The Healing Drum with Shirley Rowland

Dr. Shirley Rowland

Enter the sound of the Mother Drum — a sacred instrument whose deep, ancestral heartbeat has guided healing and ceremony for generations. In this immersive session, Dr. Shirley Rowland invites you to gather around her Mother Drum and let its resonance move through you, opening the body, quieting the mind, and reconnecting you to something older than words. No experience necessary — simply come ready to listen, breathe, and feel the rhythm carry you home.

There is a rhythm older than language — the first sound most of us ever knew, felt before we could see or speak. The Mother Drum carries that same primal pulse. In this session, Dr. Shirley Rowland — a Cherokee Elder and guardian of the Healing Drum tradition — invites you into that sacred rhythm. The Mother Drum she plays is not merely an instrument; within Cherokee tradition and many indigenous lineages, it is regarded as a living presence, carrying the heartbeat of the earth and the wisdom of the generations who have gathered around it before us. As the drum sounds, its deep resonance moves through the body in ways words cannot reach — settling the nervous system, softening old tension, and opening space for whatever needs to surface. Some feel called to move. Some feel called to stillness. Some simply feel, for the first time in a long while, held. This is not a performance to watch — it's an experience to enter. Come as you are, with an open heart and a willingness to listen beyond your ears. No drumming experience or spiritual background is required; the only invitation is presence. By the time the last beat fades, many discover that something in them has shifted — a knot loosened, a truth clarified, a sense of belonging restored. This is the gift of the Mother Drum: it doesn't tell us who to become. It simply reminds us, beat by beat, of who we already are.


About This Session

There is a rhythm older than language — the first sound most of us ever knew, felt before we could see or speak. The Mother Drum carries that same primal pulse. In this session, Dr. Shirley Rowland — a Cherokee Elder and guardian of the Healing Drum tradition — invites you into that sacred rhythm. The Mother Drum she plays is not merely an instrument; within Cherokee tradition and many indigenous lineages, it is regarded as a living presence, carrying the heartbeat of the earth and the wisdom of the generations who have gathered around it before us. As the drum sounds, its deep resonance moves through the body in ways words cannot reach — settling the nervous system, softening old tension, and opening space for whatever needs to surface. Some feel called to move. Some feel called to stillness. Some simply feel, for the first time in a long while, held. This is not a performance to watch — it's an experience to enter. Come as you are, with an open heart and a willingness to listen beyond your ears. No drumming experience or spiritual background is required; the only invitation is presence. By the time the last beat fades, many discover that something in them has shifted — a knot loosened, a truth clarified, a sense of belonging restored. This is the gift of the Mother Drum: it doesn't tell us who to become. It simply reminds us, beat by beat, of who we already are.

Things to Know


Day & Date

Sunday,  August 30, 2026

Time

2:45 PM - 4:15 PM

Location

Freedom Hall

Duration

90 Minutes

Admission

Included with Festival Admission

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Meet The Presenter

Dr. Shirley Rowland

Culture and Crafts Healing Center

Learn More

Learn more about this presenter’s background, experience, and work.