Palmas Class: @yuka's Experience in 2022
I took part in a palmas class.
I learned about the importance of feeling a sense of unity when playing palmas, the sense of imbalance when just one person holds back and plays too softly or when just one person takes the lead and plays too loudly, as well as changes in rhythm and variations in the strength of the sound.
When I get tense about staying within the compás, I tend to focus on clapping firmly, but at those moments I unconsciously hold my breath and the sound becomes uneven. I discovered how important it was to relax and breathe: when we practised palmas while imagining ourselves relaxing on the sofa at home, everyone's palmas came together with a sense of unity that moved me. What stayed with me most was Beni's comment that palmas are not about striking the hands together, but about playing them as an instrument. I wanted to keep that distinction between striking and playing firmly in mind.
We also heard stories from Beni's own experience, and Beni answered our questions. It was an enjoyable time packed with things to learn. There is still so much I don't know, so if another opportunity to attend a palmas class came up, I wanted to take part and keep learning.
@yuka
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