Connect
To Top

Meet Eric Olson of Rhythm Healer Drums

Avatar photo

Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Olson.

So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My love of drums and drumming started when I was six years old. My father was in the Air Force and would bring home reel to reel tapes of bands and I would listen to them all simply because they were different from records. I loved putting them on the Tascam player and threading the tape through the runners. The act of setting up the music to play was just as exciting as the music itself. One time he came home with a tape simply labeled “Woodstock” and I had no idea what it was. Once I strung up the tape and hit play, the very first song I heard was this instrumental piece that was most definitely steeped in Spanish flavor. Right in the middle of the song, a drum solo erupted out of the percussion ensemble and took me on this incredible journey. Michael Shrieve’s drum solo during Santana’s Soul Sacrifice was the song that inspired me to play drums. Santa Claus must have been watching over my shoulder because that Christmas, he brought me my very first drum set and I have been playing ever since.

Flash forward 30 years, several bands, three albums, and several other life experiences later, and I was not playing as I had focused on being a father when an old friend showed up as a gift from another old friend. A dusty old drum called a djemebe came into my life in the form of a gift from someone who knew how I loved to play. It wasn’t until I got divorced and met my current wife that this drum was actually used. It was cracked, gathering dust, and basically a room ornament. My at that time girlfriend was belly dancing and asked what this drum was doing in a corner all by itself and why not pick it up and play it for her. When I started making sounds come out of that really tired drum, she started dancing around the room and it was a glorious thing to witness.

Who would think a belly dancer and a drummer would find each other and get married, right?

Moving forward, we met some folks who showed us a connection between Spirituality, Energy, and drumming and Dancing. I had experienced this connection before without really understanding it. Now I want everyone to experience what I have that feeling of elation and clarity when creating something by simply touching it. The simple act of hitting a drum with your hand is manifestation and it is all you! That is what I want to share with everyone. The simple joy of being in the moment with others and realizing that you have a voice and it is valued.

Has it been a smooth road?
It most certainly has not been a smooth road. There were a number of times when I was not playing. My parents divorced when I was ten and I did not sit behind a drum set for nine years after that. I played for a while, then after another three years of playing, put the sticks down again. I don’t think I seriously played for five years or so. Finally, I met some guys in Virginia Beach and we started playing together. This was around the time that grunge became a thing. Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots, Screaming Trees, Smashing Pumpkins, and all of that scene. We were pretty good and did a record together.

Trouble was, we all had demons chasing us. Some shared, others unique to the person. I could not outrun mine and had to come home to Georgia and face them. Playing drums had to be put aside so I could handle what I had to at the time. A couple of years later, I found myself behind the kit again and that was going to be my greatest success behind the kit. The band we had made two albums and was about to be signed, but fatherhood was more important so the set was left behind. This time, for good.

Since I have been in this community, I have had friends who I thought were on the up and up turn out to be not so sincere in their friendship. I have lost a fingertip to a table saw. I have failed more times than I have succeeded in building my own drums. But I continue to grow and learn and apply all of my lessons to my craft.

I don’t regret any of the choices I made, and I certainly don’t dwell on my mistakes. I would not be here if I had made any choice differently.

Please tell us about Rhythm Healer Drums.
When I started this journey with Rhythm Healer Drums, I needed … well … drums. I contacted someone I knew who is a drum distributor and seller and we had a really good conversation. I got some drums and started my first drum circle. I wanted to able to sell the drums I brought to drum circles and other events. There was a slight complication though because some of the events I was attending, the same drums were being sold by another group. I did not want to be a complication so I decided to start building my own drums. I don’t have the knowledge and skill to build the goblet shaped djembes, so I went to the logical choice of ashikos. These awesome conical shaped drums are fairly simple to layout and put together, it’s the math that gets a tad bit complicated. But, with some help of some friends, I figured out the design and went to work.

Now that I have been in this business for a few years, it has kind of created a life of its own. What started out as showing folks Rhythms based on connection and energy with my Drum With Your Inner God classes, became something much more. I still do those classes, but now I am a certified Drum Circle Facilitator through Village Music Circles and Arthur Hull who is the God Father of the American Drum Circle. I facilitate drum circles, teach the culture of the drum through West African Rhythms, and I play for a West African Dance class and learn from a djembefola (djembe master) who learns from another master.

I think that what sets me apart from other folks who do the same thing I do is that I focus on the group and not myself. I show folks that they have rhythm and how to use it. I get the group drumming with intention and that is a very visceral experience for both me and more importantly, the group. Another aspect of what I do that is different from others (from what I cal tell) is how I design an ashiko for a customer. We sit down and have a conversation and I get to know them by asking certain questions. From there, I will know what kind of color stain and rope to use and in some cases the type of wood.

I am VERY proud of how far we have come as a company, the work we have done raising money for local women’s shelters, and where we are headed. We have started working with another local company that works with survivors of domestic abuse bringing their groups joy and wonder with our drum circles. We have designs for women’s only empowerment drumming circles and other ideas that we haven’t fully fleshed out yet.

There is a lot left for us to do.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I truly feel like there is a fantastic community of drummers here. Amy Jackson, Chuck Cogliandro, and Danny Stern are some examples of folks who are here in Atlanta teaching the culture of the drum and how it can bring joy to your life. I don’t think that if I were in any other city, I would be where I am at now. The diversity of this city is what allows this kind of sub-culture to live and thrive.

Pricing:

  • Most drum circles are free to attend and some ask for love offerings.
  • Drums range from $225 to $350

Contact Info:

Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Related Items

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in