THE POWER OF THE DRUM STORY

The raison d'être for this documentary is to explore the incredibly multi-faceted world of drumming and understand what makes this ancient instrument such a powerful healing device unlike any other. 

I have seen several people who have suffered from mental illness, or who have fallen victim to their inner or outer demons, drum their way back to health, happiness, courage, and sobriety. However, this phenomenon is unbeknownst to the wider public. 

I have been very privileged to be exposed to this wealth of groundbreaking information and contribution thanks to my husband, AAron, a master drummer, who was trained by Shamans of West Africa, who taught him how to truly tap into the mystical healing power of the drums. This is an aspect that many drummers have not been able to access as it takes great skill and expertise to connect with the pneuma, where true magic and healing begin.

Through his unique drum therapy program The Healing Drums, and workshops, I have seen the effects on many hard-to-reach individuals and clients including veterans suffering from PTSD, drug addicts, human trafficking victims, and autistic children.

I also began to notice that drum circles are becoming increasingly popular and that health institutions that had focused exclusively on the Western approach were now beginning to incorporate drumming as part of their experiential treatment options. They have now seen how it can help their patients to access repressed emotions that talk therapy could not tap into. This was another eye-opener for me and the more I researched, the more I discovered that drumming, indeed, has a great “secret” power to heal. As a result, I can not help but want to know the WHY or the HOW as it is inexplicable and unbelievable.

In life I believe that for every opportunity, there is a time and a place. This is something that has dual meaning for me, for I am in this place, on the cusp of a breakthrough, at this opportune moment to show the impact that drumming is starting to have on the global consciousness and overall health.  This is also a critical time for people of African descent as we are now beginning to feel empowered and learning to embrace our culture and history, some of which risks getting lost due to lack of written documentation. This documentary captures the untold truth and hidden gems about our drumming culture and history; it counters what we were otherwise led to believe. It is time that we rewrite our own stories since our history helps to define who we truly are and where we are going. Ultimately, I want the documentary to be a source of great motivation and insight, given that the drum's journey in overcoming obstacles will serve as subtext in helping people to achieve a renewed sense of meaning and purpose.

- Director Zenya McFarlane