Dear Drummers,

Welcome to you, oh wild wanderers on the road of wonder, you who know you are bigger than your worries, bigger than your envies, bigger than your fears. (You know you are, though so many voices tell you that you are a small, quivering thing and you should act like it.) Welcome, seekers after the heartbeat of the deep, oh open-armed lovers of the pulse of life. Welcome you who want the kiss of the stars, the kiss of the moonlight on the rolling hills, the kiss of the sea rolling against the sand. Welcome, you who ache to learn the next verse of “Oran Mor,” the “great song” of the universe. Welcome one and all to the drum this Friday, November 13th 7-9 PM at First Universalist Church, 34th and Dupont, in mystical uptown, Minneapolis. If you are like the rest of us, you say,” Oh I really want to make it to drumming!” and then Friday comes and some force steps in your way - inertia, tiredness, shyness, fear, and you say “Ah, well, maybe another time...” I say to you now, beautiful wanderer, do not let those inner voices keep you small! Come into the embrace of the Great Pulse! Huzzah! Wahoo! (And, of course, Whoopdeedoo!)

Wanderer, your footsteps are
the road, and nothing more;
wanderer, there is no road,
the road is made by walking.
By walking one makes the road,
and upon glancing behind
one sees the path
that never will be trod again.
Wanderer, there is no road--
Only wakes upon the sea.
(Anotnio Machado)

Many of you have asked about my winter solstice show. I’m happy to announce that I am producing it at the Minnesota Opera Center, December 18-19 (Friday-Saturday). I will have more details later but right now I’d like toss out three opportunities for you to be part of this experience.

First, I am seeking women who would like to sing, embody the Great White Reindeer Goddess and, ultimately bless the audience with rattles, drums and voice. The requirements are a decent voice, a willingness to commit to three rehearsals and two performances and learn four easy shamanic songs, and a desire to channel the energy of the female Divine through you in order to bless audience members. Yes. It’s kind of heady, and so, so cool. The whole show is all about releasing this Spirit to do its work, and the audience absolutely loves it.

Second, I am producing this event myself, which is a different process from past years. I need to put energy into marketing this event and this is another volunteer opportunity. If you have networks that you can work, marketing skills, or connections to people who would love to be involved in marketing this event, please jump in with me. The marketing budget for this event is a precise, cosmic $0, so all the marketing will be done through email, social networks and word of mouth.

Third: If you are in the position to donate money to help defray three costs, I will be amazingly grateful. The three costs are 1) rental of the performance space at about $600, paying a couple of musicians at about $600, and the purchase of a monster-sized drum (again about $600) that can be played by eight people, will knock the spiritual socks off of the audience, and then appear at random times in our regular drumming groups. If any of these opportunities for generosity interest you, please feel free to email me. Or if you want, you can donate by going to http://www.paypal.com/, click on “send money” and send it to drummingthesoulawake@gmail.com. Contributions are not tax deductible, but they are certainly spirit enhancing! Contributions of any amount are gratefully welcomed. (If you contribute the full amount of any of the three costs mentioned above, I will kiss your feet, in public, anywhere you name. Yes, I really will, I would be just that grateful and odd.)

See you soon, I hope,

Jaime


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