The wisdom messenger

Reclaiming the Rhythms of Life with Barbara Gail

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As a visionary, and inspired by Layne Redmond's Mob of Angels, she created Moonrise: Daughters of an Ancient Pulse and DrumRise! The Art of Women's Drumming, where women experienced transformation through sisterhood, by sharing the drum with one another and in the greater community.  Women, Rhythm & Ritual and The Tambourine Path are recent incarnations of her ancient future wisdom teachings.  With her husband and partner in all things, Jeff Hanna, she's co-owner of The Rhythm Inlet and The Ukulele Place music retail stores and teaching studios (which morphed in 2022). 

Barbara's been sharing the joys of rhythm and movement, hand-drumming and dance, in her award-winning programs full-time for 30 years, and has facilitated hundreds of groups and thousands of people, of all ages, abilities and challenges, in over 400 venues and in 13 states. She also teaches online.

In this episode we have wide-ranging discussion covering various topics related to drumming, music, dance, education, cultural traditions, and empowering women. We explore the therapeutic benefits of participatory rhythm and movement practices across different cultures. We also discussed Sophie's upcoming book project, share resources and wisdom from influential figures like Lane, and delved into the complexities of respectfully sharing cultural knowledge. Throughout our conversation, we exchange insights from our experiences and highlight the value of collaboration in drumming.

Highlights include:

  • We discuss shared interests in education, dance, yoga, and various wisdom traditions focused on the transformative power of rhythm and movement practices.
  • We explore the origins and development of 5Rhythms dance, the importance of cultural exchange through playful learning, and the universal appeal of drumming across cultures.
  • We highlight the universality of participatory music and dance for connecting people, fostering community, while emphasising respect for cultural origins
  • We share experiences using drumming therapeutically to promote relaxation, release, self-awareness, facilitate multigenerational gatherings, and encourage cultural sensitivity.
  • We discuss the value of participatory drum circles, the significance of repetition in learning, and creating judgement-free spaces for expressive drumming and dancing.

    • Can you listen to the episode on Spotify, Youtube, or Apple Podcast

    You can find Barbara at

    • Barbaragail.com
    • @barbaragaildrumdance

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      Find out more about Sophie here

      • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sophiemessager.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
      • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram : @sophie_messager⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠


        • The introduction music is by my talented brother, Olivier Messager.

        Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@olivier_messager⁠⁠⁠⁠


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        The wisdom messengerBy Sophie Messager