While attending the annual conference of the Drum Circle Facilitators Guild (DCFG) in Prescott, AZ, I was able to visit with friends and colleagues I normally only see once each year. We always have a great time drumming/dancing and jamming during our late night drum circles. Seriously, CDFG's mission and the members are all about creating wellness through community drumming. This annual conference provides us with a perfect environment to share our collective experiences and learn about new techniques. The group is very diverse and represented by dozens of highly skilled percussionists from across the United States.
THE TRAVEL: I managed to oversleep AND misplace my keys, so I was really stressed about getting to the airport on time. If fact, I was so late I almost canceled and looked for another flight. It ended up working out and I got from home to gate B-14 in about 45 minutes - a new record for me!
THE WEATHER: I know it gets cold in the desert at night but it's unreasonably cloudy, dreary and cold here. When I arrived in Phoenix Saturday afternoon I was greeted by a record setting rain storm, which is also kinda weird for the desert. It actually snowed later in the night. The next day was a bit warmer after the sun finally came out but it was still hoodie weather. I have one more day to go and I'm hoping it will be warm enough for me to get a run in. The hills are crazy here!
THE EVENT: This was the 15th annual DCFG Conference. Similar to the previous conferences a variety of workshops and presentations were offered regarding on a wide range of DCFG topics. A number of new activities were presented this year, including drumming while lying on the floor and innovative uses of body percussion. In addition to the formal presentations, open sharing, and jump time for facilitation practice, there was still plenty of time to simply drum together.
I'm having fun here and I'm going to work on becoming more involved in the DMV drum circle community going forward, as time allows. I can see a few elements between drum set and drum circles that are complementary. Will keep everyone posted regarding my drum circle journey.
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Stay safe, everyone!
W