ATPF/NCL Girls Drum Circle
I had the pleasure of leading the ATPF/NCL girls drum circle with Shannon Flaherty last February in Solana Beach. The moment we arrived everyone gave us a very warm greeting, and were very eager to help Shannon and I set up all of the drums. The drum circle was held in the back patio of the Solana Beach Center for Healthy Lifestyle, which proved to be a great atmosphere to have a drum circle. Shannon and I started with a hello song, and then quickly segued into a drumming experience that challenged the group’s attention skills. This was done by having the group drum when we were playing, and then to stop drumming when we unexpectedly stopped the music. Everyone was very successful with this experience! Shannon and I also utilized different drumming experiences such as playing the syllables of each participant’s name, and by having participants come up in front of the group and leading the drum circle! At first, some of the participants were a little apprehensive with standing up in front of the group. Once they started to give the group different drum cues, it was wonderful to see how their enthusiasm increased with every cue they gave. It was also noticeable, how the group became more and more motivated to engage with every following intervention. Everyone was so enthusiastic and eager to participate. Shannon and I both had so much fun with the ATPF/NCL girls drum circle in Solana Beach! Autism Tree Project Foundation is a wonderful organization, and I highly recommended checking into their upcoming events. You can see what’s happening by going to www.autismtreeproject.org, and click on news & events, and then scroll down to upcoming events!
-Brandon Wright
