The Leadership Drum Circle

April is here, class lectures are coming to an end and summer is just around the corner. It is the month every student wants to get over with; to be finished final exams and for the anticipated break to come. Students must remember how to study efficiently and take effective study breaks. This new drumming initiative was the getaway choice for many students.

“It was in elementary school since I’ve played a drum, the opportunity has not come around, when I heard about this workshop, it definitely caught my attention and I really wanted to feel what it was like again,” says Aleksandar Karaivanov, a second year student at the Haskayne School of Business.

Dr. David Lertzman, long time percussionist and Haskayne faculty member in conjunction with Calgary’s The One World Drum Co organized the Leadership Drum Circle. Dr. Lertzman shared that along with team building and other leadership development exercises, drumming has been the focus of considerable research on interventions for stress and anxiety reduction, social resilience and even inflammatory immune response. “At CCAL’s Leadership Drum Circle we use African rhythms and drumming techniques to explore themes of authentic leadership, relational awareness and healthy group culture. We’ve already had some marvelous reflective lessons arise from our Drum Circle experience, and besides it’s a lot of fun!” (For a recent article in PLOS ONE on the effects of group drumming interventions see here.)

Many of the students who attended the first session returned for the second, “It gave me a place to relax and take my mind off of school for the time being. David kept it really exciting and engaging as he coordinated the session. It was definitely a throwback moment for me. I found myself struggling to keep in rhythm with the rest of the Drum Circle, so I focused entirely on my own rhythm and it made it easier to keep on beat. I realized that sometimes I have to tune out from the group so I can tune into myself. This is applicable to life, to maintain focus with myself before anything else.” says Karaivanov.

The Leadership Drum Circle will culminate in a public performance at a major donor event attended by President Cannon and Haskayne Dean Jim Dewald on May 6!

If you are interested or have questions about the Leadership Drum Circle, please contact Dr. David Lertzman: lertzman@ucalgary.ca. Stay tuned for future announcements.