Facilitated Drum & Rhythm Experiences for Health and Well-being
Discover the transformative power of rhythm and connection through creative play in our fun-focused, dynamic drumming circles!
No experience required! Drums provided.
About “Joyful Rhythms” Facilitated Drum Circles
SLO Life Magazine: “The Power of Drum Circles”
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New dates and locations continually being added throughout San Luis Obispo County.
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Your Facilitator
Dee DiGioia is the founder of Mindful Kindful YOUniversity in Baywood-Los Osos and a passionate Drum Circle Facilitator, Sound Journey Guide, and mindfulness-based nature connection leader. Her expertise as a Drum Circle Facilitator has been honed through extensive training from world-renowned programs, including Arthur Hull’s Village Music Circles, Rhythm 2 Recovery (with Summer Lall), Drum Leadership Training (with Jim Donovan), and Upbeat Drum Circles (with Christine Stevens), Beat the Odds (Arts & Healing Initiative), and HealthRHYTHMS (Remo). Dee brings heart, rhythm, and purpose to every circle she leads. After retiring from a career in special education in 2024, she now devotes herself full-time to promoting peace and uplifting communities across San Luis Obispo County through rhythm, connection, and well-being.
The 6-day Village Music Circles Facilitators Intensive Training utilizes the Drum Circle Facilitation Techniques developed by Arthur Hull. Bringing Village Music Circles experiences to communities and organizations worldwide for over 30 years, Arthur has inspired a grass-roots movement of people from diverse cultures and backgrounds who have learned to use the impact of rhythm as a means to improve human interaction. This in-person training provides beginning and advanced Facilitators the skills needed to lead Rhythm-Based events for groups of all sizes and backgrounds and promotes core community building values. This experience connects facilitators to a supportive international community while providing extensive opportunities to learn and develop facilitation skills in a safe environment. Participants of all levels will receive peer, mentor and advanced Facilitator support with the presentation of techniques, developing style, increasing depth, and extensive practical experience. Participants experience multiple small group activities using movement, voice, musical instruments, and improvisational rhythm games.
Rhythm2Recovery delivers therapeutic programs and professional development, that utilize fun and engaging rhythmic musical activities to support social and emotional development. Based on the latest neuro-science. this approach has been shown to support increased emotional regulation, improved social connection and reduced levels of anxiety and other elements of psychological distress.
Beat the Odds® (BTO) is an evidence-based, trauma-informed program that integrates the power of contemporary drum circles and group counseling to build core strengths such as focus and listening, team building, leadership, expressing feelings, managing anger/stress, empathy, kindness, and gratitude. The one-day, experiential training covers all activities and key guidelines in the program, which offers positive affirmations, emotional coping strategies, and guided interaction with rhythmic activities in a collaborative, creative, and fun environment. Beat the Odds® can serve a whole classroom at a time as well as offer an effective tool for community building with staff and families. It can easily be adapted for any age group. Training highlights include the scientific basis for the use of rhythm in social-emotional healing and well-being. It also includes findings from a UCLA research-based Beat the Odds effectiveness study showing that BTO can significantly reduce a spectrum of behavior problems in children, such as those associated with inattention, withdrawn/depression, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, attention deficit/hyperactivity, oppositional defiance, and sluggish cognitive tempos.