Untitled Document

THE WYE OAK PEACE DRUM

The Wye Oak Peace Drum is a project concept of BIRDS (The Baltimore International Rhythm and Drumming Society) under the guidance of John Millen, president of BIRDS and master drum builder. The drum is a world class Odaiko Drum with two heads 3.75 feet in diameter. It is 6 1/3 feet long, more than 17 feet in circumference and will weigh over 1500 pounds. This idea was submitted to The Maryland Department of Natural Resources in response to a call sent out to many Marylanders asking for suggestions for ways to honor the spirit of Maryland's own Wye Oak, a 460 year old white oak, the largest and oldest in the country, until it was blown over in a storm on June 6, 2002. John knows the drum can be built and understands its importance as a "container of spirit" for the people of Maryland fashioned out of a peace of the ageless soul of our land, the quite giant, The Wye Oak.

Drawing by Bob Straub

"The land was ours before we were the land's" began Robert Frost in a poem called "The Gift Outright" at the inauguration of John Kennedy 42 years ago. But more than 500 years after we claimed this land as ours, we are still mystified by the claims this land makes on us. In the deep quiet places of our hearts, a longing for a sacred stewardship of our land still lives, supported by a consciousness aware of its' interconnection to all life. This Peace drum has the power to help our community open our hearts to this mystery so that one day we will be able to listen to the silence from which the sound of this drum arises and hear the indescribably beautiful song of our land calling us back to each other.

THE WYE OAK PEACE DRUM The Wye Oak Peace Drum is a project concept of BIRDS (The Baltimore International Rhythm and Drumming Society) under the guidance of John Millen, president of BIRDS and master drum builder. The drum is a world class Odaiko Drum with two heads 3.75 feet in diameter. It is 6 1/3 feet long, more than 17 feet in circumference and will weigh over 1500 pounds. This idea was submitted to The Maryland Department of Natural Resources in response to a call sent out to many Marylanders asking for suggestions for ways to honor the spirit of Maryland's own Wye Oak, a 460 year old white oak, the largest and oldest in the country, until it was blown over in a storm on June 6, 2002. John knows the drum can be built and understands its importance as a "container of spirit" for the people of Maryland fashioned out of a peace of the ageless soul of our land, the quite giant, The Wye Oak.
Drawing by Bob Straub
"The land was ours before we were the land's" began Robert Frost in a poem called "The Gift Outright" at the inauguration of John Kennedy 42 years ago. But more than 500 years after we claimed this land as ours, we are still mystified by the claims this land makes on us. In the deep quiet places of our hearts, a longing for a sacred stewardship of our land still lives, supported by a consciousness aware of its' interconnection to all life. This Peace drum has the power to help our community open our hearts to this mystery so that one day we will be able to listen to the silence from which the sound of this drum arises and hear the indescribably beautiful song of our land calling us back to each other.