I am in the process of acquiring an offroad Jeep that will allow me to travel hard to reach communities across Jamaica. My goal is to bring drumming to the most vulnerable populations. Many of our rural populations who need the transformational power of the drum, are unable to access this important resource. With a reliable 4x4 vehicle, I will be able to access off-road communities. If you have ever been to Jamaica, you would know that many of our roads are unfinished and muddy due to excessive rainfall.
Total
Cost $55,000 USD
- Cost of the vehicle $47,000
- Additional Vehicle purchase fees $2800
- Insurance $4,000
- 1 year Registration & Fitness $1200
Ouida Lewis birthed RYDDIMLYFE in 2005 to embody the scope of her artistic talents.
With her unique program, ‘DRUMVERSATIONS ‘
Ouida facilitates Interactive Drum Circles that helps her clients express JOY and create meaningful dialogue using the language of the drums. Through rhythms of the heart, she helps us connect with a universal language known to everyone. With this approach, no prior musical training needed. All that is required, is for people to come with an open heart and a willingness to dive in. Classes are suitable for Children and adults alike, and also for Educators. Private and weekly group classes also available.
‘DRUMVERSATIONS ‘ Promotes:
- Team Building
- Listening from within
- Empathy and compassion towards self and others
- Cooperation
- Collaboration
- Community
- Celebration
- Recreation
- Wellness
- Unity
- Emotional Release and Healing
- Relaxation and a sense of belonging
WE OFFER PROGRAMS TO EVERYONE:
- TEAM BUILDING, SMALL BUSINESS & COMPANY DRUM CIRCLES
- DRUM CIRCLE WITH SENIORS
- WEDDING DRUM CIRCLES
- CHILDREN’S DRUM CIRCLE
- DRUMS AS HEALING TOOL
- JAMAICAN TRADITIONAL FOLK CLASS
Description of Programs:
TEAM BUILDING, SMALL BUSINESS & COMPANY DRUM CIRCLES
Drum circles can be extremely effective for companies that want to enhance the generation of new ideas and better teamwork. When people discover that they can collectively produce a good sound without any musical training or background, they start to realize that they can be more effective at work by putting their heads together and working as a team. Not everyone can or will play the drum in the same way just as they do not do their jobs in the same way, so it is within the differences of each person and working with the strength of each individual that magic happens. People learn that working together brings great rewards because the results are beyond what any individual can do!
Learning to let go of self involvement in order to synchronize with others is the essence! Drum circles brings the group to a more open mental and psychological process, which can be carried over to the production of new and better ways of working. An excellent tool to kick off any kind of brainstorming session and optimize the quantity and quality of new ideas. In other words, your team improvises and is more creative.
DRUM CIRCLE WITH SENIORS
Too often the elderly in society is overlooked and pushed to the sidelines as if they are finished. Drumming together gives a renewed sense of self and reminds the elderly of their internal Joy and personal abilities. Drumming provides cognitive stimulation, gross/fine motor skills, socialization, agitation reduction, memory validation and pure unabated fun! A gift only obtained through the power of the drum rhythms. Perfect for members of nursing homes and those with special needs.
WEDDING DRUM CIRCLES
Drumming has been used over the centuries to mark special occasions. A wedding drum circle is a fun interactive icebreaker which will have your family and friends laughing, singing and dancing to the same rhythm in no time. It also presents the opportunity for family and friends to create the music that welcomes the newlyweds.
CHILDREN’S DRUM CIRCLE
Children who are involved in drumming, learn to focus their attention and effort on one activity. This improves a child’s ability to concentrate and stay focused. It is a known fact that the study of music enhances academic skills, focus and motor skills development. Drumming also helps with overall brain development by stimulating the left and right sides of the brain simultaneously. Drumming is not only beneficial to children’s mental health and development, it’s also great for helping children develop physical fitness. Children also gain a better understanding of the rhythms of their own bodies.
DRUMS AS HEALING TOOL
Research has shown: * that drumming accelerates physical healing, boosts the immune system and produces feelings of well-being, a release of emotional trauma, and reintegration of self.
Other studies have demonstrated the calming, focusing, and healing effects of drumming on Alzheimer's patients, autistic children, emotionally disturbed teens, recovering addicts, trauma patients, and prison and homeless populations. Study results demonstrate that drumming is a valuable treatment for stress, fatigue, anxiety, hypertension, asthma, chronic pain, arthritis, mental illness, migraines, cancer, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, paralysis, emotional disorders, and a wide range of physical disabilities. *
BIOGRAPHY
After more than 20 years of teaching drumming spanning Europe, The United States and Jamaica, I wholly agree with these findings as I have witnessed amazing transformation with the healings associated with the vibrations of drumming. Another positive observation and one which has become a mission of mine, is the connecting to one’s own internal Joy which happens through the vibration of the drum and which stays with the person long after the actual drumming experience. Drumming creates complete balance within our bodies, synchronizing the left and right hemisphere of our brains, tuning our biology and fixing our immune system which promotes self healing on a physical, emotional and mental level, which opens us up for a deeper self awareness.
Drumming provides a sense of connectedness and community and teaches us to work together by giving us an authentic experience of unity and physiological synchronicity. This allows us to feel what it is like to be synchronous in a state of preverbal connectedness. Drumming helps with self expression and rebuilds emotional health allowing us to integrate and express emotions in a safe and healthy way thus aiding communication. Each person drumming is expressing themselves through his or her drum and listening to the other drums at the same time. Each person’s sound is an essential part of the whole, so we are forced to be present in the here and now and to be aware of self and alert to our surroundings. Only the vibration of the drums has the power to move each person to an altered state and keep them rooted to the here and now at the same time! Each person can drum out their feelings without saying a word, without having to reveal their issues
I am on my mission to use this beautiful ancient instrument to help bring healing to my country and ultimately to all of humanity to connect to our deeper self to connect with our internal Joy which in turn helps us to navigate through life in a healthy way towards our fellow humans.
JAMAICAN TRADITIONAL FOLK CLASS
My classes aim to show the evolution of the Jamaican traditional folk forms into the popular music we know on the island today. We explore the genre which birthed Reggae Music. We also look at the various influences before and after emancipation which impacted our music.
Exploring the healing rhythm beliefs and practices in Jamaica’s cultural Landscape. We will see the origins of the Nyahbinghi movement and the evolution of the chants and rhythms as it relates to our music today.
Walking through the Traditional folk forms of Jamaica with rhythm and song, from enslavement to emancipation to the birth of Reggae.
I teach a very interactive fun class full of Songs from across the island, it’s a Rhythmic Journey from parish to parish with movement which gives a better understanding of the language, music and feel of the culture of Jamaica!!
