Jana Broder's DrumMagic Weblog

The Kaleidoscope Festival and Drum Magic

2006-10-04T15:54:10Z

It’s the 5^th anniversary of my arrival to Florida. The date always reminds me that it’s time to say “thank-you”. To each of you that knew deep inside that this whole drumming thing would work; thanks for the push. If not for your confidence in me and my ability to grow Drum Magic, I could not have come so far.

This year I have been asked to be the Executive Director of The Kaleidoscope Festival. I will be combining that festival with The Tampa Bay Community Rhythm Festival, which most of you were heavily involved in for the past 2 years. Now, I need your support again.

Please mark Saturday, March 10^th, 2007 on your calendars. I will need all of you and your friends and your kids and your clubs…just everyone you know as volunteers and drummers. There will be lots of community service hours available for your teens so mark their calendars too.

I also need sponsors; Financial sponsors and gifts-in-kind sponsors. I would love to have a $5000 Title Sponsor for the Rhythm Tent. That sponsor would receive tons of recognition and be contributing and supporting my whole personal mission of drumming with the diversity of this great community. If you know of any person, company, or foundation that would like to be financially involved, please, please, please let me know. And, if that person would rather remain anonymous instead of getting all the well-deserved attention, we can do that.

As Drum Magic grows in this community, so do you. Your gifts do not go without notice. It is your efforts that allow hundreds of less fortunate people in our communities to enjoy that feeling of banging on that drum. If that makes just one more child, handicapped person or unfortunate soul be able to smile just once,

well then, we've done our jobs.

Thanks for all you do!

Jana

Me and the YMCA

2006-07-30T18:58:37Z

I have just returned from the General Assembly of the YMCA. This event happens only once every 5 years and this year was in Nashville, Tennessee. I was fortunate enough to have earned this privilege by serving at my local YMCA and receiving volunteer of the year. The YMCA is my charity of choice. I believe in it's mission. I am still amazed at the number of folks that are positively touched by the efforts of our local YMCA's. It is not only a pleasure to volunteer for this organization, it's an honor.

The event was held at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville. That is 54 acres of bliss with it's own convention center. 5500 volunteers and staff, from throughout the 50 states and beyond, gathered for one of the most community inspiring events of my life. Speakers ranging from Dr. Phil to Cokie Roberts enlightened us with their wisdom and YMCA stories. The experience was awesome.

Take the time to visit your local YMCA. See what you can do to help your community through service at the YMCA. The pay-off is almost overwhelming. www.tampaymca.org/

DCF Business Camp Intensive

2006-07-24T17:47:51Z

It has been a dream of mine, since sitting in on a panel discussion for Drum Circle Facilitators, to share what I've done here in Tampa with others that want to make it their own potential careers. I have thought for some time now that Drum Magic is a wonderful model to teach from. My only goal all along has been to get more people drumming and certainly by teaching 8 others to do what I'm doing in their own towns, I am accomplishing that goal.

So is born, the first of it's kind ever, intensive on building a Drum Circle Facilitators business. It's not really for hobby drummers. They might find this a bit too serious. It's for the motivated individual whoo thinks they are ready to leap into this work. I think more people should have my job. I often wonder why more don't. Maybe it's because they are unsure how to do it. On the home page of my website, there is a link to the program announcement. If you know of anyone that might be interested, please forward the link. Only 8 slots will be filled.

Stay safe during the start of another school year. I hope to drum with you all in the weeks to come.

Jana

Drumming with the Staff at Alpha House

2006-07-15T11:32:50Z

Sometimes I am not aware of the group I will be drumming with until I get to the location. In the case of Alpha House of Tampa, I really had no idea. I was hired by a participant in a Downtown Tampa Rotary drumming demonstration I did a few months ago. I do these free demonstrations often and I really never know what will come from them. My summer is filled with so many diverse groups that sometimes I do not have the time to research the group before I get there. All I knew is that it was called Alpha House of Tampa.

Well, what a pleasant surprise. After an amazing team-building experience with the staff of Alpha House, I immediately went to their website to find out who they are. The drumming was so connected and so cohesive, I knew that these woman had spent some significant and meaningful time together. So, I looked it up and here is what I found:

The Vision:

To provide opportunities for pregnant and parenting women in crisis to create promising lives for themselves and their babies.

The Mission:

To empower pregnant and parenting women in crisis to realize their ability to break the cycles of poverty and abuse and create promising lives for themselves and their babies.

In 1978, this question provoked volunteers to start a modest outreach program that offered baby clothes, toys and food to pregnant moms in crisis. This program quickly evolved into a licensed 7 bed residential shelter by 1981. Today, Alpha House offers a 20 bedroom maternity home and transitional housing for 16 mothers with babies who don’t have a safe place to go after the birth of their child. We are the only licensed maternity home in Hillsborough County.

Alpha House seeks to empower pregnant and parenting women in crisis to realize their ability to break the cycles of poverty and abuse and create promising lives. We do this by providing safe housing, education and counseling, parenting and life skills training, vocational assistance and spiritual support.

If you are interested in learning more about this incredible group of people in Tampa and want to know more, check out their website at http://www.alphahouseoftampa.org/ . There are many opportunities for you to support and/or volunteer for this organization.

I can not wait to return to this group and drum with them again. It was a true highlight in my week. Just another reason why I love my job!

Drumming with the Children of Migrant Farmworkers

2006-07-05T21:23:31Z

Today was a day I always enjoy each summer. It's one of the 2 days every summer that I drum with the children at Beth-El Farmworkers Ministries in Wimauma. The children range in age from kindergarten to 5th graders and take a 2 week back to school camp at the mission. This is my 3rd year helping with this project and some of the children have drummed with me all 3 years. My favorite today was a young man who said that the first year he drummed with me, he had his drum taken away from him, the second year he was the best drummer in the class and this year he's a camp counselor bringing the other children in for the drumming program. Each child gets to play djembe' with me and sing all of my favorite drumming tunes. I always ask for dancers and it still surprises me how the boys jump right up and the girls wont dance.

So, after each class, I would open the door of the sanctuary and greet the next class. The class I last finished with goes outside to play. But, when the counselors would ask them what they wanted to play it was always soccer or kick ball or basketball. Well, the same answer came out each time...we don't have any balls. So I finished up my last class, packed up the trailer and headed right over to wal-mart. For less than $20 I bought 2 soccer balls, a bouncy ball, and a basketball and went right back to the mission. I imagine that those will be good for now but when I return on July 17th, I'll be bringing a few more.

Why do I say this? Well, sometime you might be at K-mart or Wal-mart or some other mart and see one of those huge bins filled with balls. You might want to grab a few and bring them to your local mission. It's summer camp time and they all need stuff. And, it feels really good to see those kids kicking and throwing and running and jumping. You know why? Because when they don't have the stuff they need, they just sit there.

Another great day at work! Badabaday...Jana

Fathers Day

2006-06-19T19:52:44Z

It's my hopes that everyone recognizes Fathers Day. Hopefully, you either have a Father or are a Father or know a Father. I'm a lucky one...I have a Father. He's the best Father I could have ever hoped for and he's a huge Drum Magic supporter...probably because I'm his daughter. I never want to waste any of our time together. It seems so long between visits. This year I got him a Fathers journal. I hope he takes the time to fill it out. It's like a storybook of his life. He sort of poo-poo'd the thought at first but then I begged him to do it and he said he would.

My dad has never drummed. He has seen quite a bit of drumming. He has been to many drumming functions I have facilitated, but, he's not hit the drum. I wonder if he ever will? It's ok if he doesn't. I still know he knows how much happiness I have found doing it and I know he sees the faces of the drummers in the circle. I wonder what he's thinking?

If you have a dad, ask him to fill out a Fathers journal for you. If you are a dad, fill one out for your kids to have. If you don't have a dad and are not a dad, you can borrow mine. He's a great dad and i'd gladly share him.

The Ophelia Project

2006-06-18T12:40:32Z

Have you heard of The Ophelia Project? This is the 3rd year I have been involved, through drumming, with this project. I call them "The Girls" and this week I have drummed with "The Girls" a few times. I can't help but believe that all girls in our communities should go through the Ophelia camps. I wish there had been an Ophelia Project when I was growing up. Here is the projects mission statement:

Mission
To inspire an emotionally, physically and socially safe culture for all girls by promoting gender-specific best practices in youth programs, community education and professional training, and through the coordination of community resources. http://www.tampaymca.org/ophelia/index.htm

The girls are so wonderful to drum with. They transform into confident little girls right before my very eyes. They concentrate, they ask important questioins, they engage willingly, they laugh and smile. So much of my time is spent with boys and young men. It is truly a pleasure to work with the opposite energy. And, as different as the sexes are as adults, they are equally as different as children.

My newest goal is to drum with all the girls in Hillsborough County. And, what's next? To drum with all the foster children in Hillsborough County. Boy, will I be busy!

Keep drumming, my cyber-friends, keep drumming! Jana

Drumming at the Beach

2006-06-12T13:17:13Z

Last night I had the best time drumming at the beach at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa. Yes, it's a sanctuary for Big Cats in a place you would least expect to find it. And, overlooking this beautiful preserve is an area of sand called "the beach". It was a fundraiser on the full moon with friends and volunteers of the sanctuary enjoying a potluck meal, fire dancers, and drumming.

Carole Baskin, the heart and soul behind this sanctuary, asked me if I had ever drummed for an audience of lions and tigers. Clearly, the answer was no. But, after last night, I will always remember looking over the lake and seeing this beautiful, enormous cat, staring intently to the drumming. I laughed and laughed at the screeching peacock that sang and screeched during our drum circle. It was as if he was singing along.

If you haven't been to Big Cat Rescue, make reservationas and go on the tour. It is an incredible place and worthy of your time and money. Maybe next time I'll see you there. I will be at The Fur Ball again this year at A la Carte Pavillion on October 13th. It is their annual fundraiser for the Cats.

Have a great week and remember “You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.”...John Wooden.

See www.bigcatrescue.org.

Community Drumming in Tampa

2006-05-31T20:22:25Z

I was honored yesterday to be the guest presenter at The Tampa Rotary Club. It was an amazing group of business men and woman whom make a difference in peoples lives. The best part is, I got to drum with them...for their first time. It was a great example of community drumming in Tampa. Drumming can be used for so many things but first and foremost, it brings together a community. Here were these poor "volunteers" being sent to the front of the room (nearly 150 people) to drum together. Not only did they rise to the occassion, they smiled and laughed and played together like they had played together for years. And, thats how the drum brings people together.

Drumming in Tampa wasn't easy to find when I moved here almost 5 years ago. It took a real effort to bring community drumming to an area that wasn't so familar with it. There wasn't any opportunities for non-drummers to try it and certainly no team-building programs that included hand drumming. Now when I drum with a new group, as I did with the Tampa Rotary yesterday, There is always a few people that say "wait a minute, I've drummed with you before". That's when I know I'm doing my work.

Can I bring my drums to your community?

Jana

Drum Tuning

2006-05-26T13:47:56Z

Seems as though every year, right after school is out and the rainy season begins, the fleet of drums is in dire need of tuning. All those little hands and all those humid days. On December 31st, every drum was unloaded at Straub Park, in the moist grass and heavy dewy fog for First Night St. Pete. A wonderful gig with thousands of people and ended with 100 wet drum heads.

Anyway, now is tuning time. It's a process that always brings so many thoughts in my head. One thought that repeats yearly is "why not fiberskin heads?" Then, I complete tuning one and remember the wonderful sound of goatskin and that thought quickly passes. The actual process feels like therapy to me. Each skin is different and responds differently to my pulling and tugging. I have developed a real system now and my favorite part is that final test of the sound before tying off the remaining rope. There is nothing like instant gratification!

If you want your drum tuned, just ask. I don't charge money for tuning drums...just a coffee or smoothie when the time is right.

Have a safe holiday!

The Drum Lady

Summer

2006-05-21T14:16:06Z

Summer is much different for Drum Magic than all other seasons. School age kids become camp kids, teenagers become counselors, business grown-ups become company picnic and retreat grown-ups. There are some things that do not change in the summer. The seniors in the senior centers do not change in the summer and the youth offenders don't change a bit. I do get the opportunity to drum more with these two groups in the summer because my schedule frees up so much after school's out. I also think that these particular groups benefit the most from Drum Magic.

Seniors are such a wealth of wisdom in our communities. Sometimes the seniors I am privlidged to drum with, have fallen into a quiet, deep place within themselves and it makes it more challenging to understand the gifts they have in there. When I drum with them, they appear to awaken that quiet side. The louder and quicker the pulse gets, the more they respond and, in turn, share that beauty with everyone in the room. Some will sing, some dance, some seem to go back to a time when they were performers, some just smile. It still amazes me to witness the transformation. How lucky am I?

The youth offenders are some of the most powerful drummers I get to work with. They have a playful energy that is always on the move. Some might view this as too much; in terms of volume, speed, movement and vocalizing. What it does to me inside the center of the circle is hard to describe. It only happens in youth facilities. I try to stay totally aware of the boys and what is taking place. There are always other adults in the room and that is a good thing. Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the feelings and actually use the power in the room to hold me up. There have been many occasions when I actually felt light headed and faint.

My hopes is that someone will want to study these groups of people. I would love to do the drumming while someone else documents the results and publishes the results. Imagine knowing what happens to seniors and youth offenders after I leave. How does it change their behavior, their awareness, their study habits, their sleep habits. What if drumming was found to be a tool for rehabilitation, for memory stimulation, for anger management?

Is anyone out there?

Badabaday!

jana

The End of School

2006-05-15T00:21:32Z

I spent a little time today reflecting on this school year. It's kind of strange since I'm not a teacher or a school age person...but, I do spend a lot of time in schools. This school year I calculated an estimate of 7500 school children that I drummed with. What an incredible number! 7500 hundred kids. If only those drums could talk and describe each pair of hands that touched those skins.

I remember how I use to feel right before the end of school. And, I can feel that same energy in each school I have entered these last few weeks. Everyone from teachers to custodians..from first graders to graduating seniors can't wait until the last day of school. This year...I'm gonna miss the kids and all the schools and all those little hands beating on those skins. I know, I get to drum at summer camps and beach parties but nothing is like watching one class line up while the others wait for their turn to enter the drum circle.

At the end of the school day, when I lay down to sleep, I can still hear those kids laughing and waving "badabaday, drum lady, badabaday!"

I still just love my job...

A Drum Gathering

2006-05-01T13:17:21Z

It's called Paralounge Drum Gathering and it happens twice a year. This past weekend was my second of many to come. It started as a small gathering and has grown-up in many positive ways. It is held at The Spirit of the Suannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida. This is a magical area of our country that clearly holds all the incredible gifts that nature has to offer...fresh air, trees, foilage and flowers, rivers and ponds, dirt and sand, and animals.

The folks that put this together are what keeps it so special. They are tireless in their efforts to make the experience as welcoming to all as it can be...and that is one great gift to the community. My hats go off to Clint and Sharee who truly are the heartbeat of the event. I drummed with this community and feel a part of this community. Put it on your calendar for November and April each year. Bring the family, bring your camping gear, leave your worries at home, and don't miss this incredible event.

Thank you Paralounge and thank you Universe for introducing us..

Ashe'

Jana

I love my job!

2006-04-20T01:37:10Z

I had to miss my favorite class last night. It's the class at MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) that happens every Tuesday night at 7pm. I bet I look forward to it as much as the students do each week. Thanks to Bari who rose to the occassion and led the class for the first time.

I had to be recognized by the Tampa Metro YMCA as the Brandon Volunteer of the Year. I have to admit that I feel a bit guilty for accepting an award for something I love to do. It's so easy to help families in need. It's so easy to give to an organization that gives backpacks full of supplies to kids that can't afford them. How hard can it be to go to the Migrant Family Christmas Party and carry groceries and gifts for them? The thing I like the best about volunteering for the YMCA...they hardly ever dress up! Shorts and t-shirts are the common dress and that has always appealed to me.

And today...two great corporate teambuilding events. First with Leadership Brandon and then with Hewitt Corporation in Orlando. Both events were filled with laughter and joy and filled me up with great pride for what can happen when a group comes together in a rhythm based event.

Have I said this lately? I LOVE MY JOB!!!

Welcome to my Weblog

2006-04-16T14:40:59Z

Hello everyone,

This is Jana and you can check out my blog right here for my personal comments and updates about whats going on with DrumMagic.

April is only halfway over and it has been filled with exciting drumming events already. My web-guy Rob has already done a great job updating the photos on the website. There are lots of new things to look at including pictures from the Tampa Bay Community Rhythm Festival and The Atlanta Dogwood Festival.

Great news for all personal and business clients. You can now pay for all your drumming right through the website with your VISA or MASTERCARD. You can find the link on the homepage or on the contact page.

So, that's todays update. I'm so glad you checked in. Now get out there and DRUM!!

Badabaday, my friends...

Jana