By Paul Roberts
Special to The PREVIEW
Join musician and music therapist Paul Roberts for a free hand-drumming class at the Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse on Tuesday, June 12, at noon.
The class offers a welcoming environment that encourages fun, creativity, playfulness and connecting with others. Drums are provided for those who do not have one. Designed as an opportunity for people of all ages to unleash their creativity, the drumming class is a family-friendly activity open to all ages. No previous experience is necessary.
Musical structures such as melody, harmony, tonality, rhythm, meter and form are absorbed naturally through an easygoing pedagogical method that integrates hand-drumming, singing, body percussion, air drumming and music from around the world.
Being in the zone, in the flow, or in the groove refers to a state of consciousness that occurs during intense engagement in an activity. There are best-selling books and seminars available on how to be in this creative mind state, and there are fields of study devoted to it.
Perhaps it’s helpful to know that in the flow state the brain goes into transient hypofrontality, in which the prefrontal cortex deactivates; that some flow experts think it’s necessary to practice for umpteen hours before having a chance to experience it. But, since this state of consciousness seems to take an end-run around some of our usual ways of thinking, developing a purely intellectual understanding may not be the quickest route to actually experiencing it.
The drumming class is centered around spontaneous musical improvisation as a direct way of getting into the groove by creating rhythms with others, to become entirely absorbed in an activity and to experience a sense of flow. It’s an activity in which many participants are surprised to discover they have musical ability.
For more information, email banjocrazy@centurytel.net or call 731-3117. The Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse is located at 230 Port Ave.
