HPDC!

What in the world is H-P-D-C?  It stands for Havdalah/Pizza/Drum Circle – a new program that happened here at TBE on Saturday evening, Feb. 10, immediately following the conclusion of Shabbat.  With about 35 adults and youth in attendance, we began with Havdalah, our brief service to formally say farewell to Shabbat and welcome a new week, which was joyfully led by a recent Bar Mitzvah student, Hunter Wong.  Next, we enjoyed a pizza dinner. 

After everyone washed their hands of pizza crumbs, all participants assembled at the far end of the social hall for a drum circle, led by percussionist extraordinaire, Ed Haggard.  Ed brought a variety of hand drums, egg shakers, and assorted percussion instruments (many of them crafted by hand by Ed himself!) for everyone to try out and enjoy.  Ed introduced a variety of rhythms, call and response, tempos, and dynamics.  People moved around if they wanted to experiment on a different drum.  Younger children freely danced about the center of the circle, playing with a variety of colorful egg shakers. 

We finished off the evening with a delicious ice-cream sundae bar.  The music was invigorating and energetic.  The drumming was an excellent opportunity to express ourselves creatively without judgement or critique.  Best of all, the evening was enjoyed by all ages/stages.  After all, each of us marches to the beat of a different drummer!