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Published Articles By and About Jim Greiner.

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Pioneering drum circle facilitators like... Jim Greiner of Hands-On! Drumming, have been taking percussion instruments into the corporate world since the 1980s. Greiner discovered how useful (drum) circles were for companies on the cutting edge of globalization. When conducted a corporate program in the 1980s for Sun Microsystems, lack of English wasn't the problem; it was the different work styles and cultural expectations among team members from japan, India, Europe and North America. . . . Click here for complete story.

Imagine this: a clan of early humans is scattered the ledge of their cave hundreds of generations ago. Each person is busily engaged in their own private task: scraping hides, chipping flints, breaking bones open for marrow, crushing nuts with stones. These are tasks they have done many times before, each working alone for long tedious, repetitive hours. Suddenly the sounds of scraping, chipping breaking and crushing fall together accidentally in a spontaneous, repetitive rhythm! . . . Click here for complete story.

Drum circles  are a grassroots phenomenon that has grown enormously over the past three decades. Groups of people from all walks of life, at all levels of musical experience (including none at all) and with a wide range of percussion instruments are gathering in increasing numbers to share the experience of making percussion music together. They do this for a number of reasons including recreation, stress release, community building, mind/body wellness, self-expression and celebrating. . . . Click here for complete story.

Drumming has been an integral part of helping young people learn essential life skills worldwide for thousands of years. Since time immemorial people have created Rites of Passage designed to bring children into adulthood. Drumming, in its many forms, has been a crucial part of these Rites. . . . Click here for complete story.

Are you looking for a fun, easy way to start off new school years with a bang (pun intended) and quickly get your students having fun playing music together? How about ways to attract new students to your music programs and to get parents excited about, and involved with, their children s music education? Have a Family Rhythm Party! . . . Click here for complete story.

Personal Growth, Wellness & Recreational Drumming

Drumming affects us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually in profoundly uplifting ways. This is why people all over the earth have drummed in some manner throughout history. In the past few years, studies conducted in hospitals and universities (some commissioned by the US Senate and the Veteran's Administration) have documented the health and healing aspects of drumming. Playing drums, whether solo or with a group of people, relieves stress, increases vitality and puts us in the transcendent state of clarity and heightened awareness that athletes sometimes call the Zone. . . . Click here for complete story.

Drumming affects us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually in profoundly uplifting ways. This is why people all over the earth have drummed in some manner throughout history. In the past few years, studies conducted in hospitals and universities (some commissioned by the U.S. Senate and the Veterans Administration!) have documented the health and healing aspects of drumming. Playing drums, whether solo or with a group of people, relieves stress, increases vitality and puts us in the transcendent state of clarity and heightened awareness that athletes sometimes call The Zone. In fact, drumming is very much like athletics, and martial arts. . . . Click here for complete story.

Picture this: a group of early humans is gathered on a ledge outside their cave home thousands of years ago. They are busily engaged in individual tasks: some chipping flints to make tools, some scraping hides for clothing, some grinding wild nuts for food. These are the same tasks they have done many times over. They are tedious, repetitive and physically demanding. They also require a high level of focus in order to do properly. This day is different, though. Suddenly, by chance, the chipping, scraping and grinding sounds fall together into an interlocking rhythm. Time passes. One by one each person realizes they have been working together like this for a while now. More time passes. The rhythm gets stronger as the workers fall deeper and deeper into an effortless flow together. Someone grunts in time with the effort of his or her task. "Unh!" Someone else answers with another sound, "Ha!" also in rhythm. Another grunt, and another. More time passes, the finished work piles up. Someone laughs out loud at the feeling of pure joy and wonderment of the experience. More chipping, grunting, scraping, laughing and grinding. At the end of the day the people are amazed at how much was finished, how energized they are and how good they feel. Drumming and singing have been discovered! . . . Click here for complete story.

Following a meditative breathing pattern used by Samurai warriors, 30 men and women, ages ranging from 40 to 80 years, sit in a circle awaiting their next instruction from Jim Greiner, a drum circle facilitator. These individuals are learning to create rhythm patterns using frame drums, ago go bells, shakers and maracas. What makes this drum circle extraordinary is that these people are all stroke survivors, and many are practically paralyzed. . . . Click here for complete story.

Drum circles  are a grassroots phenomenon that has grown enormously over the past three decades. Groups of people from all walks of life, at all levels of musical experience (including none at all) and with a wide range of percussion instruments are gathering in increasing numbers to share the experience of making percussion music together. They do this for a number of reasons including recreation, stress release, community building, mind/body wellness, self-expression and celebrating. . . . Click here for complete story.

Playing hand drums and hand percussion instruments for recreation, personal enrichment and community building is becoming an enormously popular activity throughout North America and beyond. Since 1980 I 've led thousands of group drumming programs involving tens of thousands of participants in a wide range of settings including corporations, conferences, communities, schools, therapeutic centers and private groups. . . . Click here for complete story.

Drumming has been an integral part of helping young people learn essential life skills worldwide for thousands of years. Since time immemorial people have created Rites of Passage designed to bring children into adulthood. Drumming, in its many forms, has been a crucial part of these Rites.

Percussion Education

For thousands of generations people all around the world have drummed to raise their spirits, energize their bodies, release tension, strengthen their community bonds and celebrate the pure joy of being alive! Whether we drum by ourselves, with bands, or in drum ensembles, drumming has very specific, very positive, effects upon our bodies and minds. This is especially true when approached in ways that traditional people drum. In the past few years, studies conducted in hospitals and universities (some commissioned by the U.S. Senate) have documented the health and healing aspects of drumming. Drumming is very much like athletics and martial arts. In all three we practice repetitive movements over and over until they become effortless, reflexive and intuitive. In drumming these movements result in patterns of sound, that is, rhythms. The constant repetition can put us in a transcendental state that athletes call the "Zone", where we become very alert and focused and able to react effortlessly and spontaneously to our surroundings. . . . Click here for complete story.  

Conga drums have their roots in West Africa and evolved into their present form in Cuba where they are known as Tumbadoras. In this Afro-Cuban tradition there are three main sizes of Tumbadoras, the largest diameter, low pitched Tumba, the middle sized, mid range Conga and the smallest diameter, high pitched Quinto. There are no universally accepted pitches, scales or intervals used when tuning congas. Each player finds his or her own signature "sound" by listening to the ways more experienced conga drummers tune their instruments (take the time and effort to train your ears to really hear and recognize the sounds) and by exploring the nature of the instrument (by playing it and experimenting with it's tuning). . . . Click here for complete story.