[OR_Archaeology] Fw: June 19th Stonehenge Solstice

[Leland Gilsen]

I drum with the Salem Drum Circle. If anyone is interested in supporting this, feel free. 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Gwyn L. McKenzie<mailto:salemdrums at gmail.com> 
To: Gwynsong at hotmail.com<mailto:Gwynsong at hotmail.com> 
Sent: Monday, April 26, 2010 5:28 PM
Subject: June 19th Stonehenge Solstice


In 2008 Dr. Rupert Till of Huddersfield University visited the Stonehenge Memorial in Goldendale Washington to conduct studies on the acoustical qualities of the structure.  This work was recorded by A&E MysteryQuest crew and subsequently aired to millions of viewers around the world.  Our own Ric McKenzie saw this episode in November, 2009 and was struck by Dr. Till's wistful comment of what a wonderous thing it would be to have one hundred drummers at this site on a Solstice evening.  As a founding member of the Salem (Oregon) Community Drum Circle, Ric didn't think that it would be a difficult thing to accomplish at all and set his sights on bringing Dr. Till's dream to fruition.

Ric's initial contact with the Maryhill Museum of Art (which owns the Stonehenge Memorial built by Samuel Hill as a memorial to those who gave their lives for freedom in World War I) was that the Memorial was open to the public from 10 am - 10 pm though there was no security to enforce those hours and groups were welcome to meet there.  So we approached the Salem Community Drum Circle to see if they would be interested in participating in a scientific study at the Memorial and were met with great enthusiasm!  We were absolutely amazed by the number of drummers willing to drive three hours into the Columbia Gorge to drum - what an amazing group of people!

Chris Buckley got in touch with Dr. Till to let him know what we were pulling together.  I put an event listing on Facebook and we seemed to be on a roll, until I sent a copy of the Facebook information to the Maryhill Museum to make sure that I had everything listed correctly.  Then Mr. Tim Copeland contacted us with a contract to be fulfilled and signed including requirements of a $250 security deposit, a $750 rental fee, gathering during daylight hours only, we must provide appropriate sanitation facilities and (get this!) a $3 million liability insurance waiver.  I immediately explained to Mr. Copeland that we are an unincorporated group of hand drummers with no resources or funding.  We changed our event to one day only, agreed to limit participation and even hours of playing if they would help manage the event and let Dr. Till know that we had their approval for the research to continue.  Our response has been that the Museum will waive the rental fee if all other restrictions are met and if we collect donations for the Museum.

This past weekend Ric and I attended the World Rhythm Festival in Seattle Washington.  I didn't even mention our dream of playing at the Stonehenge Memorial to all those wonderful drummers as it really was beginning to seem like a silly dream.  But I realized that just the fact that there were so many drummers gathered at the Seattle Center to share in the integral magic of rhythm and its ability to bring people from so many different walks of life and cultures together was the reason I should have been shouting for support from the top of the Space Needle itself!  The Drum Circle may not have money and political influence, but we do have our friends, supporters and contacts - nothing else is needed to let Mr. Copeland know that it is not just one crazy couple in Oregon that thinks that drumming is important enough to merit scientific research (especially when it also relates to the major Stonehenge mystery!) but drummers and scientists from literally around the world!  We just need to spread the word and let Mr. Copeland know just how important this opportunity is.

So please, take a moment of your time to drop and e-mail, phone call or letter to Mr. Tim Copeland of the Maryhill Museum of Art to let him know you support the Stonehenge Solstice project (his full contact information will be listed below) and then take one more moment to forward this e-mail to everyone you know who might support science, music, rhythm or even just the "under-dog"!  Do you know a teacher, anthropologist, archeologist, dancer or media person?  Send them this e-mail (before June 1st only please!!!) and ask them to support our cause.  Have a group of people that think this is a good idea?  Gather their signatures and mail them to the Museum! 

You can view Dr. Till's research results to-date at http://www2.hud.ac.uk/mhm/mmt/music-research/rupert-till-press-release.php<http://www2.hud.ac.uk/mhm/mmt/music-research/rupert-till-press-release.php>  
The Facebook event page is at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=321306254273<http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=321306254273> 
Maryhill Museum is also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=321306254273#!/maryhillmuseum?ref=ts<http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=321306254273#!/maryhillmuseum?ref=ts>  

Send your letters and comments to:  Mr. Tim Copeland, Maryhill Museum of Art  35 Maryhill Museum Dr.  Goldendale, WA  98620
or e-mail to tim at maryhillmuseum.org<mailto:tim at maryhillmuseum.org>  (509) 773-3733

If you would like any further information or have questions I have not addressed in this e-mail please feel free to contact me at drumwench1 at msn.com<mailto:drumwench1 at msn.com> or by telephone at 503-584-1093.  As a final note, if you get this e-mail several times, please consider it as a compliment - it means that several people think you are a person who is willing to support a cause worth pursuing.  As Willy Wonka said, "We are the makers of music, We are the dreamers of dreams!"  We have the dream, Maryhill Museum has the site we need to make it happen and Dr. Till has the knowledge to bring the two together to the greatest result.

In hopes of Rhythm and Magic!
Gwyn McKenzie

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