Drum circle to hit Trout Creek
TROUT CREEK – Students, teachers, friends, families and communities sit down and form a circle and each member of the circle has a drum. They begin to play, softly at first but the music steadily grows. Each individual listens to the others as they work together on the beat, united in rhythm.
On Tuesday, April 8 at 4 p.m. the troupe DRUMatic Innovation will visit the Trout Creek School. DRUMatic Innovation specializes in bringing people together through the power of drum circles. They provide the drums and the guidance but the music will come from the community.
Michael Clark of Sandpoint, Idaho will be orchestrating the event. He is a professional drum circle facilitator and has worked with more than 400 schools and over 100,000 students. According to Clark, there are several valuable lessons to learn from participating in a drum circle.
“Drum circles naturally improve the comprehension of respect, inclusion and cooperation while at the same time encouraging creativity through proactive participation,” Clark said. “Listening and communication skills are also enhanced as well as confidence and self-esteem.”
The special visit is part of the After-School Program. The Trout Creek School received the 21st Century Learning Center Grant a couple years back. The purpose of the grant is to make further enrichment available after school hours for the students. The drum circle was one of many ideas for the students thought up by Program-Coordinator Gabrielle Ohning.
Ohning has made it her personal mission to show the students what lies beyond Trout Creek.
“Because Trout Creek is so small and remote, I really try to expose the kids to as much culture as possible,” Ohning said.
The After School Program has served to open the students’ eyes to various cultures around the world. There was a German themed event a few months back and some of the students still remember the German words they learned.
The After School Program tries to meet every week and they have one or two big events every month, so Ohning is constantly looking for new ideas for educational and cultural activities the students might enjoy. She discovered DRUMatic Innovation during one of her general searches.
“I wanted some other cultural event for our children so I went surfing on the internet and found it by accident,” Ohning said. “That is how I find most of these things.”
The DRUMatic Innovation program appealed to Ohning for several reasons. No musical ability is required to participate and the troupe owns over 500 drums so everyone who wishes to join in is able to. The art form itself also appealed to Ohning.
“It is a way of expression that transcends age. The younger children, older children and adults can learn and participate,” Ohning said. “It is cultural as well as educational”
Ohning also saw the drum circle as a way to bond with their sister community, Noxon. The two have worked together before. The Trout Creek and Noxon schools did the summer swimming program together last year. Ohning thought this would be another opportunity to come together as a community. Anyone from the surrounding communities is also welcome to attend.