The Weekly Feed: Experimentation Edition
Morning Roundup: Change Edition
Former Blade Staffers Launch 'DC Agenda'
D.C. Insurance Dept. Denies Birth Control Coverage Meddling
D.C. Unemployment Rate Reaches 11.9 Percent
Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart wrote in his excellent book, Drumming at the Edge of Magic, that "[w]ords are so inadequate at capturing the spirit of percussion." One need only go to Malcolm X Park on any given Sunday to see the indescribable and spiritual effect drumming and rhythm can have on the receptive listener. Unfortunately, access to this experience is not universal. Any glance at a your average drum circle, high school marching band, or list of drummers at a music festival reveals a glaring absence: women.
Many still see female percussionists as a novelty, despite the trailblazing efforts of a few very well known players, and many more who are not so well known. Through some unfortunate combination of simple prejudice and deep rooted social mores, drumming remains "a man's game." But the problem is more than another example of gender inequity. The status quo means that women are denied the sense of self, and community, that drumming can instill more effectively than many other avocations.
"Drumming requires that one be completely present in that moment.," said Kristen Arant, a local percussionist and performance artist. "In that way, it's meditative, restorative, revitalizing and energizing."
Arant is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Young Women's Drumming Empowerment Project (YWDEP, pronounced why-dep). Arant herself discovered drumming during a period of flux in her own life. A music major during her early college years, Arant's goals changed when she became an "impassioned" community activist. She was eventually given a drum as a gift, and its effect was transformative.
"[The drum] signaled a great shift in my life, basically the beginning of the end of my tragically low self esteem," Arant said. "It served as an outlet for my depression and anger, for starters, along with a terrific accompaniment to street activism."
A subsequent disillusionment with her career led Arant to teaching drumming workshops in schools. She noticed that, especially among adolescent youth, girls were timid about drumming with the boys. Arant decided to separate the girls out, and the young ladies "rocked, and they loved it." With encouragement from YWDEP co-founder and managing director Alexandra Silverthorne, Arant applied for an arts grant from the District. In the summer of 2005, six young women from across D.C. participated in a weekly 12-session workshop, led by local female artists, in team building, African hand drumming, poetry, song writing, rhythms, theater/movement, performance technique and staging. The summer culminated in showcases, to which the response was so powerful that YWDEP began receiving performance requests, one of which was for comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory's birthday.
YWDEP's summer program just completed its fifth run, with students participating in over 30 performances every year. The group has several upcoming shows, the first of which is this Saturday's global festival, Earthdance, whose local iteration will benefit YWDEP. The ensemble also has upcoming performances at the D.C. Arts Center, Georgetown University, and American University, all in October.
Despite all of this momentum, YWDEP still faces challenges. As with any arts organization, funding is always an issue, and there is a dire need for a vehicle to transport equipment and performers to shows. Arant also noted that YWDEP is always seeking volunteers.
Even with these obstacles, Arant has high hopes for YWDEP's future, hoping to eventually serve up to 50 young women at a time.
"I see a solid foundation from which we can build programming that fosters wellness for the whole-selves of girls, rooted in the arts, with drumming as its epicenter," she said.
For more information on the Young Women's Drumming Empowerment Project's upcoming performances, or information on how to get involved, visit the YWDEP website.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
Karen Carpenter always thought of herself as a drummer who also sang. And her early studio drumming is pretty tight. Stepping out from behind the kit and into the vocalist spotlight was her undoing. Let that be a lesson to you all.
Your erudition never fails to impress.
and i'm happy that i just learned what erudition means!
What about that chick who played with Jack White?
What about Batala? I've seen them perform at a few different events. Those women look like they are having lots of fun, enough that I've wanted to track them down and join in!