my dear drummer,
I wanted to share the main reason I drum (this is a wild claim considering there are so many).
Truth is, rhythm has connected me to everyone and everything in my life.
It speaks before I do.
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And thank god—because sometimes speaking feels hard. Sometimes I can only lead with art and expression.
I’m actually a human too–I doubt myself, I feel insecurity, I feel shame.
But the drum?
When I share through heartbeat & song, I’m 100% ME -- Unfiltered.
The drum speaks for me without me opening my mouth.
The drum has also introduced me to friends who became family. To teachers who changed my path. To parts of myself I didn't know existed.
It's been my language when I had no words.
My prayer when I didn't know what to say.
My bridge to people and places and traditions I would have never found otherwise.
Rhythm connects us. To ourselves. To each other. To lineages that stretch back thousands of years.
And if you've been feeling the pull toward the drum—if you've been curious, drawn, called—
Maybe it's because rhythm wants to connect YOU to something, too.
In this course, you will learn to speak, ceremonialize, and experience through the lens of vibration & culture.
Join us, friend. It’s time.
Student Praise
What a beautiful ending to launch me into new beginnings…
In 8 weeks of djembe drumming with Drum Temple, I learned things I didn’t know were possible.
What I get to take with me onward into my sacred purpose path:
A new level of confidence, deep connection with the drum, another tool for somatic work, a deeper connection with my feminine, a deeper connection to the rhythms of my cycles, healing my hips, healing my mother wounds, a deeper relationship with my heart, rhythm balance, listening for the foundation
Get you a drum and seek out Katie!
With deep gratitude. Aho!
Ali Zamora, RemedYo
Do you feel the call of the sacred drum?
Weekly Curriculum
Week 1
Intro to Djembe & Shamanic Drums/The Primordial Pulse
Basic technique & rhythms, Primordial Pulse meditation, readying the body for rhythm & return.
Week 3
Drumming for Medicine Music & Ritual Experiences
The role of the drum in ritual. How we choose rhythms based on the energy of songs and spaces. How rhythm shifts energy.
Week 2
Reconnecting With the Elements Through Drumming
Evoking different energies through rhythm and reconnection. Physical and energetic awareness of rhythmic impact.
Week 4
Using the Drum in Meditation, Trance, & Nervous System Healing
Drawing from the priestesses of Ancient Egypt, Sumer, Greece, and Mesopotamia as well as modern day neuroplasticity principles.
Week 5
Traditional West African Djembe Study with Master Drummer Eddie Dorman
Rhythmic roots, how the djembe has evolved, spiritual applications, traditional rhythm and dance study, and performance from master drummer Eddie Dorman.
Week 7
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World Rhythms & Rhythmic Landscape Study
Rhythms from Argentina, Colombia, & Cuba adapted for the djembe and shamanic drums. Why do different rhythms arise from different terrains?
Week 6
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Using Drums for Vocal Opening & Activation
The drum and voice are inextricably linked. We will understand why and how we can use the drum to support vocal opening and vice versa. Prayer chanting, toning, tuning the vessel through drum & voice.
Week 8
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Rhythm Creation & Prescription
Creating your own rhythms/prescription based on your current experiences. Connecting with other drums and their medicine based on what you need. How do we go forth with this new information? How do we apply the principles of the Primordial Pulse in our lives?
Meet Your Instructors
Katie Berns Lee (K'haht'ya כהתיה)
Katie is a Jewish American primal hand-drummer, songstress, musician, activator, connector and creator of Russian and Polish heritage.
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She believes that rhythm activates vibrational messages from our body and soul—so let us use it to communicate the messages coming through us during times of great responsibility and transformation.
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Through her music and spiritual practice and study, Katie connects deeply to indigenous and ancient cultures from West Africa, Latin America, Mongolia, the Middle East, and folk America, and her mission encourages a return to original ways of feeling, expressing, and being as stewards of this Earth.
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Eddie Dorman
Eddie Dorman is a West African percussionist and teaching artist committed to presenting djembe as a living cultural practice grounded in lineage, community, and storytelling, informed by years of study with master drummers and direct experience within the tradition.
His approach centers clarity and access, guiding students beyond technique toward understanding the drum’s purpose, and he collaborates with schools, community organizations, and wellness spaces through immersive, experience-based learning.
FAQs
​1. Do I need to know how to play music or hand drums to join?
No experience is necessary--this is all levels. It depends how deep YOU want to go.
2. Do I need my own djembe & shamanic drums to take the course?
YES. Especially to be able to deepen into study on your own and live this experience so that you can become a testament of pulse and embodied rhythm. Recommendations for drums will be sent as soon as you register.
3. I don't have rhythm. Do you think this is right for me?
The real truth: EVERYONE has rhythm. When we are children, we are often told by others that we should not sing or play music, or that we are not good. EVERYONE on this planet carries the codes to the Primordial Pulse within them.
4. I can't make every class. Will the recordings be available for replay?
While it is recommended to come to each class live, we understand life happens. YES, the replays will be available.
5. I do not want to be a professional percussionist. Is this still for me?
This course is for anyone who wants to embody their inner truth on a whole new level. It has nothing to do with performance, and yet, if you are a performer, returning to your truth will enhance your transmission tenfold.​
6. Is this course for men and women?
YES. While most of my events are for women, this is for everyone! Take advantage.
7. Is it normal to feel nervous about expressing myself in such vulnerable ways?
YES. And please know that, in this space, you will be held, encouraged, and able to hold boundaries if something truly feels outside of your zone of safety. We are here together to grow through safety, community, and rhythmic learning.
FAQs
​1. Do I need to know how to play music or hand drums to join?
No experience is necessary--this is all levels. It depends how deep YOU want to go.
2. Do I need my own djembe & shamanic drums to take the course?
YES. Especially to be able to deepen into study on your own and live this experience so that you can become a testament of pulse and embodied rhythm. Recommendations for drums will be sent as soon as you register.
3. I don't have rhythm. Do you think this is right for me?
The real truth: EVERYONE has rhythm. When we are children, we are often told by others that we should not sing or play music, or that we are not good. EVERYONE on this planet carries the codes to the Primordial Pulse within them.
4. I can't make every class. Will the recordings be available for replay?
While it is recommended to come to each class live, we understand life happens. YES, the replays will be available.
5. I do not want to be a professional percussionist. Is this still for me?
This course is for anyone who wants to embody their inner truth on a whole new level. It has nothing to do with performance, and yet, if you are a performer, returning to your truth will enhance your transmission tenfold.​
6. Is this course for men and women?
YES. While most of my events are for women, this is for everyone! Take advantage.
7. Is it normal to feel nervous about expressing myself in such vulnerable ways?
YES. And please know that, in this space, you will be held, encouraged, and able to hold boundaries if something truly feels outside of your zone of safety. We are here together to grow through safety, community, and rhythmic learning.
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