Memberships:














Sponsorhips:

See other exclusive Interviews:

* Arthur Hull  (May 2004)

* Debbie Nargi-Brown (July 2004)

* Marie Gabrielle (September 2004)

* Latif Bolat (February 2005)

* Jerry Foster (May 2005)
 

Cruzy:Who is Arthur Hull?
Arthur Hull:
That's me. I am the guy who pioneered facilitated rhythm based
events into many different aspects of our modern society. When I first
started Village Music Circles, drumming was either the study of
culturally specific rhythms or a free form
"hippie-thunder-drumming-in-the-park" event. I created ways to make
rhythm expression an accessible tool for creating community in many
populations including schools, kids at risk, well elderly, business
meetings and gatherings for almost any purpose.

Cruzy:
Can you tell us a little bit about your background?
Arthur Hull:
I have been a rhythmatist all of my life, starting at my mother's third trimester.
I have been a performing artist, playing and recording
with various groups, including "Special Fun" here in Santa Cruz, the
Nigerian thirteen piece High-Life orchestra "Kotoja", and Babatunde
Olatunji and "Drums of Passion". I taught Village Music in Santa Cruz 
and at UCSC for 16 years to over 7000 students. I am recognized as the
Father of the Modern Day Drum Circle Movement.

Cruzy:
What do people get out of a Village Music Circles™ -experience?
Arthur Hull:
Group drumming in any situation creates a kinesthetic vibration
that acts as a massage. That massage permeates the hearts, minds and
bodies of the participants in any population and literally melts the
physiology of separateness.
The act of playing in a rhythm-based event is stress reducing. The
activity of group participation in a rhythm-based event is metaphoric 
to how an orchestra works together to create beautiful music successfully.
The metaphor of how an orchestra works together easily translates into
how a group of individuals can work together to accomplish a task.

Cruzy:
Where do you facilitate these Village Music Circles™ events?
Arthur Hull:
All over the world. This year, besides the programs in the US, I 
am already scheduled for programs in Seoul/Korea, Hong Kong/China and
Taipei/Taiwan in June as well as programs in the UK, Norway, Austria 
and Germany in the early fall followed by Japan and China in the late fall.

Cruzy:
Do you have any articles or publications concerning Village Music Circles™?
Arthur Hull:
You will find on our website DRUMCIRCLE.COM many articles and stories concerning drum circles in conferences, corporations
and communities. I have written a book that is considered the drum circle facilitator's bible called "DRUM CIRCLE SPIRIT".
I do facilitation trainings in the US, Europe and Asia, including the annual Hawaii Facilitators' Intensive Training held on the island
of Oahu in early August. We have created a facilitator's training video "DRUM CIRCLE FACILITATION" based on
a Hawaiian training in 2001, where we had 120 participants from 12 countries.


Cruzy:
Now that you shared information about your work ­ which takes up
most of your time ­ what do you like to do to relax?
Arthur Hull:
I drum to relax ­ my work is to facilitate drum circles but I love to play
the drum. I do it either by myself, in a drum circle (when I don't have
to facilitate), with friends. Other things that help me relax is
to play with LEGOs! I also love to scuba dive whenever I have a chance.

Cruzy:
Where did you grow up?
Arthur Hull:
In actuality I haven't grown up yet but I was born and raised in Utah.
I didn't live there per se because my father was in the military and we traveled all over the world because of his work.
I've lived in Germany and Korea to name a couple of countries. The home base was Utah.

Cruzy:
When and how did you come to Santa Cruz, CA?
Arthur Hull:
It was in the late 80s. At the time I lived in LA for 3 plus years and was the rhythmical assistant for a Harvard professor who was
doing an interactive program in psychology and spiritual growth here at UCSC Extension.
I stayed in Santa Cruz for the program, went immediately back to LA after it finished, packed my belongings and moved here.
I lived under a bridge for a few weeks until I found a home, and slowly established myself here in Santa Cruz.

Cruzy:
Looking at your life, is there anything you would do differently if you had to do it again?
Arthur Hull:
Not much! All the trials and tribulations in my life have brought me to this place.
 It was and is not always easy ­ life never provides a straight line. 
If I were to change something now, THAT might change the route I took
which might have led to a different outcome of where I am ­ and I like where
I am now! I needed to go through these experiences and mistakes to learn
what I had to learn.

Cruzy:
Why do you do what you do?
Arthur Hull:
I don't have a choice. Rhythmical Evangelism was not a choice for
me - it was, and still is, a calling.

Cruzy:
Who were you influenced by?
Arthur Hull:
I have been influenced by a tremendous amount of people in my life,
Babatunde Olatunji for one has been a model for the style of living that I believe in. There are too many to be mentioned here,
but my biggest influence and my greatest teachers have been my students!

Cruzy:
Can you tell us a little bit about your family?
Arthur Hull:
I've been married to my wife Diana for 23 years now. We have two children: Ayron, my 22-year-old son, lives in Santa Cruz, a musician
himself, and plays in a local band called "Tore Back". My 20-year-old daughter Maraya traveled with me to Europe last summer to be my 
personal assistant during my tour. My wife Diana goes with me to the more exotic places, so, yes, we do spent time traveling together
when we can. Our home base is here in Santa Cruz near West Cliff.

Cruzy:
How does your family see what you do?
Arthur Hull:
My daughter thinks I collect strings.

Cruzy:
What do you mean by that?
Arthur Hull:
After each facilitation training we do a closing ceremony where each participant contributes a piece of string, ties it to another 
string and together we connect all the strings to a big string ball that represents the community of drum circle facilitators.
My family has been very supportive of my work. Diana and I started out with our mission of "Rhythmical Empowerment" that
turned out to later become our business "Village Music Circles™".
What we do is not an easy lifestyle. It's not a 9-5 job and it's not always easy on my family. An advantage of being a father with
that kind of work situation, is, that I was able to show the world to my children. My family has traveled with me
to Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa.

Cruzy:
When you travel you get to eat all kinds of different meals and flavors ­ what's your favorite type of food?
Arthur Hull:
I like to try different foods. I can't say that I have a favorite one. Through my travels I have eaten all over the world and tried
specialties of the different cultures. For example: I have eaten snake and dog in Vietnam, frogs in France, buffalo in the US,
lizards in Bangkok, eel in China. What I like to eat as far as food is concerned is chicken. I know how chicken tastes but it tastes
different in every single culture. It's the spices that make the difference.

Cruzy:
Is there something that you get upset or angry about?
Arthur Hull:
Yes, the stupidity of politics, nationalism and religious and political fanatics.

Cruzy:
If you could change one thing in this world, what would that be?
Arthur Hull:
I would change the physiology of separateness that we manage to create
for ourselves.

Cruzy:
As a last question, what advise would you give someone in search of his/her path
or trying to pursue her/his passion?
Arthur Hull:
Follow your bliss!

Cruzy:
How do you do that?
Arthur Hull:
You do whatever you are called to do. This would take a whole book to answer, but find your passion in life and pursue it like
a new love. Basically what you need to do is find out, what you want and do whatever it takes to follow that path.
Obstacles in your path will give you the strength and character to follow that bliss.

Cruzy:
Thanks Arthur for sharing this about your life and for taking the time in your busy schedule to do this interview!
Arthur Hull:
You are welcome.


NOTE:
Village Music Circles (TM) can be contacted at:
719 Swift Street # 65
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
Phone: 831.458.1946
Fax: 831.459.7215
Email: outreach@drumcircle.com
Website: www.drumcircle.com