Date and Time and Location:
Sunday November 9, 2025
9 am - 6 pm. at The Sound Journey Store in Beamsville Ontario, Canada
Who Can Take This Course?
This course is open to both the general public and to students of the School of Sound.
Number of Credit Hours for School of Sound Students
This course is worth 8 hours of electives towards School of Sound elective hours. If you take this course and then decide to join School of Sound at a later date, you will be credited these hours.
Course Description
This 8-hour workshop is designed to equip participants with the skills to facilitate engaging and transformative drum or flute circles. You will learn how to create a safe and supportive environment for musical exploration, community building, and healing. Whether working with drums, flutes, or a combination of instruments, this class will teach you how to guide participants through rhythmic and melodic exercises that encourage connection, expression, and relaxation.
Course Objectives
- Understand the principles of facilitation for drum and flute circles, creating an inclusive and healing environment.
- Learn techniques for guiding group rhythms and melodic play using drums and flutes.
- Explore how to integrate breathwork and intention into the circle to deepen the meditative and healing experience.
- Develop strategies for encouraging creative expression and community connection through music.
- Practice leading improvisational exercises that allow participants to explore rhythm and melody.
- Learn how to structure a drum or flute circle session to accommodate varying skill levels and group dynamics.
- Gain confidence in using rhythm and melody to facilitate emotional release, relaxation, and group harmony.
By the end of this workshop, you will have the tools and confidence to lead drum or flute circles that inspire connection, creativity, and healing.
Who can take electives?
You do not need to be registered as a student for School of Sound Foundational Diploma Program in order to take any of our elective classes. Everyone is open to taking our electives. If, after taking an elective, you decide to join the Foundational Diploma Program, credits earned will be applied to your 24 hours of elective requirements.
Meet your Instructors
Stephanie Miller
Stephanie Miller is a versatile composer, performer, and therapeutic musician. Since 2009, Stephanie has offered live therapeutic music for patients in various Pittsburgh hospitals. Since 2013, she has led community drum circles through her business Music for Life of Pittsburgh, LLC. Stephanie is one of 35 practitioners worldwide offering Vibroacoustic Harp Therapy (VAHT), a method using live harp music to restore balance to the body. She helped develop the first VAHT program for Veterans at the H. John Heinz III VA Pittsburgh Campus and offers VAHT sessions at Rooted in Sound and various locations. Additionally, Stephanie is part of the band Steve and the Millers, a collaboration with Steve Sciulli and Robert Miller, blending acoustic and electronic sounds to create relaxing and contemplative music.
Robert Miller
Robert's lifelong passion for music began with piano and percussion at an early age. He earned a B.S. in Music Education from West Chester University in 2000, and after teaching elementary music, pursued an M.S. in Music Therapy at Radford University, where he was recognized for his thesis on stress and toning. Robert also became involved in drum circles, studying facilitation with Arthur Hull and now leads circles in Pittsburgh, including at Duquesne University. Currently, Robert works at UPMC's Western Psychiatric Institute and serves as a guest instructor at Duquesne. He has presented at various conferences, co-authored a chapter inTataku, and completed a fellowship in the Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music in 2011. In addition to his clinical work, Robert is an award-winning performer on the hammered dulcimer. He arranges and performs original music solo and with his wife Stephanie, with their work featured in web series and film soundtracks. They also collaborate in the band Steve and the Millers, blending acoustic and electronic music to create relaxing ambient soundscapes.
