Customer Reviews

The Way of the Pulse: Drumming With Spirit

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This book is about more than just drumming. It shows how you can use music to help yourself and those round you. Diamond's approach is a unique, and combines philosophy with psychology and numerous other modalities. The writing ranges from the philosophical to practical suggestions and it has been a great inspiration to me in using music to enhance my life. One wonderful aspect to his approach is that anybody can do it--it's all about intention, not technique.

Reading this book opened up the world of music and showed me a way to become free from the tyranny of the beat, the "must be right" of conservatory training.

I love this book. There are a number of brief papers which discuss important ideas and concepts, but my favorites are the little poems, or aphorisms. Maybe two or three to a page, they conjure up images, pose questions or set in motion trains of thought that really get to the heart of why the creative arts are so important to our life, health and general well-being.
This is a book that can be read over and over again - each time revealing something new.

This book gave me insight not only into music and drumming, but also into life. Too, I love the style of the writing! It is poetic and inspirational. I recommend this for anyone involved in percussion -- on all levels of proficiency -- and also for anyone interested in how music can help people throughout their whole lives.

An outstanding book for discoverying and understanding the power and spirit of a pulsing, steady beat. As a frustrated Drummer trying to get a workout, I found this book in my search to understand and explain the hypnotic rhythm created by speed bag punching, and this book enlightened me to several reasons that I (and others I teach) are so drawn to the pulsing bag beat. This book simply explains why what makes the "beat go on" inside us all. This was a refreshing read for a long time drummer.

In The Way of the Pulse: Drumming with Spirit, John Diamond, M.D., stresses that the Highest Creativity of all is Music, which he encourages in all his students. And, as singing and dancing are the highest form of Music, he teaches them to sing and dance on the Pulse. With the drum being the instrument that is most conducive to raising Life Energy, the author encourages all those who request his guidance in improving their lives to play drums. By doing so, they can come to access "the deep desire, the aspiration, to find the Way of the Pulse, Peace and Love - and to give these to others."

In the Foreword to this insightful work, Paul Cavaciuti, Dip.Mus., D.I.M.H., and former Head of Percussion, Musician's Institute, stresses that this book is not merely for drummers or therapists, but that it is, rather, worthwhile reading for all those who are concerned with leading a more open-hearted, creative and untroubled life. In an array of both poetry and prose pieces, John Diamond provides an overview of such fundamental topics as "The Tide and The Pulse", "Drumming, Pulse and Tao" and "The Drum and The Mother."

Diamond's approach is personal and grounded in everyday experience that he elevates to the realm of the transcendental. Inspiring and motivational, The Way of the Pulse: Drumming with Spirit is directed at all who have ever yearned to play the drums. Many readers may be aware of, or even belong to, drumming circles. The latter will already, no doubt, have experienced for themselves the trancelike ecstasy that is aroused by assimilating the hypnotic beat into the inner Sanctum of the essential Self. For any of you who might regard such an experience with a certain degree of trepidation, and have as yet faint twinges of fear as to the likelihood of such a medium opening up and exposing your own Heart of Darkness, Diamond urges that you embrace the pounding of your inner essence and cast your doubts and anxieties aside.

To those who have, by now, become accustomed to the sound of Diamond's voice from his many works that are already on the market, his approach in The Way of the Pulse: Drumming with Spirit comes as no surprise. After all, his own utterances are quite hypnotic and it is no wonder that he urges his audience to read the works aloud. In short, the mesmerizing quality of this joyously written text should win you over, no matter your age or cultural background. [Reviewer for BookPleasures.com]

If your a musician or not...whether you play drums, guitar or clarinet or oboe...this little book will help your feel, feel better.

I just received this book a few moments ago. After reading about 14 pages of it I looked up..nodded yes...and commented to my wife..
This is a great little "beat!"
I meant to say, "this is a great little book."
HA! I laughed.
But the thing is..if you read/get this book you'll understand what was so wonderful about slipping into that "beat" comment.

Great little beat you got going here Mr Diamond.

Easier to catch than the flu...
(Insert bad joke ba dum dum drum roll here....)