by Oxana
I never met the late Layne Redmond in person. I learnt from her DVDs, CDs and her book. Nevertheless, what I do now with passion: frame drumming, and the circle of friends that I have got around me, is all due to her work.
I am Oxana Poberejnaia. I come from the Soviet Union. I live in Todmorden, England, UK.
Here is my website. I write poetry and prose and paint watercolours. I play frame drums and sing in a world music band Soma.
A few years ago, I started going to local drumming circles. Usually they had dozens of hand drums there, and just one or two frame drums – and I was drawn to them. I got a 22″ Renaissance drum in summer 2011 and started practicing. I know, not the best choice for a beginner, due to its size, but I loved its vibrations. They went right into my body. I also loved watching Layne Redmond and Miranda Rondeau, Layne Redmond’s disciple, on YouTube.
I got Layne Redmond’s When the Drummers Were Women, her training DVDs and CDs all at the same time. I practised frame drumming by day and read the book by night.
I am a feminist, so I am fascinated with the Sacred Feminine. This is another reason Layne’s book has been such an inspiration for me. Frame drumming turned out to be the real practical way to abide with Goddess. In time, I wrote a post in honour of Layne’ life for the international blog Feminism and Religion, where I am a regular contributor.
From the very beginning, I have felt that the most important part of playing frame drums is playing them in a group and connecting with other people and the rhythm of life, together.
This is how the idea for Todmorden Frame Drum Group was born. Then the lovely Filo, the Taranta master and Jayne Johnson, a Shamanic drummer (who was in my Beginners’ drum class and then in Incidentals) agreed to lead a session each.
In April 2012 I sent an email to Layne thanking her for her work and telling her about my plans. She replied:
Hi dear, I’m so glad you are so enthusiastic! I want more and more women to begin frame drumming!
I started teaching a small group of female friends in September 2012 and in July 2013 they became my Intermediate group, as I set up a new Beginners’ class in a local community centre.
Here is the link to the website of Todmorden Frame Drum Group.
The Intermediate group became all-woman frame drum band Incidentals. Since we have started, we taught women to play frame drums both in classes and also at public events, such as “Meet the Makers” in Hebden Bridge and Family Day in Heptonstall. We also held a special session in Hebden Bridge’s Women’s Institute.
We played at festivals and events around our local area. We dressed up and marched with an annual Handmade Parade. We helped fundraise for various good causes, such as veganism and women’s charities.
We invited friends and like-minded people in order to organise a communal Spring celebration, complete with a traditional Russian circle dance.
This was covered by a local newspaper.
We also performed at the first Alternatiba Festival on British soil – supporting solutions to the climate crisis.
We recorded videos of instrumentals based on Layne Redmond’s patterns. We also sang some women’s and shamanic songs for YouTube.
I notice how women instantly feel the magic of frame drums.
They smile and laugh, they become animated and they say things like “I don’t have the sense of rhythm (or “I am not musical”), but I love frame drums!” Women of all ages and all backgrounds are drawn to frame drums.
Once when on holiday in Crimea I taught a Russian friend frame drums, and she picked up Layne’s rhythm Uma faster than anyone I had ever seen in my life, including myself. A middle-aged British lady in my Beginners’ group got herself a frame drum just after two classes.
Days before Layne’s death I received by post her signature Lotus Tambourine, which Layne developed with Remo. The first time, when I sat down with the tambourine to watch Layne’s training video, she was in the same world as I, and the very next day she was gone. At the moment, we at Soma rehearse a fusion MiddleEastern/Jazz instrumental piece, where I play that very tambourine.
I posted one of Layne’s last messages, from the time she was teaching her last frame drumming retreat. Please take time to read the eight lovely tribute comments that people left on our website. Most of them, like me, did not know Layne personally, but had been deeply affected by her work.
Layne and the Goddess gave me so many gifts: frame drumming is one. All my friends, whom I met through frame drumming, soon followed.
One friend from the original Incidentals, Jayne, taught me shamanic journeying.
Another Incidental, an artist called Rachel, designed the logo for Incidentals, and then for Soma.
I also had an adventure: my best friend plays bodhran. In May 2013 we went to Anglesey on a pilgrimage to pre-historic Standing Stones and Burial Chambers, by which we played our drums.
Sandi of Incidentals, who learnt from Layne together with me and who was also impressed by Layne’s book, and I went to the local French and Breton music workshops.
There we found Andrew, who now plays clarinet, harmonium and drums in Soma.
Andrew invited Steve, who plays mandola and lyra.
Thus our new band, Soma, was born.
We still use Layne’s frame drumming patterns in our music.
We play “I Shall Find You”, a song by Tori Morrill&Al Newman. Inanna Sisters in Rhythm, who has originally played it, kindly gave us permission to perform the song and even shared their score notes!
Inanna Sisters in Rhythm also count the late Layne Redmond as one of their teachers.
No one can take her vital, creative and uniting spirit from us.
Tar, 
In her book, Layne presents a story of the Goddess and her priestesses playing frame drums. She discusses sound, vibration, and the moon cycle. Many people found that Layne gave them a key to recovery of sacred women’s frame drumming practices for today’s world.
Soma 