The Rhythm and Roots Newsletter
October 2011
This issue's articles: (scroll down to read)
Finding the Hidden Pulse
Rooted Intentions Retreat
Many Voices, One Spirit
Holiday Gift Certificate
Finding the Hidden Pulse
Rooted Intentions Retreat
Many Voices, One Spirit
Holiday Gift Certificate
Finding the Hidden Pulse
One crisp October afternoon, Conga de Comparsa, a Cuban folkloric rhythm, permeated the green outside Syracuse University's Hendricks Chapel. While some may have assumed the presence of visiting percussionists, the rhythm was brought to life by a group of university students, faculty members, and community partners. In the experience of blending rhythmic parts that seem in creative tension with one another, participants caught a glimpse of what it takes to build relationships cross-culturally. This drumming workshop served as a preview of a 12 week course and parallel community workshop Nisha will offer at Syracuse University and a partnering community site beginning in January 2012.
Rooted Intentions
What are the practices that ground and animate us? Through a guided process rooted in yoga and community drumming, women reflected on this central question at the first Rooted Intentions Retreat offered by Nisha and Mimi Budnick, an adult educator and certified yoga instructor. Body, spirit, and mind were nurtured through journaling, group dialogue, theater exercises, shared meals, and a culminating ritual of commitment to a regular practice that will foster joy and strength within ourselves for the benefit of all living beings. Please stay tuned for a 2012 retreat offering schedule!
Many Voices, One Spirit
Intergenerational multi-part singing featuring songs from South Africa, Argentina, the Cherokee people of the Americas, and the Hasidic tradition opened the annual retreat of the Londonderry United Methodist Church held at Camp Carpenter in Manchester, NH. Later in the day, youth and adults participated in a drumming workshop highlighting the roles of each instrument in a drum ensemble. After learning instrumental parts, participants decided whether they were a djun djun (anchor for the group), clave (holder of the group's collective memory), quinto (interpreter of tradition), maracas (unique perspective giver) or another instrument introduced. At the retreat's closing celebration, the gathered community lifted up rhythms and songs that celebrate our interconnectedness and the power of collective expression. Interested in inviting Nisha to help design an upcoming retreat? Click here.
Holiday Gift Certificate
Looking for a holiday gift idea? Why not give the gift of rhythm? For $40 a family member, neighbor, or colleague can enjoy a drum lesson with Nisha. For $100 a small group of three can experience the joy of drumming in community. For $128 a loved one can receive 4 1-hour lessons in which she/he learns foundational technique and rhythm styles that can be adapted to various styles of music. Call Nisha at 401-941-1371 for lesson scheduling. All proceeds will go to The Rhythm and Roots Project. Click here to partake of this offer!
