The concept of drum circle is gradually gaining its popularity in India, with more and more companies and individuals looking for more creative form of self-expression. People engagement, from organization to families, is a growing need and drum circle is one of the innovative approaches to facilitate it.
Nikita Dudani and Saloni Gandhi met Rujul Vora, an Ahmedabad based drummer who pioneered The Drum Circle in Ahmedabad, The Drum Circle
Rujul Vora is an Ahmedabad based Drummer, CEO and Founder of ‘The Drum Circle’ (Ahmedabad)
“We are a team of 12, some are trained musicians and some belong to non-music fields”, says Rujul.
“It is a non-classroom concept, ofcourse. It brings people together and makes them to the tune of their heart. Our sessions focus channelizing emotions of the audience”, he adds.
Drum circle, as a form of art, is a great way to communicate non-verbally. It has become a popular employee engagement activity in quiet a few corporate and rehabilitation centers.
“We wanted to provide a medium for people to vent out their emotions – happy or otherwise, even without being professionally trained in drumming”, says Rujul, who founded The Drum Circle in 2014.
“The drum circle offers equality because there is no head or tail. It includes people of all ages. The main objective is to share rhythm and get in tune with each other and themselves. To form a group consciousness. To entertain and resonate. By entertainment, I mean that a new voice, a collective voice, emerges from the group as they drum together”
-Mickey Hart
What inspired him to start The Drum Circle?
“This is a product of my years at FLAMES institute in Pune and at DOMUS Academy in Milan. I was pursuing my Masters degree in Business Design in the later where the culture of weekend fun at squares was prevalant. The Drum circle struck me one afternoon after I came back from Milan. I realized how I could use my passion for drumming and fascination for human interaction together and create something that could benefit people. It allowed to me to interact with any age group and bind them together by the string of unadulterated fun in group – drumming”
Sessions by The Drum Circle are often very spontaneous.It is important that the facilitator can read people well. People are called up at random and others are asked to drum aligning with the vibe of the person on stage.
“Once I called out a girl at random to come on stage. I asked everyone to play their drums as she laughed. The pace of their drumming and her laughter were naturally in sync”, Rujul says adding that his sole motivation comes from the connect he develops with his audience.
Rujul believes that stress always passes from one person to other unless somewhere by someone, the chain is broken. “Communication – Verbal and non-verbal is very important – be in corporate or relationships.Using drumming as a medium, we try to channelize energies and align people with each other’s emotions”, he adds.
Corporate drum circle and ‘The Drum Circle Social’ are one of the major programs facilitated by the team.
Talking of challenges, Rujul shares that finding a Jam Base has been one of the most difficult part of setting up The Drum Circle.
“I didn’t face difficulties in particular, or may be I did, but I know how to tackle them”, he concludes.
The next drum circle for all age groups begins on World Music Day – 21st June 2015. Rujul Vora and his team can be reached out on: +91 9898569565 and/or their Facebook page.
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