Burnout & mood
Research suggests a short group drumming program reduced burnout and improved mood in long-term care staff.
Edmonton, Alberta
drumAdrumDRUM
We bring people together.
- Workplace wellness
- Joyful self-expression
- Team building
- 20+years facilitating
- 1,000+circles led
- YEGEdmonton & area
Interactive drum circles that lift people up
through the power of rhythm and music.
Watch “Come Drum with Us” with Multicultural Health Brokers1:27
Our mission
We help to create a world where people feel included and welcomed to gather and express themselves in the circle, by creating safety, building trust and having fun together.
We use the gift of rhythm and participatory music to celebrate the connections between people, recognizing that we are part of something greater, carried by a bigger song.
Our philosophy
What if I’m not musical?
“If you can walk, you can dance.
If you can talk, you can sing.”
Zimbabwean proverb
DestiNAITion Global Community Drumming Workshop
NAIT International & Intercultural Community Centre · 2023
We need both
The fun deep philosophy
Depth and meaning,
as well as joy and lightness.
We specialize in serving the people who care for others:
health care, social services, nonprofit, education and community teams.
A wellness day or PD day that actually restores and re-ignites the spark
in the people who hold everyone else up.
Bonding, Trust & Psychological Safety
A skillful facilitator helps create a space where everyone feels safe to take a risk, laugh and be seen.
Why it mattersWhen caring teams feel safe with each other, they speak up, share the load and ask for help.
Stress Relief through Joyful Expression
Drumming naturally transforms stress into useful energy. Laughter, movement and sound shake off the week and lift the energy in the room.
Why it mattersFor people who give all day, it’s a real reset against burnout. They return to their work lighter and more present.
Communication & Listening
A drum circle is one of the rare moments where people listen and express themselves at the same time.
Why it mattersTeams that truly hear each other feel understood, and tension softens before it builds.
Shared Leadership in Rhythm
Everyone gets the opportunity to lead and to follow. Natural leaders emerge and hidden strengths surface as every person contributes to one shared rhythm.
Why it mattersCoworkers see each other in a new light, and everyone leaves knowing their part matters.
Read the articleDrum circles for corporate team building & workplace wellness →
Benefits
Not therapy, but therapeutic.
- Lifts your mood and lowers stress
- Wakes up the body with energy and play
- Builds trust and a real sense of belonging
- Gets people listening to each other
- Puts everyone on equal footing, no experience needed
- Sparks laughter, creativity and confidence
- Leaves the group with a powerful shared memory and bond
Behind the rhythm
What the research suggests
Rhythm builds teams
Studies have found that people who move in sync cooperate more afterwards and feel more on the same team.
Older adults
Research suggests making music together, percussion included, supports mood, confidence and a sense of belonging in later life.
These are mostly small studies of group music-making, not studies of our sessions. Our circles are for wellness, connection and fun. They aren’t therapy or counselling, and they don’t replace professional mental health care.
What we believe
Celebrating Unity
through our Diversity
Who it's for
Team building, wellness days and PD days for caring teams, corporate and government workplaces, and any business that wants its people to feel like a team again.
We also bring the rhythm to conferences, energizers and fundraisers.
Health & Care
Staff wellness days, stress relief and energizers for nurses, caregivers and care teams. Joyful drum circles for residents in seniors’ residences, continuing care, hospice and rehab, adapted for every ability.
Social Services & Nonprofits
Team building and restorative PD days for frontline teams carrying heavy work, supporting staff mental health and wellness: community agencies, mental health and family services, newcomer and multicultural groups, volunteers and boards. Nonprofit rates available.
Workplace & Community
Team building, energizers and workplace wellness for corporate and government teams: staff PD days, retreats, conferences, holiday and Christmas parties, youth groups and community celebrations, inclusive for every background.
Clients & past events
Who we've drummed with
20 years of circles with health, government, education and community organizations.
Health & mental health32
Show more +
- Alberta Veterans Guitar Society
- Kids with Cancer Society
- Pilgrims Hospice Society
- Alexis Health Services
- Autism Edmonton
- Taproot Community Support Services
- GreenTree Rehabilitation
- Pine Integrated Health Centre
- Whitemud Crossing Chiropractors
- Pure Orthodontics
- Allen Gray Continuing Care
- Covenant Health – St. Joseph's Auxiliary Hospital
- Edmonton Operational Stress Injury Clinic
- Bigstone Health Commission
- Chartwell Emerald Hills
- Benevolence Care Centre
- Revera – Riverbend
- All Seniors Care – St. Albert Retirement Residence
- Garneau Hall Seniors Community
- Multicultural Health Brokers
- Mental Health Commission of Canada
- Alberta Health Services
- Arts in Medicine – Cross Cancer Institute
- Wellspring Center
- Headstrong Mental Health Youth Summits
- NorQuest College – Professional Development
- NorQuest College – Students' Union
- NorQuest College – Recreational Therapy
- St. Cecilia's Junior High School
- Grant MacEwan – Faculty of Health and Community Studies
- Alberta Learning Assessment
- Catholic Social Services
Workplace wellness & yoga54
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- Enbridge
- Westin Edmonton
- Yellowhead Tribal Council
- City of Ponoka
- LivUnltd – Jax Fitness
- CM Events
- Rowland Parker Associates
- WJS Canada
- JV Ventures – Enoch staff wellness
- Revitalife Wellness
- Element Yoga
- Prana Yoga Studio
- YogaLife Studios
- Soul Fitness Studios
- Park Yoga & Wellness
- Windermere Oxygen Yoga & Fitness
- Luminescence Healing
- One Life Massage Therapy
- Nūma Somatics
- EvolveWell
- Thru Body Mind Breath
- Wellness on Whyte
- Canadian Western Bank
- Alberta Pensions Services Corp.
- Enrich Yoga & Wellness
- Above Average Yoga & Wellness
- Ekatra Yoga
- Integr8 Massage – Pulse of Life
- Somatika
- Amanda Blaire Wellness
- WUB Wellness
- Obsidian Ridge
- Federal Government of Canada Health and Wellness Day
- Wellness Within
- Yoga Within (residence)
- Red Deer Yoga Intensive
- Yoga Life
- Lotus Soul Yoga
- The Yoga Loft
- Lions Breath Yoga
- Prana Yoga
- From Within Wellness Center
- Shanti Yoga
- Shree Yoga & Wellness
- Allen Gray Care Center
- Edmonton Pilgrims Hospice
- Edmonton Seniors Alliance Greater Edmonton
- Shepherd's Care Foundation
- Norwood – CapitalCare
- Lions Senior Center North
- Keynote Support Services
- Abbottsfield Recreational Center
- Metro College
- City Arts Center
Community building41
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- Strathcona County Library
- Lake Summerside Community
- Military Family Resource Centre – THRIVE Carnival
- Action for Healthy Communities
- Edmonton Immigrant Services Association – Newcomers' Day
- City of Edmonton – Awesome Block Party
- Kenilworth Community League
- Families First Society
- Rising Sun Theatre Society
- Multilinguabilities
- New Sarepta Community
- Brandenburg Music
- Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council
- City of Edmonton Special Events
- Chrysalis Society
- Braided Journeys
- Cerebral Palsy Association Alberta
- Loseca Foundation
- Joyful Noise Choir
- Elves Special Needs Society
- St. Augustine's Catholic Church
- St. Albert United Church
- Family Resource Fair, Mill Woods Town Centre
- Sherwood Park Library
- Azure Music Sherwood Park
- Strathearn Community Wellness Center
- United Nations Day GMCC
- Make Poverty History
- Creating Hope Society Fundraiser
- Weekend to End Women's Cancer
- Edmonton Yogathon – Cancer Fundraiser
- Solidarity Week – GMCC
- Alberta Arts on the Ave – Social Arts Experience
- The Healing Cafe Edmonton
- Drumocracy – Red Deer
- Alberta International Percussion Society
- Action 4 Healthy Communities
- Edmonton Immigrant Services Association
- Society for Assisted Recovering from Eating Disorders – S.C.A.R.E.D. Yogathon
- PRISM Bar & Grill Queer Exposure Week
- Stollery Children's Hospital Yoga Fundraiser
Youth work21
Show more +
- Little Warriors – Be Brave Ranch
- Edmonton Region Child Care Association
- Northalta Family Day Care
- Discovery Nest Early Learning Centre
- Brite Beginnings – Erin Ridge
- Canada World Youth
- Girl Guides of Canada
- Youth Emergency Shelter – The Armoury
- Gandhi Youth Peace Conference
- Students United for Social Justice
- Calmar Public School Assembly
- SCERDO – Somali Youth Stand Up and Lead
- Global Youth Assembly – Ignite Change
- OSYS Old Strathcona Youth Society
- Roots, Love, Struggle, Music Justice w/ DAM & iHuman Youth Society
- CASA House
- City Hall Youth Assembly
- Students Against Global Apathy
- ASSIST Chinese Community Center
- Norwood Community Center Summer Programs
- Mar Macc Dance School – Summer Camps
Conferences & festivals19
Show more +
- Alberta Victim Serving Summit
- Superbloom – Superfriends Collective
- SSUC Retreat Weekend
- Yoga Association of Alberta – 50th Anniversary
- CWB Banking Associate Conference
- Camp WUB
- Kananaskis Wellness Weekend
- The Works – City of Edmonton
- DreamCatcher Aboriginal Youth Conference
- Edmonton Kaleido Festival
- Natural Health Care Practitioners of Canada (workshop presenter/performer)
- NextFest
- Boys and Girls Club Edmonton
- City of Edmonton – Eastwood Festival
- Edmonton May Day Festival
- North Country Fair
- South Country Fair
- Inshallah Music Festival
- Astral Harvest Festival
Schools & universities40
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- NorQuest College – Therapeutic Recreation
- University of Alberta – Faculty of Arts
- University of Alberta – Augustana Campus
- University of Alberta – Aboriginal Teacher Education Program
- MacEwan University
- The King's University
- NAIT – International & Intercultural Community Centre
- Parkland School Division
- Suzuki Charter School
- Namao High School
- University of Alberta International Center
- University of Calgary Faculty of Social Work
- Grant MacEwan Students' Association
- University of Alberta International House
- University of Alberta Faculty of Extension
- University of Alberta International Week
- Stand Up for Ft. Chip / Greenpeace
- Music Is a Weapon
- University of Augustana International Week
- U of A Music 101 – Folk Music of Canada
- West Park Elementary, Red Deer – Artist in Residency
- Montessori & Me Preschool Stratford
- St. Albert Protestant Preschool
- École Dickinsfield (leadership course)
- Westboro School Sherwood Park (resiliency workshops)
- St. Hilda Junior High (multicultural day)
- Our Lady of Peace Elementary
- Brightview Elementary
- Belgravia Elementary
- St. Kevin's MADD Day
- St. Cecilia – Mental Health Days
- Jamie Platt YMCA
- Londonderry Junior High School Gr. 7 Camp
- Londonderry Junior High – PEACE JAM
- Strathcona Composite High Leadership Class
- Jasper Place High School
- Queen Elizabeth High – Multicultural Day
- M.E. LaZerte – Multicultural Day
- St. Joseph's – Action 4 Healthy Communities
- École Marie Poburan
Our approach
Why a facilitated drum circle?
Skilled facilitation isn’t a performance.It’s making easier what already wants to happen.We help your group explore their fullest potential.
The 6 C’s are how we draw it out.
Our method
The 6 C's of facilitation
- Build the contextWhy we're here: your goals, your people, and what the day is for.
- Build the containerPsychological safety: a space to play, take risks, and succeed together
- Build capacityYou can’t connect with others until you’ve connected with yourself. Simple games, rhythms and concepts that balance fun and challenge.
- Build connectionListening, expressing and navigating pitfalls together as a group, toward success and team flow.
- Empower creativityWhat truly makes the circle come alive: highlighting each person’s unique contribution, and creating opportunities for everyone to add theirs.
- Nourish communityShared, memorable moments of bonding and laughter that the team carries back to work.
What's the difference?
Choose the best fit for your event.
| Aspect | Traditional drumming workshop | Facilitated drum circle |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Learning set rhythms and their culture | The quality of connection between members of your group |
| The music | Taught by an instructor | An in-the-moment group song, improvised through listening and shared risk |
| The experience | Appreciation of a tradition | Setting the stage to take a safe risk for a greater reward |
| Format | A set program | Meeting and adapting to the energy of the room, with a debrief |
Your facilitator
Marcus Fung
Marcus Fung is a Chinese born Canadian living in Treaty 6 territory, Amiskwaciy Waskahikan, Cree for Beaver Hills, now known as Edmonton. He is a classically trained pianist and a graduate of Grant MacEwan College holding diplomas in Music Composition and Jazz Piano performance. He began a mentorship and career specializing as an early music and movement teacher with Music Together of the Northern Lights. He later learned to weave his love for music with inclusion, going on to work with peoples of many backgrounds, ages and abilities. He developed his understanding of working inter-modally studying Expressive Art Therapy.
For more than 20 years and 1,000+ circles, from boardrooms to care homes to cancer care, Marcus has facilitated rhythm using Arthur Hull’s drum circle facilitation methodology, blended with his own approach.
He continues to foster his interest in the transformative possibilities of sound therapy and the healing arts. He continues to learn and grow in his community where he likes to refer to himself as a re-generative culture artist.
Beyond the drum
Related services
Sound Bath & Sound Therapy
Sound healing with crystal and Tibetan singing bowls and gongs. Therapeutic and healing sounds to accompany yoga classes, meditations or other special events.
Read more
Sound baths and gong journeys are offered through Marcus's sister practice, Earth Harmony Sound & Wellness →
Laughter Yoga
Laughter Yoga is a form of personal and social exercise, which benefits the body, mind and spirit. It pairs the practice of laughter exercises with deep yogic breathing.
Read more
Why would I do this?
As soon as one begins to laugh, an instantaneous positive shift begins to occur. The entire body and cellular structure begins to become oxygenated. A sense of playfulness, release and levity is invoked.
There is a positive shift in emotions and outlook. Laughter stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), "rest" and "digest", the complement of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), fight or flight.
You get a chance to not take yourself so seriously, PLAY and be silly.
Laughter yoga for me is based on two key principles
Your body does not recognize the difference between laughter as exercise and laughter stimulated by humour.
Laughter is C O N T A G I O U S.
Movement Based
Silent disco events and Music Movement Medicine. Creative movement for all ages.
Contact & quotes
Call us today for a consultation
Tell us about your group and your event — we'll shape the circle around it.
- Call or email with your date, group size and goals.
- Free consult to talk through your space and what you want people to leave with.
- Custom plan & quote, then we show up with the drums.
- FacilitatorMarcus Fung
- Phone780-257-6428
- EmaildrumAdrumDRUM@gmail.com
- Based inEdmonton, Alberta, Canada