CLARE MARIE CELANO Amy Schindler, Wendy Halley and Andrea Lindlau (l-r), three of the eight members of Onespirit Community Drumming, rehearse for a recent gig at the Internet Cafe, Red Bank.

At least eight area women are drumming their way back to their feminine power and according to Maire Tashjian, the leader of an all-female percussion group called Onespirit Community Drumming, "That’s the way it used to be a long time ago."

The group was founded by Tashjian, 44, in 2001. She then brought in guitarist Amy Schindler, 39, and a drumming circle for women was born with no intention of becoming a band. It has since evolved into something so much more.

Tashjian said Onespirit allows women to express themselves artistically and creatively.

Members of the group are Tashjian and Schindler, both of Freehold Borough: Wendy Halley of Toms River; Liz Hart-well of Highland Park; Andrea Lindlau of Point Pleasant; Agnes Marsala of Bordentown; Ellen Bradfield of Middletown; and Mildred Iezzi of Ocean Grove.

Maire Tashjian

Observing a recent rehearsal of the percussion group, a reporter was able to see what makes this group tick. It begins with the sound of Tashjian’s whistle and goes wild from there. It’s music, it’s spirit, it’s soul. It’s a tight connection easily recognized by anyone who witnesses this group of talented women.

The energy, the stamina, the masterful craft of their individual instruments, whether they be playing drums, tambourines, shakers or bells, and the amazing sounds they make, classify them as true professionals.

Together they play as one: one beat, one mind, one heart. The results are many drums coming together to make one sound. That’s the idea of Onespirit.

Tashjian can be seen giving direction — even in the middle of performing a number — without missing a beat.

Although her hands may be strumming any one of several percussion instruments, including a surdo (a large drum with a wooden case that has tropical flowers and birds painted on it, courtesy of her mother, local artist Elaine Smith), a conga drum, or a caixa (a snare drum), her ears catch the sound of every other instrument being played around her. Although Tashjian’s eyes are bright and aglow with the obvious rush of expressing her passion for her music, she is still able to direct her fellow musicians.

"You’re all over the place," "You’re falling behind," "You’re jumping too far ahead" are the words one hears in a gentle but firm manner.

She’s sweet, but the group members knows she means business. They tighten up. They catch up. They slow down and the sounds are amazing.

"That’s why they call this rehearsal," she assures her friends.

The group rehearses in a basement, but if you let your imagination go the music can easily transport you to the forests of South America or Africa.

It’s mood music; upbeat music; primal, raw. It’s the sound of dripping water, banging drums, animals calling to one another. It’s the ancient sounds of humans calling to one another. In the words of one of the group’s original songs, "It’s Cuban, it’s Afro, It’s a release. It’s one drum."

Hear the beat of the drums, then add the subtle strumming and later, the crashing wailing of Schindler’s guitar and her strong voice and stage presence which mixes Melissa Etheridge’s saucy style with Janis Joplin’s gestures and movements, and you can’t help but move to the beat.

Some numbers are soft, like the ones that call for Schindler’s sweet flute. You can almost imagine the whispers of the wind through the dense forest.

Then the mood shifts and the calling becomes stronger, harder, as she puts aside the flute, picks up her acoustic guitar and plays along with the sound of conga drums providing the beat. The sound rages, wails, cries and laughs.

In addition to getting together every other Sunday to play their drums at the Monmouth Council of Girl Scouts’ Camp Sacajawea in Howell, the women perform at other venues these days.

Their most recent appearance was at the Internet Cafe in Red Bank on Sunday.

Tashjian and Schindler also perform and give workshops for schools which allow students to connect with each other and to explore the world of drumming in Brazilian and West African cultures.

Tashjian has studied a variety of drumming styles, including jazz, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban at the Drummers Collective in Manhattan. She performed with the Manhattan Samba group in the 1990s. She has presented ethnic percussion programs for more than 10 years.

Schindler earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in music from Long Island University in 1991. She has presented culturally diverse music programs in schools for 10 years.

They have also teamed up in a duo called Virago. The two play covers, rock and roll, and rock with a Latin flair, as well as original compositions. For further information on Virago and Onespirit visit www.viragomusic.com.