CONTACT THE RHYTHM SISTERS
Phone: 519-433-4551 E-mail: getkathysmith@hotmail.com

Michele Barnes

As a Yoga and Kripalu DansKinetics® teacher, I have come to know that physical, emotional and mental healing can be experienced through movement and rhythm. In my heart and in my body, dancing and drumming go hand-in-hand. I've been involved in music since the age of 13 when I started to play the Alto Saxophone, recorded a record and crossed Canada on a tour of many quaint towns. I'm currently a member of the West Elgin Adult Community Band, making music with other like-hearted individuals. I discovered hand-drumming about 4 years ago at an 'in-home' workshop hosted by a friend. I was hooked and have been playing informally ever since. I've accompanied a local women's choir, "Women's Spirit Song" both in concerts and on their very first CD. I am so excited about being part of this wonderful group of drumming Goddesses and look forward to being a part of the impetus that helps women to rediscover their sacred rhythm and role of healing on this planet.

http://www.lotuscentre.ca

Lorenna Bousquet-Kacera

Lorenna is the founder of ‘Shamanu: Earth Wisdom Teachings’ and co-director with her husband of The Living Centre and Living Arts Institute, Eco-Spiritual Education Sanctuary, near London Ontario. She is an Ayurvedic Live-Food Educator, Life-Style Coach and teacher of the Sevenfold Path to Peace training, with a specialty in the fields of movement therapy, emotions, somatic education, trauma resolution and sonic healing therapy.
 
Shamanu, Lorenna’s heart work, developed through her own healing process and the intuitive knowing that there was more to the human experience than what she had been taught to believe. Unique processes helped her reawaken her capacity to learn directly from and through her body and Nature, and experience the seamless connection between herself and the Cosmos.  She uses the ‘old arts’ of Movement, Sacred Dance, Healing Sounds, Breath Work, Drumming, Meditation, Ayurveda and Earth Rituals as the midwives for the birthing of one’s  spirit and the building of core physical, emotional and psychological strength and  vitality.  Lorenna’s love for ritual and ceremony are inspired by the Earth herself. Meditation and the art of merging consciousness with the forces that give us life – the Elements - imbue all her teachings.

Lorenna’s life and work is dedicated to guiding people into the ‘awe’ of existence.
 
Drumming, dancing and singing with The Rhythm Sisters is another way that Lorenna experiences and expresses her joy for life. For her, a process that is bathed in the language of the deep feminine. 

www.thelivingcentre.com

Jocelyn is a graduate of the Sound Practitioner diploma program at the Transformational Arts College in Toronto, Ontario. She has also completed the HealthRHYTHMS group empowerment drumming facilitator training.

Jocelyn practices what she calls "Sonic Medicine." She says Recreational Music Making (RMM) reduces stress, makes us laugh and unites people of all ages regardless of ability or experience. Drumming grounds and energizes the body and helps reduce physical tension.

Jocelyn's workshops and training programs assist people in:

.: letting go of tension
.: becoming less self-conscious
.: reawakening spontaniety
.: team building and communications in the workplace
.: enhance meditation and visualization

http://www.sonicmedicine.ca

Sheila Horrell has been involved in music all of her life. About 20 years ago, she was privileged to see Ubaka Hill in a performance of percussion and song and was mesmerized by the power of the drums. A friend gave her a small ceramic drum, and she was hooked!

Since that time, she has spent many hours participating in, and then facilitating Drum Circles. She was anxious to learn anything anyone would teach her about different percussion traditions, instruments, techniques and styles. Sheila continues to study with Ubaka whenever possible. She also has had the good fortune of learning from many other teachers, both here and in the US, Cuba and Peru.

Currently, Sheila is involved with several performance groups as well as Rhythm Sisters. She plays djembe, doumbek, shekere, berimbau and assorted small percussion. She sings with the Wingnuts, an all female ensemble. With Drumanticks World Spirit, she does a lot of work in schools. She also performs with BushLeague, a blues/fusion group with an environmental bent. Sheila continues her choral involvement with WomenSpiritSong choir in London.

As well as music, Sheila is involved as a volunteer with Heart-Links (supporting a small community in the Zana Valley in northern Peru), the Women's Circle at Brescia University College, the Grand Theatre, and Pro Musica. During the school year, she works 3 afternoons a week with at-risk children from 5 yrs. to 12 yrs. at the Limberlost Community in Northwest London.

Most of Sheila's 6 children are grown and making their own way in the world - a teacher, a musician, a renovator, and a student. Two are still at home, getting ready to spread their wings, leaving Sheila and her husband to decide in which country we would like to work. Wherever it is, the journey will include lots of music!

Kathy Smith is a retired marketing and communications executive. Retirement provided the perfect opportunity to to indulge her passion for music on a full-time basis.

Kathy has been playing music since the age of six. For many years, she studied with the Sisters of St. Joseph. As a High School student, Kathy performed sacred hymns with a choral group on Sunday mornings. However, on Saturday afternoons, she was a spirited go-go dancer on a local TV show.  

In the early sixties, she was a founding member of one of Canada's first "all-girl" show bands called The Living Dolls. They took their show on the road to many Ontario clubs and restaurants. Kathy was also a featured dancer and DJ in the hip Toronto Yorkville discotheques during the 1970's. 

In her heart she was always a drummer and dancer.

When Kathy was raising her son, Kathy left the world of entertainment but kept a strong connection to music through local musical theatre and choral groups. In 1993 Kathy was named to The Mayor's Honour Roll for her contribution to arts and culture in the City of London Ontario. Kathy's adult son is now a professional musician and multi-media artist.

Kathy Smith's passion for music history led her to explore different percussive instruments. One day she found a book by Layne Redmond called "When the Drummers Were Women " and it literally changed her thinking about percussion. She saw a concert by Gabrielle Roth and it changed her ideas about dance and movement. Kathy started researching instruments from ancient times. 
Computer technology allows her to compose new arrangements for the Rhythm Sisters taking ancient or various musics from around the world as primary sources.
Kathy still studies locally and abroad. She looks forward to traveling the world bringing home new ideas and instruments for The Rhythm Sisters.

http://www.startingoveratsixty.com

Julie Vigars

I am a lawyer and teacher of law at Fanshawe College and the University of Western Ontario. I find my balance by participating in drumming, yoga, dance, tennis and taking long walks in the woods with my Sheltie dog or enjoying leisure time relaxing with my cat.

One of my greatest loves in life is to travel. I have been to many different countries in the world and plan to see many more whenever I get the opportunity. Most recently I attended a Yoga retreat in Bali with a fellow member of the Rhythm Sisters and had a most amazing experience.

I have a profound appreciation for the performing arts – I love to enjoy live theatre, dance and musical performances as often as I can.

I started drumming when, by good fortune, I participated in a drum session orchestrated by the fabulous Ubaka Hill. I was hooked. Subsequently, I've been involved in several workshops featuring Ubaka and other wonderful women drummers. I‘ve also been part of her drum ensembles performing on stage.

Over the last few years I have joined various drum circles and especially enjoyed going to a number of retreats in Hockley Valley hosted by Doug Sole (owner of the Soul Drums shop in Toronto). One of the most fantastic experiences I had there was joining a group of over 100 drummers surrounding a gorgeous waterfall and jamming for a couple of hours.

On a couple of occasions I’ve also been able to join the Tam-Tams in Montreal in Mont Royal Park for some spontaneous wild and exhilarating drum sessions.

I’ve enjoyed being a member of the Rhythm Sisters drum group – particularly having the chance to meet the vibrant, energetic and multi-talented women in the group.
I’m looking forward to more good times.

Penny Wearne is a retired educator who discovered the djembe on December 21, 2000. She saw a group of drummers performing at a Winter Solstice ceremony and she was inspired.

Finally in January 2005 Penny began drumming with Jack Barnes' circle at Christ Anglican Church in London, Ontario. After a few weeks of using Jack's loaner drums, Penny decided she needed to have one of her own.

Cliff Patton, owner of Primordial Percussion, had a number of drums to choose from and was extremely helpful with the choice of the right one. In May 2005 Penny co-organized the first annual "Stones & Roses - a Day for Women". At this event, drumming was introduced to over 70 women by Sheila Horrell. Because of interest expressed by the women in attendance, Penny Wearne started a Wymyn's Drumming Circle in Dorchester in September, 2005.

Penny and the Dorchester Wymyn Drummers (facilitated by Sheila Horrell) performed in front of an audience of over 180 women at the second "Stones & Roses - A Day for Women" in May, 2006.

Penny's next drumming challenge is learning how to play the Irish frame drum, the bodhran.