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, July 24, 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.
“All children are artists,” said Pablo Picasso.
The problem, he explained, is how they can remain artists once they grow up.
The drumming class is infused with an atmosphere of freedom, allowing us to lose ourselves in play and to get in touch with our childlike, artistic nature.
Give this a try; echo each line: I said a boom chicka boom/ I said a boom chicka boom/ I said a boom chicka rocka chicka rocka chicka boom/ Oh yeah/ Alright/ One more time.
Call and response chants like “Boom Chicka Boom” remind us how to be playful in our self-expression. Besides giving us permission to stay connected with our childlike sense of fun, this chant has a tricky syncopation, lending itself to intricate hand-drumming and body percussion improvisation.
Call and response is a very old technique used in music all over the world. In combination with rhythmic activities, these songs encourage group singing, and develop musical skills and an appreciation for how music has been used for thousands of years.
Like a runner’s high, group drumming releases the brain’s own feel-good chemicals. Sparking happy brain reactions, group drumming is its own reward. It’s an activity based on positive interactions in which enthusiasm spreads to everyone involved.
The Pagosa hand-drumming class is a down-home, spirit-lifting hootenanny that encourages participants to be creative.
I said a Bzzzz chicka Bzzzz/ I said a Bzzzz chicka Bzzzz/ I said a Bzzzz flower nectar pollen honey chicka Bzzzz/ Oh yeah/ Alright/ One more time.
For more information, call 731-3117. The Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse is located at 230 Port Ave.
