When the Drummers Were Women – the Book that Changed My Life

"To drum is to remember.
To drum is to call back what was silenced.
To drum is to awaken the voice that lives in the bones of women."
— inspired by the spirit of Layne Redmond

The book When The Drummers Were Women by Layne Redmond came to me at just the right time. It was during a one-year music therapy course in Ostrava, where it appeared on the list of recommended reading.
The title immediately caught my attention — perhaps it awakened something long forgotten, yet deeply familiar.

When I rediscovered the book, a memory resurfaced — I had come across it years before. Back then, I found the English version and immediately felt how deep and powerful the topic was, but translating it seemed overwhelming. So I let it go — maybe because some books only reach us when we're truly ready.

Although the book was still unavailable in the Czech Republic, this time I didn't hesitate. I ordered it directly from the U.S.
When the package arrived, I was first overcome with sadness — it had been cut open by customs, and I cried when I saw that a few pages had been slightly sliced. It felt as if something precious had been damaged before I even had a chance to connect with it. But then I realized: the journey to truth, to memory, and to our inner voice cannot be stopped. Not even by a torn package. Perhaps that moment itself was the beginning of a ritual.

When I opened the book, I felt like I was holding a key. A key to the ancient stories of women who drummed in temples, at fertility festivals, and during rites of passage. A key to the body — to the rhythm that lives within us all, though we often forget it or have been cut off from it.

The language of the book was, again, a challenge. But this time, the desire to understand was stronger — and so I began translating it into Czech, slowly and mindfully, word by word. That act of translation became a ritual in itself. Each chapter brought me closer to my own rhythm, my own voice, and a powerful longing to share the beat with other women.

When the Drummers Were Women is not just a historical insight into women's drumming for me. It is a living reminder that rhythm can heal, connect, and open. And that we, as women, have always been part of it.