Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Women, Drums, and Social Justice

I like to keep up with all of the wonderful things that Miranda Rondeau does. She's an amazing drummer and a wonderful, generous human being.

Browsing her Facebook page, I came across this article that really sums up the power of the drum in the hands of the socially conscious.

Read about how this group of lower caste Hindu women were empowered through the drum and how they leveraged their new-found strength and unity to protect women in abusive situations.


An inspiring read, for sure.

Along similar lines, I have been working for the last several weeks with Rowan Storm to build a local women's rhythmic ensemble. She facilitated a frame drum intensive a little over three weeks ago that left a small band of 15 women very inspired.

Will that inspiration be enough to bring these women into a committed relationship with one another and the drum? Will they blaze an opening for joy, power, and social justice through the universal language of rhythm? Will they break through the silent societal barriers that restrict imagination to only that which is immediately acceptable?

Whether taken up today or later, the drum is there, a holy tool ready to bring so much to those bold enough to strike it.