Drum Temple
Drum Temple empowers people to reconnect with their truest expression & most primal self through primal drumming, vocal expression, & reconnection to our ancestral roots.
About Drum Temple
Founded by Katie Berns Lee in 2021, Drum Temple is an organization devoted to assisting especially women in unleashing their soul's most primal expression through djembe drumming.
We all have a part of our subconscious minds called our higher self. Through use of intuitive drumming and unfiltered expression, we can often access this part be able to see a clearer picture of who we are and what we have come here to do in this lifetime.
Drum Temple's Offerings
Women's Primal Drumming
In this 2-hour ceremonial experience, we as women reconnect to our birthright as drummers and heal through deep love and experiencing. With vocal activation, primal movement, personal expression, and primal drumming, we remember the power we hold to impact change in our own lives and in the world.
The Grand Primal Experience
An all-gender rhythmic ceremony reconnecting us to our primordial heartbeat through powerful self-expression, joy, laughs, primal drumming, and deep transformation.
Public Offerings
Women's Primal Drumming/Primal Activations
The same experience offered publicly by Katie can be offered to your company, private group, or organization. Drumming is a way to cut through the chatter and allow people to come together through their humanity.
Group Drum Lessons
Learning in a group allows us to tap into deeper powers of understanding and trust. In these lessons, we will move through a series of individual and group exercises to encourage togetherness and allow for continued growth on your own.
1:1 Primal Drum Discovery Ceremony
An intimate deep dive into expressing the core of your essence and your truest and most primal self. This session guides you through vocal expression, movement, breath, and, of course, primal drumming, so that you can step into the highest version of who you are.
Corporate Activations
For companies desiring to establish a deeper connection amongst employees, I offer a sillier, lighthearted version of primal drumming and rhythmic activations. Get to the core of communication and collaboration with fellow employees by connecting through rhythm, silly games, and joyful expression.
Private Offerings
Public Offerings
Online Offerings
Learning how to play the djembe has changed my life. It’s opened me to connection with others and a home within myself. So let's dive into ceremonial drumming, ancestral remembering, mindfulness, & deep inner activation in Everyday Djembe.
4-Week Rhythm and Song Intensive
This intensive includes fast-paced song and accompanying djembe rhythm learning to get you sharing your musical voice. Here we exercisethe grounding power of drumming with the personal touch of your unique vocal frequency to create pure magic.
This tailored one or three month container is for those looking to dive into djembe technique, deepen into personal expression, and incorporate hand drumming as a daily life practice for well-being.
Just the Rhythms Online Series
This brand new series features 24 pre-recorded rhythms (including challenging variations) broken down by Katie of Drum Temple to help jumpstart your djembe-drumming journey.
Upcoming Classes & Events
Deep Transformation Awaits You
When you experience the magic of Drum Temple, at a minimum you'll learn a bit about how to drum, and at the max you'll gain the power to transform your entire life.
We aren't just teaching people how to drum or sing, we are helping you unleash the inner voice of your soul. And at the root of transformation is expression of the gifts your soul came to this Earth to share. So your fullest expression? Well that's pure magic.
Event Footage
Event Footage
Women's Primal Drumming at Casamannabliss 2022
Women's Primal Drumming and Cacao Ceremony
Drum Temple Divine Masculine and Feminine Primal Experience
What to Expect from a Drum Temple Experience
When you leave one of our experiences, you may notice:
• An increase in your confidence
• Growth in your relationships
• Expansion in your mindset (therefore, life)
• Breakthroughs beyond your imagination
So even if you come thinking you have no rhythm or song inside of you, get ready to release your expectations, reawaken, and reignite the core of your power.
Sarah Jo Murphree
"Katie, I don’t think I have ever said this to someone I have just met, but I really love you. Last night was a really big deal for me, I feel so much more alive and open. Thank you sister, I hope to see more of you, you have just revealed a technique that was just waiting for me to try!"
Women's Primal Drumming Ceremony
Fernando Subirats
"Katie's primal activations are utterly amazing! She has a very unique gift for accessing raw power from within herself and transmitting it to the audience. Who then receives it, internalizes it and reflects back their own raw power. One of the best facilitators I've had the opportunity to co-create with!"
Group Primal Activation
Lili B
"I am beyond grateful for listening to my sacral and stepping out of my comfort zone. I have never considered myself a musician but I am rewriting that story and this hands on experience and support from Katie and the class really allowed me to let go, learn, follow my joy, and just do the damn thing! I am so grateful and wish this connection and liberation for all (especially the women!)."
Everyday Djembe Online Class
Time to Become Your Truest Self
Here's how we can get in touch with your soul's most primal expression.
The Elemental Activations
Virtual Video Series
This BRAND NEW 4-video series of mini activations and practices based on the Earthly elements JUST dropped.
Get ready to ground, release, renew, and come into deeper flow and creativity through vocal, breath, and djembe activation.
1:1 Ceremonial Djembe Lessons
Private Study with Katie
This lesson container is designed to equip you with not only the technical ability to drum, but especially with the intuitive and musical tools to transform your life.
Get ready to free your personal expression through voice, drum, and access to your true power.
Drum Temple Tank Tops & Unisex
T-Shirts
Join the Drum Temple club with the classic women's tank tops and brand new unisex t-shirts.
We are a growing community of those desiring to get in touch with ourselves. Let's come together.
About the Founder, Katie
When I was an infant in the crib, my father--not a psychic or seer--declared that I would be a percussionist in this life. He saw how I tapped the crib bars and made noises with it. Little could he have known how right he would be all these years later.
After almost choosing to play the clarinet in middle school (the band director nervously asked, "are you SURE you don't want percussion), I pursued concert and marching percussion for the next seven years, falling deeply in love with rhythm and sound.
In college, I lost touch with music and passion in my life until a powerful college mentor asked me to play a djembe drum she had at Shabbat services. It was at this time that I began to express through passion instead of written music for the first time.
I noticed almost immediately the power and grounding I felt while playing. I also felt like myself. People were magnetized by my being. All I had to do was play.
In college, I lost touch with music and passion in my life until a powerful college mentor asked me to play a djembe drum she had at Shabbat services. It was at this time that I began to express through passion instead of written music for the first time.
During the latter part of college and for the next decade, I fell ill with a plethora of autoimmune conditions and watched hope go down the drain. I lost touch with most people, almost all friends, and most importantly, myself.
It was in the eighth year that I began to remember. I reconnected with somatic memories of past lives. I remembered playing the West African Djembe and Middle Eastern and Egyptian Darbuka. I remembered being a woman of rhythm and song, of soulful expression.
And so I went to the store the next day and purchased a drum that I could play while sitting up from bed five minutes at a time. In me I felt life force, purpose, and understanding. I heeded the call.
Although it would take me another two years, my understanding of the power of the drum led me to create my first Women's Primal Drumming Ceremony where I witnessed transformation in the nine souls who chose to show up.
And I kept going.
Here I am a year and a half later, with the unwavering knowing that drumming heals, that remembrance is medicine, and that expression of our truest and most primal selves will change your life if you let it.
...........................................
I have witnessed rooms of 40 women crying, chanting, moving, being silly, and drumming as they've come together in sisterhood with drums. Throughout the time of creating these experiences, I have been personally led to my purpose, community, and entire life through this work.
And so, I share what I have learned as it comes, learning more about the origins of these beautiful ancestral drums, emotional healing techniques, and the power of transformation through frequency and vibration.
My passion is helping others heal and find themselves through primal expression and vibration. Let's drum.
Drum Temple Photo Gallery
Falguni Bhavsar
"I have been drumming with Katie 1-1 since August of 2022 and boy oh boy have I opened the portal of my inner drum playing goddess. There have been times during our lesson that we are so in tune with each other that my arms just start to play without me actually moving them, they are moving themselves. She has such a sweet and potent way to give you space to learn and be how you need to so you feel safe so you can access that deep inner musician that all of us have within us. She has truly been a gift in my life. I want to be Katie when I grow up…I want to play like she does. She is my heroine."
1:1 Ceremonial Djembe Lessons
Christina Sudduth
"I love my experience with you at the Center for Higher Self. I thought it was so beautiful how a group of women came together to make it possible. From you as facilitator and drummer/artist, and Daniela too, to greeters, cacao makers, photographers, etc. It was communal and honoring of all involved. It stretched me to get out of my comfort zone AND you all prepared us well for that, acknowledging that it might be triggering to see other women in their power and many forms of expression. That was part of the medicine and we were supported in that!! There were invitations to expand and grow, and it was always an invitation. Thank you for sharing your gifts!!"
Women's Primal Drumming Ceremony
Joshua Ott
Your energy was awesome. You are a beautiful person. You broke everything down very simple for everyone. Nice simple rhythms that we can eventually build off of. Perfect place for beginners and even people that play the dejembe could learn a lot from you out. Aho!
Everyday Djembe Online Class