Josephine is a frame drum/handpan artist, performer, and facilitator at ‘The Rhythms Within’

Based on the San Juan Islands, WA

IT ALL STARTED WHEN…

I received my first frame drum lesson from my uncle, famed world percussionist, Jamey Haddad. It only took one lesson and I was hooked….

I’m a true sagittarian at heart-a free spirited seeker with a passion for manifesting beauty and connection in the world. In the world of healing arts I’m passionate about reiki, massage, yoga, and sound healing therapy.

My exploration and quest into the unknown post liberal arts education took me from Iceland to South Africa, Romania to Costa Rica. I traveled with small instruments (ukelele, shaker, harmonica, and mouth harp) and was amazed by how much they intrigued and connected me to people on my travels. In the flurry of traveling they helped me to stay grounded while on the road and brought a lot of joy to myself and those I met. I realized while facing the cross cultural barriers of foreign language acquisition the language I wanted to become fluent in was MUSIC!

I’ve been playing music for over 18 years. My music education started at a young age with Suzuki method for Violin. Since then my musicality has expanded to silver flute, tenor saxophone, guitar, ukelele, piano, cedar flute, frame drum, doumbek, voice, handpan and other percussion. I’m sinking into a revived spiritual connection with music as a way to help heal through creative expressive, community and meditation. I’m a songwriter and am in a musical duo with my partner with whom I travel around to intentional gatherings sharing the message of peace through music.

MY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY….

One of my missions while teaching music is to facilitate the creative expression of my students-to help them unlock places in themselves they have denied or thought didn’t exist.

Music can flow out of us effortlessly if we trust in ourselves and those witnessing us to be gentle and encouraging, when we connect to spirit, and universal life force. Blockages are bound to come up, either mental, emotional, or physical, when learning a new instrument. Therefore, I believe it’s important for that work to be done in a safe space container students are free to BE music and enter into a flow state space where parts beyond their waking consciousness can be accessed.

Part of my work is to help heal the collective wound around the feminine/female in music-to give encouragement to those who were maybe overshadowed or unsupported musically during childhood or adolescence. Our culture systemically suppresses musical expression in many ways. Often children are not allowed or encouraged to play the instrument they most desire but are given the instrument commonly associated with the gender identity. Additionally, the capitalistic music industry in our current globalized culture makes it difficult for people to understand their own relationship to music. Music streaming services and technology have created a society of passive listeners who are bred to idolize musical celebrities making them feel as if “musicians” can only be those who pack big arenas or have 1 million listens on spotify.

The healing power of making music for oneself with no expectation has limitless potential for connection and transformation.

What will it feel like to finally take in active role in the music you listen to and create?!

With rhythm it’s simple-it’s not about the most perfectly trained voice, or the fastest and most complicated patterns…

…IT IS about the transcription of the message of our hearts coming through our hands onto the drum. I believe everyone has a rhythm beating inside of them waiting to come out.

I believe that the frame drum is a very accessible portal to unlock one’s creativity. The frame drum is both grounding and ethereal, structured yet expressive. It invokes the archetype of the feminine with it’s circular, cyclical symbolism by honoring the magic and mystery of the moon cycles, menstruation, fertility and even death. Undoubtedly, it’s a transformative tool for the reclamation and rise of feminine energy on the planet. In our modern distracted society it’s a direct vehicle for helping to focus and manifest our intentions due to it’s power to induce meditative trance like states and tap into our subconscious. Drumming connects us to the bio rhythms of nature and those of our own yearning, beating, human, heart!

I’m constantly in great gratitude for the people who have opened me up to the world of music: Marla Leigh Goldstein, Jamey Haddad, and Miranda Rondeau, River Guerguerian, Laura Inserra, and of course Mother Earth-for all my musical collaborators and students who teach me along the way.

When I’m not playing music I’m hiking in the San Juan Islands, upside down on aerial silks, or simple enjoying a delicious cup of tea.

Experiential qualifications:

• Currently engaged in Intermediate/Advanced M.E.T.A. Hang Certification with sound alchemist and professional hang player Laura Inserra

• Continuing student of frame drummers Marla Leigh Goldstein, Jamey Haddad, Miranda Rondeau, River Guerguerian

• Graduate of Marla Leigh Goldstein (female frame drum specialist) Frame Drum Academy 101 and 202 (2018)

• Prajna Yoga Intensive- The Fluid Body training with Djuna Mascall Orcas Island 2018

• Sound Healing level 1 with Jeremy Sills Salt Spring Island 2017

• YTT 200 with Kula Collective Punta Mona, Costa Rica 2017

• Sounding Healing level 1 with College of Sound Healing UK 2016

• Reiki Level 1/2 with Colleen Benelli 2015

“THE RHYTHMS WITHIN IS A MOVEMENT, COLLECTIVE, AND RITUAL HONORING.

AN EXPRESSION AND CELEBRATION OF THE FEMININE IN RHYTHM

OF THE MUSICALITY ACHING TO BE CHANNELED THROUGH THE GODDESS, PRIESTESS ARCHETYPE

OF THE REPRESSED WHO ARE READY TO SPEAK

OF THE DENIED VOICE SAID TO BE “TOO MEEK”

THE RHYTHMS WITHIN IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO WOMEN BUT ENCOURAGES THE MYSTERIOUS, MAGICAL, CREATIVE FEMININE SPIRIT IN US ALL TO WAKE UP AND DANCE.

CENTERED AROUND THE ANCIENT ART OF THE FRAME DRUM WE COME TOGETHER TO REMEMBER SOMETHING OLD AND TO GIVE OURSELVES A LIFE-RENEWED BY RHYTHM”

-JOSEPHINE

THE RHYTHMS WTIHIN is based off of the work done by Layne Redmond spread through her teachings and through her book “When The Women Were Drummers: A Spiritual History of Rhythm”. Although Layne has passed her teachings live on through her many students who are encouraging women to envelop drumming into their life as a tool of remembrance of our past lives as priestesses and goddesses of ceremonies, rituals, and rites of passages. The drum is not only powerful symbolically, representing the moon cycles, menstration, and the mysteries of birth and death, but also sonically, helping people enter altered states of consciousness through rhythmic entrainment. For those who hear the call to drum, it’s a sound that rings primordially and true.

The frame drum is in a renaissance especially in the hands of women frame drummers. Women and those marginalized by the white male patriarchy are stepping up and incorporating rhythm into both ceremonial, performance, and professional offerings. The role of ‘The Rhythms Within’ is to support and empower those healers, priestesses, musicians and performers on their journey of remembrance through rhythm. Also, to instill drumming as a meditation, making it an incredible addition to anyone’s spiritual practice.

“The Rhythms Within” is not from but of Josephine who facilitates events and moderates this website under this moniker. Open to womxn of all identities (cis, trans, non-binary).

DEF. FRAME DRUM (NOUN) any of a class of small handheld drums with a narrow frame, usually a single membrane, and often disk jingles and that is held in one hand and struck with the hand or a stick.

FRAME DRUMMING is an ancient instrument that can be traced back as far as 5100 B.C.E. It’s said to be made as an imitation of a grain silo something ancient civilizations used to make sound with.

WHERE TO BEGIN…?

I recommend a 16” diameter or smaller drum as your main practice instrument. This is also a great beginner size. Frame drums are also made much larger in diameter which creates a very powerful resonance.

Here is the link to recommended beginner drums at differing price points…

• Remo 16”

• Cooperman Marla Tar

Drumming is preventive medicine in an era of distracted living.

— WWD

PHOTO CREDIT: LADYBIRD EVERWILD

Pictured Hamsa 8 note handpan in B Mystic scale. This instrument is currently part of a giveaway through Soundings of the Planet that you can enter here.

Josephine is currently pursuing her Intermediate/Advanced M.E.T.A. Hang Certification with sound alchemist and professional hang player Laura Inserra who is based out of Berkeley, California. This is not only a technical but esoteric approach to teaching and sharing the magic of the hang with others through intentional, improvisational offerings.

….

Handpans are seeing a large revolution right now due to their powerful consciousness shifting effects. In these transformative times people are realizing they can no longer use their old ways of coping-they are waking up to the fact that music, yoga, meditation, and what are considered “alternative healing modalities” have powerful effects when integrated as a personal practice. Music as no different-if everyday we intentionally make space to explore our creativity, express our emotions, and connect to spirit-anything is possible. With the handpan we have the opportunity to gift ourselves, close relations, and community a sound healing meditation every time we play with intention.

ABOUT HANDPANS

In 2000 Felix Rohner and Sabina Schemer invented the hang in Bern, Switzerland. Hang is the trademarked name for the original PanArt Hang made in 2001 in Switzerland after being first created in 2000. Hang means hand in German. Their original name was Pantam as it was a combination of the Caribbean Steel Pan and Indian Ghatam. As the Hang and Handpan are technically not a drum but an idiophone meaning the entire instrument resonates not just a membrane like with a drum. Due to the thousands of hammer strokes it takes to make one they were nearly impossible to obtain and had a waiting time of multiple years. Even if you were one of the lucky ones in the early 2000s to have made it to the top of the waiting list you would have to fly to Bern, Switzerland to receive it in person. In 2013 the couple decided to stop making them and to move on to creating other instruments giving other hang enthusiasts an opportunity to make something similar now deemed a handpan.

Now in 2020 there are over a 100 professional makers worldwide and it’s much easier to obtain one. The delays are only a few months instead of a few years. The pricing has also shifted dramatically with an original Hang or Pantam going for $500-700 and now most professional quality handpans are between $1500-3,000. The price continues to go up based on the amount of extra tone fields and dings added beyond the basic octave. Making a handpan is incredibly labor intensive and takes an extensive amount of research and development, testing out materials etc. for a maker to solidify their unique methodology to create quality, stable instruments.

HANG VS. HANDPAN VS. RAV

The Hang which was discontinued in 2013 now makes PanArt Hangs/Sound Sculptures very valuable. Some makers were able to use the hang specs from PanArt and build them as true to the original as possible. In general everything else is considered a handpan, they may look very similar but are often not created with the same accuracy, attention to detail and physical structure.

NOTE: The phrase hang “drum” is strongly discouraged by PanArt.

Hangs typically are made from nitrided steel whereas now many handpans are made from a variety of different steels. Stainless steel has become very popular as it’s lighter and doesn’t rust as quickly. Different makers around the world are experimenting with different materials to produce particular effects. Stainless steel offers longer resonance 6-9 seconds where hangs tend to be more like 3-5 seconds. They both still have a 1:2:3 ratio on each tone field meaning the fundamental, octave, and harmonic fifth are present-all which can be isolated through particular technique. The frequency of the octave and the harmonic fifth is ½, and ⅓ of the fundamental respectively. This is very unique to steel drums and is very relaxing for the brain which is constantly trying to make sense of what it’s hearing. Because it’s already reduced to the most basic ratio the brain's work is done and it’s easier for the listener to slip into an altered, meditative states of consciousness. Tongue drums and RAV VASTs are also an offspring of this trend and are markedly cheaper with different size and physical components.

RAV VAST (from their website)

RAV Vast is a metal drum with perfectly cut steel tongues and a unique sound.

RAV was invented by a Russian engineer, Andrey Remyannikov in 2013, inspired by handpans, and turned out to become inimitable among other similar instruments. RAV has a hypnotic, tranquil, meditative, mystical sound. It’s form is called spacedrum or a UFO drum.

Our instrument is accessible to all to instantly create music. Both beginners and professionals are never bored with RAV. Vast variety of scales leaves no one untouched, everyone will find a tuning to their taste. Specially selected notes in each scale make the process of improvisation and songwriting easier. No more stressful memorizing of notes, chords and musical theory. You can start playing right away and as you grow, your RAV will revolve its potential.

Resonance

In technical terms this is the length of time an instrument rings until you can no longer hear it. In sound healing terms this is what happens when two objects are vibrating at the same frequency.

The handpan emanates overtones in every direction across the convex steel drum. Resonance is the concept that each organ in the body and person itself are emitting a vibrational frequency which when entrained with a sound healing instrument can come into better balance.

On the underside of the handpan is what is called the Gu. The Gu or porthole is essential for the tuning of the handpan. This vibrates at what’s called the helmholtz frequency which is the resonance of air within a cavity of the chamber. This is an aspect that does not exist on it’s fore-father, the caribbean style steel pan. A player can restrict how much air is flowing in or out by spacing out their legs or they can flip the instrument upside down and play the Gu like an Udu.

Rhythm, Melody, and Harmony

The hang was initially intended to be solo instrument.

Handpan is not only a meditative experience for the listener because of the resonant frequencies but also a healing and intimate experience for the player.

The handpan is incredible for musicians from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines because it allows them to incorporate rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic aspects all in one instrument. These are all present on the handpan making it a very accessible instrument for amateurs and professionals alike to compose and instantly shift the mood. Additionally, handpans are rising in popularity in yogic and sound healing communities as a beautiful compliment to other drone or overtone producing instruments.

Most handpans, unless they have additional tone fields or dings, comprise a whole octave in a wide range of scales both traditional and unique. The central note, colloquially called the “ding”, is usually the root of the scale and works as a percussive bass sound along with the tone field around it. Rhythmic entrainment helps to regulate bodily systems and helps to calm the nervous system. It’s also powerful for entering into altered states of consciousness by shifting one’s brain wave states.

Soothing Timbre.

Although metal can create odd and agitating harmonics the handpans playability makes it so you can rarely hit a wrong note. When it’s hit too hard the metallic timbre will come out which can be very intense especially if amplified through a microphone that isn’t equipped for it’s subtleties. That’s why a firm yet gentle touch is very important-no hitting necessary. You are simply drawing the sound out of the instrument and letting it sing. This is also why handpans are colloquially called “singing steel” in the worldwide community of players and makers.

We also sell handpans and love connecting them with those who will cherish these special instruments. You can click the link below to see what we have available.

PURCHASE A HANDPAN
Feel free to reach out at womenwhodrum@gmail.com for more information.

“Every drum journey begins by first listening to the rhythms within…”

WHY DRUM?

…CONNECT TO YOUR CREATIVE SELF

…RECEIVE THE MIND, BODY, SPIRIT HEALING BENEFITS OF DRUMMING

…BECAUSE DRUMMING IS PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE IN AN AGE ADDICTED TO DISTRACTION

Drumming creates entrainment within the participant resulting in many physical, emotional, and spiritual health benefits. Studies have shown a consistent drumming practice is a natural antidepressant. When we enter the space of entrainment, by concentrating on a sustained rhythm, there is potential for entering into a flow state of consciousness where we leave Beta state brain waves and move into a place of timelessness, creativity, clarity, and enjoyment (Alpha state). This can also be where healing takes place. The power is multiplied when we entrain with others in a rhythmic container such as in performance or ceremonial settings. (see research at the bottom of the page)

BECAUSE THERE IS AN ANCIENT LINEAGE OF FEMALE FRAME DRUMMERS…

Your drum is accessible to you at any time as a tool to nourish your body mind and soul.

The drum in combination with nature therapy is an exquisite way to relax your conscious thinking mind and allow the universal flow of energy to enliven and inspire you.

The power of both reciting rhythms and playing them is a positive feedback loop and meditation for you body, mind and spirit.

You begin to listen more deeply listening to yourself…to your inner rhythms yearning to be expressed…to life’s calling…

"Current research is now verifying the therapeutic effects of ancient rhythm techniques. Recent research reviews indicate that drumming accelerates physical healing, boosts the immune system and produces feelings of well-being, a release of emotional trauma, and reintegration of self.

Other studies have demonstrated the calming, focusing, and healing effects of drumming on Alzheimer's patients, autistic children, emotionally disturbed teens, recovering addicts, trauma patients, and prison and homeless populations. Study results demonstrate that drumming is a valuable treatment for stress, fatigue, anxiety, hypertension, asthma, chronic pain, arthritis, mental illness, migraines, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, paralysis, emotional disorders, and a wide range of physical disabilities."

Read the full article here.