Drum Circle Slows Down the Tempo of Life

To picnickers, the drumbeats rising above the rhythm of life Sunday afternoon at Conejo Creek Park may have seemed like nothing more than a bunch of people pounding out a lot of noise.

But to the 20 or so people who take part in a drum circle on the third Sunday of every month, the congas, bongos and cow bells are a way to communicate and forget the stress of everyday life, said founder Bob Dreisbach, 47, of Thousand Oaks.

“What we do is bring the community together and get them to join in the beat,” said Dreisbach, whose drum of choice is an African djembe.

The Thousand Oaks drum circle is part of a nationwide movement of professional percussionists and beginners. The local group meets at 2 p.m. each month at the park on East Janss Road.

“I first started drumming in 1993,” Dreisbach said. “We had a Halloween party with a drum circle. That’s how it all started. I’m not the best drummer. But the beauty of this is you don’t have to have any experience.

“The individual can contribute and be part of the group without sacrificing the individual.”

The drum circle is open to the public, with the percussion instruments provided by Dreisbach and his musical partners, Steve Sandstedt, 43, of Newbury Park and Jim Long, 41, of Thousand Oaks.

When the trio aren’t playing in the park, they perform as the percussion group Rhythmotomy.

In the drum circle, one of the musicians lays down a beat and the rest follow. Some use bass drums whose deep tones move the group along, while others play the congas and djembes, whose high tones provide the melody.

If anyone needs a hand getting into the rhythm or just figuring out how to hit the drum head, Sandstedt can help.

“I try to do that right off the bat, show them how to use their hands. There’s been a couple of times when we’ve had bloodstains on the drum from people hitting it wrong. You hit a knuckle on the rim, it can hurt,” he said.

Among the novices Sunday afternoon were David Del Monaco and Jay Nunez, both 18, of Thousand Oaks.

“I was at Venice Beach on Saturday and saw a drum circle recital. Then I read about this one in the paper and we decided to come,” said Del Monaco, his fingers quietly tapping the head of a conga drum.

Despite his inexperience, Nunez had no trouble getting into the groove. “You hear a bunch of drums together and you just get into it,” he said.

After about five minutes of nonstop playing, he grimaced.

“My fingers are numb. Real numb,” he said.

As Sandstedt got the group going on another rhythm, Dreisbach did his part on the djembe, his body swaying to the rhythm.

“This is a great way to stop and smell the roses, and play the drums,” he said.