HappyShel's "My PFun Drumming Bio"
Shel Weisman, semi-retired from the insurance business in 1992, after discovering hand drumming at the 2nd International Men’s Conference held in Austin.
One of his mentors, Babatunde Olatunji, told Shel, in 1992, to go and spread peace thru drumming. By 1994, his friends had renamed him "HappyShel" because, "he’s so happy when he’s drumming."
In 1994, HappyShel observed that the drum community was a very loosely organized entity with poor communication, used his Internet & telecommunication skills to network the drummers in the State of Texas, through the web page, drums.org. Today, over 7100 interested persons, looking for city drum circles, drum and dance teachers, workshops, etc., hit the web site daily. The web site lists TexasDrums CommUnity - locations of drum circles and dance classes in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Colorado, Louisiana; Djembe-L FAQ, a compendium of information and knowledge about the djembe; Afrikan Village, Tribute to Babatunde Olatunji, and Drums not Guns websites.
In 1995, he founded Drums Not Guns, a FUN 501 (c)(3) non-profit membership organization devoted to stopping violence (increase the peace) through the power of percussion; to provide our youth with creative ways to re-channel negative energy...diffuse anger....build team spirit, self-worth, self-esteem, learn to listen better,....and commUnity thru the power of percussion." Weisman observed the civilizing effect of drumming on hyper-active and angry people. Weisman felt that the negative energies that society expresses in non-social ways could be channeled into positive activity thru drumming, so that positive values will result.
In 1998, Happy Drums was founded to broaden the awareness of this profound simple, principle. Happy Drums helps spread the word to educators and therapists about its tool for peace - drumming together for social and individual unity plus sales of musician quality hand drums and accessories.
Drumming requires listening, differentiation of sounds, coordination of hands, eyes, and our innate genetic need for rhythmic pattern and vibration. Persons with learning & hearing disabilities and Attention Deficit Disorders, even Autistic and Alzheimer people respond positively to drumming. The reason is because drumming goes beyond the verbal, reading, and articulation skills that are beyond the ability of those people.
Researchers Hart and Bernstein have documented the efficacy of drumming as therapy.
Unlike high frequency rock music, drumming, although loud, does not destroy the hearing because the sound is absorbed by the entire body.
Drumming is not only physical but spiritual as well. Like so many spiritual things, most people’s personal awareness has to be felt instead of intellectualized.
Drumming crosses all racial, gender and cultural boundaries. Happy Drums goal is to promote the concept of non-violence through drumming. He believes that when people come together to enjoy and play music, greater communication and understanding are fostered and we are reminded of our common humanity and interreliance. Drumming builds community and expresses culture. We want to make drumming accessible, and to create safety and community so that people can experience drumming and dance as the powerful forms of self-expression they can be.
In 1999, sensing peoples desires for learning traditional West African dance and drum rhythms, HappyShel created Afrikan Village Dance & Drum Camps - whereby master West African dance and drum artists are brought to Texas for residential intensive camps.
Drum PFunshops™ schedule:
Summer, 2002 -
Richardson's "Wildflower Festival," Gallatin Park (Drums not Guns).
Serviced 1000 adults and children over the day.
Spring, 2002 - Main Street Festival - Ft. Worth (Drums not Guns and Mondo
Drummers). Serviced 10,000 adults and children over a 3-day period.
February 2002 - In association with Mondo Drummers and TITAS - Drum PFunshop,
Ft. Worth
August 12, 2000, Plano Drum-A-Thon - Global drum circle. Location TBA
May 28-29, 2000, ReThinking Education, DFW Harvey House, PfoundSound
March 25, 2000, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX, - Music Therapy Dept.
September, 1999, St. Alcuin Montessori School, Dallas, TX - 285 children, all grades
To book a Pfunshop™, email Pfunshops@happydrums.com
To book
The DrumGods, email
happy@happydrums.com
HappyShel is co-founder of The DrumGods, an eclectic drum and dance ensemble
featuring West African, Latin and Middle Eastern Rhythms complete with parade
dragons and an interactive drumcircle.
©2000-2003 HappyShel
Weisman. All Rights Reserved
Last edited 06/17/06