Mindful Drumming with Maria Bovin de Labbé - a podcast by Mark McGuinness

This week's guest on The 21st Century Creative podcast is Maria Bovin de Labbé, a Swedish drummer, artist and teacher, living on a peninsula in the Fjord of Oslo, Norway.



She is best known for Mindful Drumming - an approach that is less about fast and furious rhythms and more about mindfulness, playfulness, lightness and melody. It’s hard to describe but unforgettable when you hear Maria play.







She has played many different types of music, including hard rock, pop, blues, big band, Balkan-music, classical orchestra music, modern chamber music and improvised music.



Her playing incorporates a range of instruments and techniques, from the classic rock drum kit to traditional hand drums from the Middle East.



As well as performing solo shows and with the band Sweet Like Time, she teaches drummers, singers and other musicians how to play more mindfully and to develop their own unique style. She also plays short sets to bring a touch of magic to other people's events.



I first met Maria via my blog and we’ve followed each other’s work for several years. Last year I coached Maria as she created her first solo show, Solitude, which she performed in Oslo to rapturous reception. The better I get to know Maria and her music, the more respect I have more for her dedication to her art.







In this conversation Maria talks about her journey as a musician, including how drumming helped in her recovery from anorexia, and what it’s like to be a woman in the male-dominated world of drumming.



She also talks about the creation of Solitude, her first solo show, and the surprising discoveries she made while teaching drumming to pregnant women for a research project.



Listen to this conversation for a great example of commitment an art in the face of inner and outer challenges. You’ll also hear Maria playing her drums and experience mindful drumming for yourself.



You can learn more about Maria's music and teaching on her website and follow her work on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.



The portrait photos of Maria are by Knut Utler and Målfrid Sand.



Maria Bovin de Labbé interview transcript



MARK: Maria, could we start with some music, please?



MARIA: Of course, Mark.



[Maria plays the hand drum]



MARK: Where did you learn to play like that?



MARIA: Actually, I haven’t played this drum for so long. I started to learn to play the frame drums with an American woman called Layne Redmond. She was a pioneer in bringing this drum. It’s a very old drum that you can find in all cultures.



MARK: Tell us what it looks like. We’ll put a picture and a video in the show notes, but just describe it to us now.



MARIA: If you can imagine just a circle-shaped wooden frame with a skin on one of the sides. It’s a very simple round shape with one skin.







MARK: When I first saw that and I heard you play, I thought of the shamans, who would use the drum as the horse on the journey into the spirit world. Would it have been the same kind of drum that they would use or is that just me being romantic about it?



MARIA: No, it’s very similar. Actually, I would say that it’s the same drum, but the difference is how you play it and not the least, the intention behind it. So the shamans often use a bone or a stick to play the drum, and I play with the fingers. And the technique I play is from the Middle East. So, for example, in Scandinavia, we have the Sami people from up north, and they have a drum similar to this but they play it with a stick.



MARK: Right. And you are originally from Sweden?



MARIA: Yes.



MARK: And you’ve been living in Norway for a while?



MARIA: For a long time.

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Website of Mark McGuinness