Are you one of those people who are always tapping on something? You know who you are. The radio station has moved well into its cycle of car and cell-phone ads, but you're still unconsciously rapping the steering wheel. You lightly clap your thighs while you stand in any line. You tap your pen on the back of your neck as you gaze into the computer screen on your desk. And no amount of shushing can stop you.

Well, you're not alone. And there is a community out there to help you, a foundation of strength to give their support as you address this issue.

"I've seen amazing transformations," reports Sherry Gingras, a dedicated organizer for such groups here in Austin.

No. She does not exorcise your tapping impulse. Rather, she will help you tap deeper into your rhythms; an exercise individuals everywhere are finding builds a primal connection with earth and community.

Gingras is but one of many drum-circle facilitators in the Austin area. From wide-open circles with little guidance, no boundaries and wild dancers, to highly organized instructional gatherings, Austin is a microcosm of the global awakening to the powers of rhythm. There most certainly is something for everyone. In the last month I've attended circles on college campuses and under bridges, seen circles whose participants spanned a sixty-year age difference, and learned about shamanic journeys into non-ordinary reality. And what motivates such a diverse group of college students, retirees, chief executive officers, yoga instructors and lawyers?

"A lot of people are in it for the healing and the spiritual stuff of it-not me," confesses Aralyn Hughes. "I'm in for the fun! I'm in for the rhythm. I'm in for the synch. I'm in for the high!"

Hughes, a real estate agent, meets weekly with the Djembabes, an all-female group named after the djembe, the most popular West African drum (about two feet tall, hourglass shaped, generally all wood with a goat-skin head). The Djembabes is but one class Gingras offers as an offshoot of her retail shop, Drumz, on Kerbey Lane. Drummers from Gingras' classes and from the multitude of organized drum circles around town tell me that fun is a common denominator that attracts people, but not the only one.

William Gulley, a computer-aided design (CAD) operator for an engineering firm and avid drummer, says, "I do this because I live in a very technical, complicated world and this takes me back to a very simple and primitive place where I think we need to visit (and) revisit as often as possible."

Drum enthusiasts repeatedly extol the benefits of escaping the go-go-go of the industrialized twenty-first century and returning to a more intrinsic human state that reminds us we are part of a rather grandiose ecosystem we've dubbed the earth. Drummers leave behind material pressures and truly let themselves go. The uninhibited nature leads to a menagerie of emotions: euphoria is a good word to sum up the mix of excitement and positive energy.

"What I really love about it is it gets me into my body," says Sally Ray, a child therapist who travels from Georgetown to join circles in Austin. "We have a tendency in our culture to live in our heads, from here up," she gestures with a cutting motion toward her neck. "(Drumming) really grounds you…You have access to everything that makes you fully human: your feelings, your sensations and impulses."

Don't think for even a minute, though, that the attraction is a retraction from society. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The number one reason given to me for drumming in circles was the sense of community it creates, a sense that is too often missing in daily life.

The sheer frequency with which individuals cite the same uplifting attributes-community, healing, unity, fun-without prompting is enough to drum home the point that there definitely is something going on here.

Call me a nitpicking skeptic but my preconceptions of drum circles came from scenes outside Grateful Dead concerts, where drum circles upwards of a hundred Deadheads would form. Hence, I associated drum circles with patchouli scent to mask the collective shunning of showers. The individual members certainly beat wildly and enthusiastically, but not usually with each other in any sort of musical rhythm or organization. The intent may have been there, but a lot of folks were pretty zonked out and the sober observer heard little but thundering noise. My assessment of the overall situation could be construed as negative.

But in recent years I've noticed more highly groomed, fastidious bathers with exotic African drums. Classes and organized circles are drawing more situated adults, even retirees, as opposed to the itinerant college-age crowd. Were these newcomers finding the same reward from collectively drumming? Were they finally learning something hippies knew all along? Or are they all just a little crazy? It became too much for me…I had to find out.

"Let's begin by going around and introducing ourselves and say a little something about what brought you here." Sherry Gingras has just begun the first day of a beginner drum class, and I have wound up in the chair right next to her.

There are eight men and seven women (besides Sherry and myself) packed tightly in the showroom of her shop. The small room abounds with drums and other percussion instruments from foreign lands. A few brought their own djembes, but most of us borrow one from Gingras' collection. We have never met before and within thirty minutes an onlooker would think we're family, albeit a quirky one, collectively coo-cooing an infant, "go-do, goon-doon, pa-ta, goon-doon." That's not baby talk. They are mnemonic West African words representing the three major tones utilized on the djembe.

Before this first session is adjourned, we have learned three basic rhythms and even succeeded in playing all three on top of each other after dividing into separate sections. Without a doubt, our group tends to speed up as we go, but at least we all speed up together. The last bit of drumming we do is open, and this is where the most fun happens for most people. For about fifteen minutes we don't follow a structured pattern. People freely pick from assorted shakers, drums and noisemakers and we do our best to "synch." Surprisingly, sixteen beginners (and Gingras of course) get a groove on. I can only speak for myself, but there were moments when my eyes were closed, my hands were on autopilot and I was just, to use a cliché, in another world.

The same phenomenon occurs when I sit it on the monthly Fun Drum organized by Sherry Scott. Bring your drum if you have it, but Scott will have plenty on hand to lend anyone who comes to sit in. This is another beauty of the drumming community: they're great at sharing. A person can get their feet wet in numerous free circles around town and there are always extra drums, shakers and knockers. (Some circles, such as Fun Drum, charge a minimal five-dollar fee to cover the cost of the room.) Homemade instruments are not unheard of and some drummers have been known to improvise with items like a recycled five-gallon water jug. Even if you are the type to indulge completely, a top-quality imported djembe can be bought for less than three hundred dollars and should last you a lifetime.

About fifteen people showed up for this month's Fun Drum circle; half were veteran drummers, half with little or no experience. There is no direct teacher-student instruction, but newcomers who look confused are privy to some guidance (I got some without asking). Someone starts by tapping a bass rhythm and everyone slowly, almost timidly, tries to find a part to fit. For about two minutes it's touch and go whether this is music or mayhem, but around that time a group "click" has occurred-we're on.

There is no mistaking that we're grooving as we engage in a dialogue through our instruments. We ride this one for another ten minutes before we slowly fade out, looking up to once again notice the room we're in. William Gulley, the CAD operator, rears back and lets out a robust laugh, triggering gigantic smiles all around. It's infectious; we all laugh.

"That spontaneous creation of music to me is the most joyful thing about this whole idea of doing a drum circle," Scott says. "You walk into a room of people you never met before and within just a few minutes, you're communicating."

For a drum circle to succeed musically, that communication is integral. Drummers find their own pattern, but they must always listen to the group. It's like dancers who don't want to step on each other's toes-they move together, but not intrusively. Everyone leaves space for others to speak their own part. "Competition is the polar opposite of what the community of drumming is trying to create," says Gingras. "We build community with cooperation."

The reverberating theme of community and cooperation sounds like fodder for motivational speakers, and some major corporations agree. HoEoB, Microsoft, Nissan and SBC make an abbreviated list of companies that have enlisted the services of Drum Café, a consulting organization that provides leadership workshops by directing groups through a drum circle. Kenya Masala is a facilitator with both Drum Café and his own company, Source Consulting Group. He has led countless unsuspecting groups into the world of drumming. "We like to keep it as a surprise," Masala says. "They walk in and all of a sudden, wham, there's three hundred drums."

One cannot help but chuckle at the thought of high-level executives anticipating a run-of-the mill company seminar and walking into a drum circle. Masala confirms that some eyes bug out of their sockets at first, but adds, "I am yet to do any rhythm experience where people walked out saying, 'I wish we hadn't done that.'"

The success of these seminars relies on the same attributes the willing drummers echo on their own accord. Individuals play their particular part and realize they are coming together to make something much bigger than the individual pieces. Listening to one another becomes essential for effectively working the circle and, by learning a new skill, the group is reminded of the importance of basic fundamentals. These lessons are all easily transferable to their working world and, as a bonus, they get to see their accounting department "rocking out" for just a bit.

Far from the corporate world, the future workforce is rocking out under a maze of freeway overpasses. A boisterous group, mostly university students, gathers every full moon in the woods under a MoPac interchange. It is reported that in warmer months a hundred people might show up, but on the late February evening I attend, the full moon fully hidden by thick clouds, the number is closer to thirty, with only about six or seven actually drumming and a few more dancing.

Still, a lot of the same elements Gingras, Scott and Masala's circles create are evident. The drummers have clearly left behind their lives of biology exams, early morning history classes and dorm-room minutiae. They are gathering around midnight in a concrete drainage tunnel, about ten feet wide and two hundred feet long. The reverberations are magnificent. A lot of the observers sing and chant together as they surround a hastily built bonfire. Neal Denton, English writing major at St. Edward's University, has been drumming for an hour straight and periodically pierces the air with primal screams worthy of Lord of the Flies. Tiffany Hoffman, an electrical engineering student at the University of Texas, pulls a stick from the fire and takes her dancing routine into the tunnel, the glowing flames casting a surreal trail as she melts into the dark. Later, Denton describes the power that drum circles create: "It unites everybody that's participating on to one beat. And that's almost, at least in my opinion, the purpose of life; to unite on the same beat, on the same level."

Many of these same students huddled under MoPac will soon present their unity in a more visible setting. Eeyore's Birthday is scheduled for April 30 at Pease Park. In it's forty-second year, this annual Austin event is free economically and spiritually. The only things not allowed are commercialism and bad vibes. Eeyore's also happens to be the occasion for Austin's largest drum circle. There's no controlling this one as hundreds come and go. If you need a crash course in diversity and all-out abandon, head to this circle. People drum, clap, dance and just plain whoop it up. The sheer size of this circle admittedly can be overwhelming and a cohesive rhythm akin to a miracle, but this event is all about indulgent fun. Denton, who has made the rounds at every circle he's heard of, will surely be there. Hoffman's danced at Eeyore's of years past and her toes will likely carry her there again.

Hoffman also dances at what might be Austin's smallest circle. Every Wednesday, Henry Rosenquist, PhD, takes a bus to the UT campus with his bongo drums and starts a small circle around noon, just north of the student union building. Rosenquist, whom everyone affectionately refers to as Dr. Henry, is a retired psychology professor who took up drumming six years ago back when he was just seventy-five years old. This circle relaxes Hoffman, offering a mid-week break to dance away her stress in the very same environment that causes it. "Life isn't always about all these serious things," she explains. "You have to have moments where you have a lot of fun and enjoy yourself and just really let go."

It's no surprise that we find it so easy to "let go" through rhythm. Children start dancing to rhythmic patterns almost before they start standing. When Gingras asked what brought us to that beginner's class, one thirty-something man replied, "I'm just trying to honor a childhood desire that's been nagging at me for years."

In fact, nearly every drummer I spoke with, when asked what got them started, replied something to the effect of, "actually, the drums called me."

This just might bring us full circle back to the beginning of this piece. We rap the steering wheel and tap our fingers because we are a living bass rhythm. It may sound simultaneously simple and esoteric, but our heartbeat is the rhythm of life. Expanding on that rhythm, our interactions and conversations make up the melodies. Gingras laments, "Today we are connected more to our cell phones than we are connected to our hearts." And if that rhythm connection is awry, than those melodies are entirely messed up.

A lot of people feel technological advancement has put tremendous distance between us and the most basic levels of humanity-our place on earth and our spiritual exploration. Seeking a way to bridge those gaps, some follow the heartbeat rhythm and are "called" to drums. They join circles of other drummers and a primal bond is formed as they "let go" together. So it makes perfect sense when drummer after drummer relates a wonderful sense of community they derive from participating in circles. And it's damn fun, too.

Danté Dominick dove hands first into the world of drumming for this piece. His girlfriend has since found delight in cooing him as My Little Drummer Boy when surrounded by a crowd. You may e-mail Danté at ddominick@goodlifemag.com.

Drum Your Way Through April

There are numerous drumming opportunities in Austin this month. The big one at the annual Eeyore's Birthday Party is Saturday, April 30 at Pease Park. That party starts 11am and runs till dark, it's free, and the drumming will probably be going on nonstop, so join in at your leisure. Of course there's no need to wait till the last day of the month to beat your drum, as there are many opportunities to prepare for the birthday bash, as follows:

April 1-We know, that's awfully short notice, but don't fret if you didn't make it. This drum circle meets the first Friday of every month at the Trinity United Methodist Church at 600 E. Fiftieth Street. Extra rhythm instruments are provided but bring your drums and any instruments you're willing to share. It costs five dollars although children under twelve and folks over sixty-five can participate at no charge. For more information call 512-453-9090 or visit www.drumzaustin.com.

April 6-27 (Wednesdays)-Henry Rosenquist's weekly drum circle meets around noon every Wednesday on the campus at UT, on the north side of the student union building. Students certainly sit in, but they're not the only ones. (Insider tip: "Dr. Henry" turns eighty-one on April 12.) For more information, e-mail henryrosenquist@sbcglobal.net.

April 7-Part of the South Congress First Thursday celebration, this circle meets 7:30-10pm in front of White Crane Herbal Medicine, 1902 S. Congress Ave. This is the first meeting since this circle took a winter hibernation, so expect enthusiastic drummers. For more information, call 512-693-4372.

April 8-(New moon) Every new and full moon, Maria Elena Martinez facilitates shamanic journeys with a Drumming and Fire Ceremony at her house, 2901 W. Forty-Fifth St. Shamanic drumming helps the group enter an altered state to seek spiritual guidance for a specific intention (peace, health, or something more personal). There is no charge. Everyone is welcome. Begins at 7:30pm. For more information, call Martinez at 512-453-1391.

April 18-Fun Drum at The Life Dance Institute, 3212 S. Congress Ave., happens 7-9pm the third Monday each month. This is a wonderful setting for beginners as you will not be the only one, but there will also be a handful of experienced drummers in an atmosphere perhaps less daunting than some of the larger outdoor circles. The cost is five dollars. For more information, call Sherry Scott at 512-294-3271 or e-mail sherry@rhythmconnection.net.

April 20-The new session of "Discovering the Magic for Beginners" begins at Drumz, 3700-1/2 Kerbey Lane. Sherry Gingras teaches this weekly beginners class that will meet six times. No drumming experience is necessary and neither is a drum, as she will furnish anyone who does not have one. Drumz offers other classes for those more advanced. For more information call 512-453-9090 or visit www.drumz.com.

April 24-(Full moon). This month, Maria Elena Martinez is taking the full moon shamanic drum circle on the road for a camping trip and drumming at the White Shaman Wildlife Preserve, west of Del Rio, Texas. For more information, call Martinez at 512-453-1391.

More information on these and other drum circles can be found at www.rhythmconnection.net. Sherry Scott moderates this useful community board for drummers to stay in touch, keep apprised of upcoming events, and learn the latest in drumming news.

-Dante Dominick