PAUL and Andrea Bijkerk were introduced to African drumming while living on Beechmont.
“There was a group of people who used to get together and play the drums; I fell in love with it immediately,” says Paul.
Drum Pulse have offered lessons in traditional west-African drumming on traditional drums since 2011.
Every Wednesday night they meet at the Beaudesert CWA Hall from 5.30 to 7pm.
“I believe it’s one of the only activities where your brain can have its alpha and beta half stimulated at the same time. You end up coming out of a session energized and relaxed, which is quite unique,” says Paul.
“It’s good for arthritis, and really good for the brain,” says Andrea.
“When you’re drumming for an hour and a half, you’re so in the zone, so present that you don’t think about anything else.”
The rhythms usually consist of students playing a number of hand parts on djembes led by Paul and Andrea on dunduns.
“The better you get at it, the more you’re able to hear what’s going on around you and hear how things come together, it’s very cool,” says Andrea.
“It’s usually three hand parts and a couple of dundun parts, and when they’re in the right spot it sounds really magic.”
“Sometimes, if we’re grooving really well, it’s as though we can hear chanting in the room,” says Paul.
“It’s all these rhythms playing together that somehow it’s as though we’re in a tribal setting and there are a hundred Africans chanting at us.”
“It doesn’t happen very often. It’s quite special,” says Andrea.
Drum Pulse runs classes suitable for all types of people.
“We do workshops with disability groups, with schools, festivals, parties, private functions, anything that comes along,” says Paul.
“Every now and then we get a guest African drama who comes and does a workshop on a Saturday.”
“I think the nice thing about it is you come here by yourself but you’re with everyone in a whole,” says Andrea.
Over the past 20 years, Paul and Andrea themselves have been taught by some of the best teachers in Australia.
“We’ve got lots of really cool rhythms under our belt.”
“We’ve done countless weeklong retreats with West-Africans doing singing, gumboot dancing, body percussion, we feel really connected to it.”
“I have a dream to take what we do out to regional and remote schools, ideally I’d like to buy a converted coach and load it up with drums and drive around Australia visiting little schools all over the place,” says Paul.
Anyone interested in joining the class can contact Paul via the Drum Pulse Facebook page or phone 0408 984 046.
