drumSTRONG 2011 :: May 21 & 22

About DRUMSTRONG

We are the planet's longest continuous drum•a•thon
¡drumming to BEAT cancer!

Join celebrity guest artists sharing their rhythmical talents and thousands of good folks around the world raising awareness and funds to support cancer health, education and survivorship.

DRUMSTRONG 2011 Come out & Play!

Saturday & Sunday, May 21 & 22

REGISTRATION OPENS 1-1-11

Our world famous, signature event is held in the beautiful rolling pastures of Misty Meadows Farm.

Festivities start at noon EST, Saturday, May 21st and drumming will continue (non-stop) through Sunday, May 22nd till 5:00 pm (29 hours later). Come early/stay late! Bring the family. We will play with some amazing artists. We have on-site instruction, Great Health Expo, vendors with drums, food, and beautiful souvenirs. Come out and play; drum, learn, dance, eat, camp and show your support.

rain or SHINE!

Drum in honor or memory of someone or for your own fortification and support survivorship.

It's YOUR RHYTHM :: YOUR CAUSE

Visit www.drumSTRONG.org for full details!

COMMUNITY: Drumming for a cause - DRUMSTRONG 2010

by Greg Whitt - Drum Circle Magazine, Fall 2010

Part drum circle, part music festival and part cancer health expo, drumStrong is a truly unique gathering. This year the event kicked off place on Saturday, May 15, the fourth annual Drum-A-Thon to beat cancer. • Scott Swimmer’s DrumsForCures Foundation hosts the event in a beautiful pastoral setting on Misty Meadows Farm just outside Charlotte in Weddington, N.C.

The concept is straightforward: a Drum Circle marathon in which participants get sponsorship for each hour they drum. Cancer awareness and survivorship support are raised to new levels and the funds benefit cancer initiatives globally. While the drum circle is happening, a concourse with vendors offer all sorts of drum-related wares and yummy foods. A huge tent features providers who offer local and national cancer related services, traditional and integrative.

DrumSTRONG came about when Swimmer noticed there was no central repository of information for people to find out about all these important services.

DrumSTRONG is a collaborative event. Drums provide the vehicle that all can drive, regardless age, wage, or state of health. It’s not another walk, run, cycle, or golf tourney.

The event began as a record-breaking 24-hour nonstop rhythm-driven jam. Each year we’ve added an additional hour and have continued to break our own record. Each year the organization, logistics, and facilities have continued to develop and improve as well. Year four marked some wonderful changes to the venue to include improved entry/egress/ parking, designated family camping area, extraordinary vendors, on-site ATM, and moving the drum circle so it was no longer competing with the mega-watt sound system on the stage. Technology upgrades included on-screen viewing of other drumSTRONG locations simulcast from across the globe. Fifty-two cities in 12 countries drummed with us through the weekend.

The biggest and best thing about this year’s event was the outstanding team of professional drum circle facilitators who allowed the music to flow seamlessly during 28 hours of non-stop percussive action. Once the gong sounded and the GrandMother drum started, drumming was continuous during the entire event. More than 20 facilitators were on hand this year, a far cry from that first year, when only Arthur Hull and I staffed the circle for the entire 24 hours.

We were all volunteers, donating our energy and talents. Some of these folks were new to the event. Many were from out-of-state. Most were full-time facilitators, and ALL have hearts of gold.

This year we improved our tandem concept and worked in two-person teams. One person facilitated the circle, another was their back-up and would assist with all the minutiae like helping people find instruments, straightening chairs, clearing water bottles, trash, and drums left in the circle and most importantly moving participants toward the center of the circle to create a nice tight grouping for the very best sound. At the end of the facilitator’s hour-long shift, the assistant took over for the next hour and a new assistant came on board. This continuity allowed the circle to develop organically and made the transition from one leader to another hugely smooth. To emphasize the transition, we used a dramatic and literally “passing of the torch” by handing off the bell or baton in the center of the circle so everyone could recognize the proverbial, “changing of the guard.”

My favorite part this year was being invited up on stage to play with the heavyhitters including pal Jim Donovan, Vinx, Jeff Sipe, Arthur Hull, Dave Holland, Jonathan Murray, Mike Deaton and others. It was sweet, in-the-moment, on-stage musical play around improvised rhythms, folkloric tunes, and (believe-it-or-not) some old jazz standards.

In the past, after the prom kids fade and the families have long retired to their tents, the circle tightens up to a hard-core group of ten or fifteen drummers graciously and gracefully led by Roger Johansen. When I rolled out of the bunk at 4:30 a.m. for my 5 a.m. shadow shift, there were still 50+ people locked in tight. I came on board behind Clint Tipton of Paralounge fame in Florida and he is certainly no stranger to late-night thunder. We watched and drummed and checked in with people as the sky got lighter. Scott’s wife, Carola, made a drum-STRONG mattress that we spread in the center of the circle on the heart mandala platform painted by artist/drummer/facilitator Ken Crampton of Eyeclopes Studios in Fredericksburg, Va.

People took turns spreading out on the pad in the center of the circle to receive a sonic massage. Scott strapped on his djembe and played healing rhythms above each person and I cleared the mojo with caxixi shakers all around them. This went on for well over an hour. As the sun began to rise I went around the circle checking in with each person one-by-one and one-on-one.

When I got to the last person, it was our pal Philip “Carlos Phillipe” Sprinkle standing on the fringe playing a giant ngoma drum. As I walked to the center of the circle to acknowledge the new day and new possibilities, Carlos threw his head back and in true Rastafari fashion at the top of his voice praised Jah in all his glory.

All the drummers in the circle in the meadow outside this little southern town (and those watching the webcast) joined in with his Nyabinghi rhythm.

And from the center of the circle I wept as the sun rose over one heartbeat, realizing once again why I do this work and that we are truly all one in rhythm.