Welcome, you belong here...

Drum and song go together since way back. So many of our ancestral cultures drew upon the primordial power of singing in community, and drumming, dancing, praying in community as an essential way of life. Between then and now, many atrocities, violences, and control or shame-based ideology have severed us from this rhythm language, this birthright, this way that we knew. So it can feel complicated to find our way back to it, especially in the colonial context we are all still recovering from.

But I believe it is possible and vital.

So how do we hold our birthright to rhythm and, at the same time, hold well the historical realities? I've been living into this humble learning as a non-Black POC drum instructor playing African diasporic drums who both has been saved by rhythm and has also seen the harm of cultural appropriation. It is in my heart and work to find ways to reconnect people with rhythm through reverent, relationship-based, reciprocal ways with drums and their lineages and to work with what we have in summoning unity through the diversity and complexity.

The skill of drumming and singing at the same time is no joke! But just like anything we want to grow in, step-by-step, with guidance and practice, it's possible. You may be interested in being able to drum to lead ceremony, healing circles, community singing, or street actions. You may be interested in drumming for personal meditation, journeying, or just the joy of it. In this introductory workshop, it is my hope to make steps toward your calling not only attainable but also rich with tools and understanding.

This is the heart of this offering, now here are the hands...

We’ll connect with a variety of drums and presence their origins while we reflect on our own ancestries. We'll work on identifying two main tones, slowly building our capacity to weave in our voices while we drum. We will then learn 2-3 community songs with pre-arranged drum parts for varying skill levels. You can choose between the more complex and simpler parts. In this way, we will enjoy the multi-layering of our voices and the sweet satisfaction of interlocking rhythms: a beautiful musical metaphor for a way forward. Yes, we'll be up to some serious learning, but we'll also be up to some seriously good fun. :)

If you are down for all this, please join me!

Please bring a drum, if you can (even if you have to borrow one)! We will focus on drums that use our hands and that can generate a low and high tone. Two-handed, single-handed, and single mallet drums are welcome. We will have a few extra to share. If you cannot access a drum, please still join us! We'll rotate and share with what we have.

This offering is geared toward adults but youth ages 6 and over are welcome with adult supervision at all times.

In this container:

No matter your race, ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, size, neurodivergence, abilities, or housing status, you are not only welcome and wanted here, you belong here.

Specific studio location (at CPFA):

Black Box 112w

Evening flow:

Arrive and settle in: 5:30-6pm

Drumming: 6-8pm

Cost:

Regular Ticket: $35-75 sliding scale

Youth Ticket (ages 6-17): $20 >> enter Access Code: YOUTH

BIPOC* Scholarship available. Contact host.

*Black, Indigenous, or Person of Color (including mixed race) who cannot hide their non-whiteness, whether through skin color, name, accent, or physical features, and who experiences a particular kind of other-ing, discrimination, and disadvantage that white or white-presenting folks do not experience.

Land and people acknowledgment:

This event is taking place on the unceded territory of the Dakota people.

Accessibility:

This venue is ADA accessible.

Please let us know if there are any other ways we can support your access to this offering.

Parking:

Street parking.

Community care:

This event is indoors! Come without Covid symptoms. You are welcome to mask and distance to your own comfort level.

What will be provided:

Water

Chairs

Restroom facilities

What to bring:

A drum (if you can)

A water bottle

Any cushions and layers to help your body feel comfortable

Your rhythm guide:

Shireen Amini (non-binary using she/her in English, elle in Spanish) is a queer, second-generation Puerto Rican-Iranian American, Earth-loving song creator, rhythm maker, and community facilitator based on unceded indigenous land* aka Portland, Oregon. She carries a deep commitment to a more just and thriving world and believes strongly in music’s vital role in propelling forward the cultural revolution needed to bring this vision to life.

Shireen received her B.A. in Ethnomusicology at UCLA with a focus in Afro-Latin percussion and in 2005, studied abroad in Cusco, Perú where she learned how to play the Afro-Peruvian cajón. Since, Shireen has also studied drum circle facilitation with Arthur Hull, the father of the drum circle movement, and received a certificate in Sound, Voice, and Music Healing from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. She has over 15 years of experience as an accompanying percussionist and in facilitating youth and adult drumming groups. Most importantly, for over a decade, Shireen has developed her own experiential practice of drumming for trauma healing, energy cleansing, and access to spiritual insight. She is honored to share her knowledge and skills and invite deepened connection to the drum as it may serve others on their own path toward healing and empowerment.

*the original territory of the Multnomah, Wasco, Cowlitz, Kathlamet, Clackamas, Bands of Chinook, Tualatin, Kalapuya, Molalla, Grande Ronde and many more tribes

Artist website: shireenamini.com

Community offerings: shireenaminimusicmedicine.com