Story #4: incorporating Real Drum Circles as part of LARP/RPG Storyline - RPG Story of the Template

by Hawke Robinson — published Jun 20, 2015 05:05 PM, last modified Feb 05, 2023 12:22 PM

Story #__: ____________________. A series of anecdotal postings sharing observations, comments, and other relevant experiences, about the effects of role-playing gaming...

Preamble

I thought I would start sharing more anecdotal experiences with the public as a regular series, postings about the frequent experiences of the many RPG programs going on now from the human level.

These will be less formal than the many research essays, and also not so much about project status updates.

Instead of the usual heavier numbers, statistics, and formal analytical speech, it will be more about sharing individual and group experiences. This won't actually be every day, but I will make an effort share as frequently as possible.

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Story Title

A reader asked about an earlier posting, "How was drumming incorporated into the event?", referring to our programs at the Muscular Dystrophy Association's Summer Camp in Idaho, July, 2017.

For the 'Battle Royale" (link to article explaining that), we used the drumming to summon the warriors to gather for battle, and get themselves "stoked up". Using very up-beat, aggressive, "war like" drumming patterns, the drumming would summon them from "feasting" (dinner at the cafeteria), to come out to the field of battle.

Then after everyone went through various drumming facilitation techniques to build cooperative interaction and direction following (echo and repeat, variable rumble, guided grooves, etc.). This would continue as long (or as short) as necessary, until they were showing good group cohesion, participation, and instruction compliance.

Then we would transition to going over the adventure and combat rules, team allocation, shield artwork, etc.

And then the battle.

When the battle was over, they are summoned off the field of battle, and we use drumming to help them "rev down", though by then most were utterly exhausted (which was a critical goal for the MDA activity). Now we used a mellower general groove to help them unwind. It was also to help them join once again as a cohesive whole, setting aside any of the rivalry from the field battle, and generally calm down their adrenaline, before heading to bed for the night.

For the "Epic Quest" (link to article explaining this), the drum circle was about celebration.

First celebrating a town event, finishing planting all their crops, etc., which was interrupted by Rangers running in and announcing the disappearance of many from the nearby village and asking for help to find out what happened.

Then after the quest was over, going back and celebrating the freedom of the prisoners, the new friendship between the villages built through this quest, the defeat of the witch and her henchman, the curing of the Ent, and the welcoming of the neighboring villagers to the original town's celebrations.

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