During the lockdown, I was invited to offer drum and storytelling sessions on the Mental Health Unit at Katoomba Hospital.

The sessions were so well received that, much to my delight, they have continued. 

I have met some of the most amazing people and had some of the most moving experiences sharing drumming and storytelling on the Mental Health Unit.

Each week we come together, each person has their own djembe drum, we sit in a circle and learn rhythms. Sometimes folks have guitars and we have sing-alongs.

Then we sit back and relax, enjoy a storytelling of an old fairytale (often with a twist). This tends to lead to wonderful discussions and explorations. 

If it's a nice day, sometimes we sit outside in the gardens.

Increasingly, research is demonstrating that group drumming can facilitate feelings of belonging, acceptance, safety, care and fun.

For more info on a peer-reviewed study demonstrating positive corrections between mental health wellbeing and group drumming, CLICK HERE