The Rhythm of Community

by Madison Asher

What does community feel like? We use the word often and I wonder what comes up if we dig deeper into what we mean. What converts a gathering into a community? A major influence lives in the relationship between the members, more so than within the members themselves. Relational value is at the heart of community. We relate to a single person, to a group of other people and then back to ourselves. How do we at RhythmetriX start to notice the invisible, formless space that glues the members of a community together? We put drums there. When we do it with drums, we start to hear the space that exists between members that otherwise might appear invisible to us.

Sure you can play a drum on your own and it can feel and sound good. Yet relationships are not static, so we can practice deepening them by using dynamic rhythms. We add another person - via another drum - into the experience and suddenly the musicality grows exponentially. Rhythms on each side can stay foundational and grounded and still produce an inspiring musical experience. That’s the power of relationship that gives community the essence we mean when we use the word. Let’s discover more about how we show up and encounter community and let’s do it in a way we can hear each other in real time – through the power of drums.