Pathways Institute for Lifelong Learning®


classes are designed


to facilitate lifelong learning and to enrich the minds and spirits of participants.


W


hen Cynthia Saydah Burkhart, daughter of a current Landis Homes resident, taught a Pathways Institute for Lifelong Learning® class on Middle Eastern drumming, it resulted in an overwhelmingly enthusiastic


response from attendees.


Cynthia, who worked as a World Cultures teacher and school leader, has been collecting drums for 40 years and integrating drum circles into her classes. As her father is Lebanese and Syrian, she had a rich upbringing of immersion in Middle Eastern culture, food, dancing, and drumming.


“The goal of this class is to increase learning and engagement,” Cynthia shares. “I want attendees to experience something uniquely different and walk away with a better understanding of and appreciation for different cultures.”


Through the drum circles and Cynthia’s sharing of her own experiences, attendees are immersed in Middle Eastern cultures and learn more about a world outside of their own.


“I want the session to


and to bring joy.” engage, to inspire,


During her class, Cynthia begins by playing a simple beat on a djembe – a big African drum – and invites attendees to add their own rhythms to the melody. “By the end of the sessions, we always have a big circle of novice drummers making beautiful music together,” Cynthia explains. “I always ask participants, ‘Why did we make beautiful music and not just noise?’ Honestly, it’s because we listened carefully to one another and we each added our own unique rhythm to enhance the circle’s rich sound. Drum circles really do build a strong sense of community.”


In addition to learning more about new cultures, connection is one of the many rewards of attending a drum circle. “The attendees want to connect with each other,” Cynthia says. “Many seniors live alone, so part of the reason they attend these events is to meet new people and talk to each other. That’s why I want the session to engage, to inspire, and to bring joy.”


“When attendees leave a drum circle like this, they feel like they’ve been part of a beautiful community of musicians,” Cynthia says, “even if they have never played an instrument before.”


Landis.org | FLOURISH | Summer 2024 • 19


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