One Heart Community Drumming

is based in Ithaca, NY. We gather every Saturday evening for drumming instruction and open drum circle. In the cold months and foul weather, we gather at Lehman Alternative Community School. During warm months, we can be found in the northwest corner of Stewart Park by the beautiful Cayuga Lake.

We welcome children and adults alike of all skills and abilities. No drumming experience is necessary to participate. Potluck is optional and always appreciated. We also frequently participate in drumming related events outside of our regular Saturday evenings. Please refer to our events calendar for more details on our regular circles and special events.

Drum circle to go

If you would like us to be part of your special event, we welcome the opportunity (especially if there is a stipend or food provided!) Over the years we have traveled reasonable distances to various special events in our region. These events include (to name a few):

  • Ithaca Festival
  • Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance
  • Musefest
  • Dryden Dairy Festival Parade
  • Oxford Bicentennial Parade
  • Morris Run Festival
  • Northeast Naturist Festival
  • Ithaca Apple Harvest Festival
  • Liverpool Pagan Pride Festival
  • Corning Sparkle Festival
  • Corning Glass Museum Fire and Ice Celebration
  • Semi-Private Birthday or Anniversary Parties
  • Fundraisers

For more information about inviting us to your special event, please send an email to: oneheartcommunitydrummers@yahoo.com

History

One-Heart Community Drum began at the 1995 North East Regional Rainbow gathering in the summer of 1995, in the Finger Lakes National Forest, in Hector, NY. A group of people from the local area participated in some drum circles there, and had a blast. After the gathering ended, we began meeting in Stewart Park on Sundays, with families gathering, and sharing food, and drumming. At the end of the warm season, our drumming ended, until one of the members decided to have a meeting in their home to discuss finding an indoor location to drum during the winter. Steve Calkins worked at the Alternative Community School, and obtained the principal’s consented to use that space. In February of 1996 we began a weekly drum circle there that has existed since that time. Our tradition of drumming at Stewart Park during warm months continued.

The drum circle has hand hundreds of members over the years with members coming and going, but some of the original members have remained, and helped keep group continuity. Over the years, we began being invited to play at various local events, and community festivals, and this has grown over time, to include many events even out of the immediate Ithaca Area. (Rochester, Syracuse, etc.) The group has always been family oriented, and having children present, and sharing food have always been a part of the groups make-up. Over this period of time Steve Calkins collected a number of hand drums that he began to bring along, so that people could join in the activity that did not possess a drum. This has allowed people that are present in the park to merely walk up and participate, and has made for a great opportunity for people to connect with others in a positive way!