circles are more than eager to tell others why they love their musical meetings.
Drumming as part of a group turned Bryan Turner, 49, of Port Huron from a machinist into a store owner.
“I happened to go to a drum circle with some friends one day,” Turner said. “I just found it to be a really entertaining and appealing activity.
“It was something that really was an ‘in-the-moment’ experience for me. I just found that I wanted to do more of that.”
Eventually, Turner took an interest in repairing and making drums. In April, he opened Oftbeat Percussions in Studio 1219 in downtown Port Huron. All it took, he said, was some passion and a switch to working with wood instead of metal.
“I’ve always worked with my hands, so it was a natural transition,” Turner said.
Members of local drum circles said one of the most appealing parts of drumming is it doesn’t take a lot of musical background - there are no notes to read and little training is required.
For the past year, Turner and others have been playing drums regularly at The Oasis Coffeehouse in Worth Township.
Owner Gary Smith is a friend of Turner’s and agreed to let the drum circle meet there once a month. Smith and his staff, as well as some of coffee shop’s regular customers, have started taking part in the sessions.
“It’s really neat to see some young people come in and pick up a drum,” Smith said. “It’s bringing ... awareness to another type of music.”
It’s still a little new to Smith, but he said he’s enjoyed drumming, even if he doesn’t think he has rhythm.
“That’s the neat thing about it. Everybody has his own rhythm,” he said. “It’s kind of a meditation. It’s kind of a spiritual experience.”
Originally published June 24, 2007 by the Times Herald
Author: Craig Davison