Layne shared that she had been traveling the world, visiting museums, documenting photos, and organizing private photographic archives that detailed what would turn out to be a prolific artistic motif—that of a woman with her frame drum or sacred drum. The images she found appeared in every artistic medium—from painting to bas-relief to clay statue to amulet to Egyptian hieroglyph and so on.

Layne went on to say that she was writing a book nearing completion titled “When the Drummers Were Women—A Spiritual History of Rhythm.”

Upon learning that in ancient times and up into the modern, there was a worldwide poly-cultural practice, with women of every skin color from almost every culture playing the frame drum in their rituals, rites of passage, prayers, religious ceremonies, and celebrations I felt amazed that this information was all but unknown in many areas of the world and yet included almost every continent and spanned the globe.

And finally, it all seemed to make sense! - My strong call to pursue the drum and the ‘seeking’ and ‘searching’ for some rhythmic connection I had yet to understand. 

Layne also shared that she had witnessed time and again in women from all walks of life, backgrounds, and belief systems that so many would share a feeling of recognition, even something akin to reclamation or remembrance, when they would see the hundreds of artistic images showing a woman or Goddess from the ancient days playing her frame drum.

From that point on, I apprenticed myself to Layne and her prolifc and generous teaching of the frame drum including the fascinating ancient feminine global history, stories and myths from the ancient mystery schools, priestessehoods and temples combined with an International modern fusion of frame drumming techniques and traditional rhythms passed down to Layne from her teachers and their teachers perhaps back and back to the very first drummers and timekeepers that used rhythm and drumming as instruments for transforming consciousness and organizing culture.

Soon after meeting Layne, I put away my drumsticks, gave away my drum set, and began to focus my musical studies and independent research exclusively on learning the art and history of the frame drum over my lifetime. I apprenticed myself to Layne, eventually becoming dear friends for the next 14 years at every opportunity until Layne's passing in 2014.

Friends began to ask me to gather women and people in circles to learn the technical arts and practice of frame drumming and its global sacred history in natural settings, on retreats, and in the cities.

Requests began to arise for me to play my frame drum for people in hospice, at the end of life, and those dying from cancer.

I was asked and enlisted to play my frame drum by sacred waters during ceremonies, at elderhood rites of passage, and for modern temple dancers.

I played my drum for bereaved parents and pregnant mothers at their blessing ways and for youth and children to help calm and relax them.

The frame drum accompanied me to wakes and other life ceremonies where people requested the soothing, melodic, and often harmonic sounds of the frame drum or sacred drum.

My apprenticeship and, eventually, friendship with the late Layne Redmond opened doors for understanding, kinship, connection, and worlds of possibility.

I met Layne at a time in my life when I felt almost devoid of self-esteem in relation to navigating life and the world. As a result, I was in the throes of recurrent depression and what seemed to be a years-long “dark night of the soul.”

I had prayed for a mentor or guide to help me navigate a world that often seemed confusing, overwhelming, and harsh. I longed to be closer to caring, competent humans and kindred, creative souls.

I began assisting Layne at her workshops and, through my ongoing studies, eventually became one of the educators among many wonderful others whom Layne encouraged to carry on the teachings, rhythms, and archival images of the frame drum. Layne’s dying wish was that even more would follow...

A SYNERGISTIC BLEND

My studies and apprenticeships led me to a synergistic blend of modalities, including Yogic philosophy, Permaculture, Hatha yoga, ecology, music, rhythm, ancient mythology, drumming, and sound healing.

These disciplines and philosophies inform each other and create a unique synthesis that weaves through all the teachings.

As referenced above, I have in-depth training, multiple certifications and accreditations, and long-term personal apprenticeships in a variety of complementary subjects and disciplines. 

RESEARCH AND STUDIES