Many drummers new to the art of djembe music think that they must play and participate in a drum circle, jam or dance class as a way to learn to drum. Most experienced players will tell you something different. By going to a djembe session or African dance class and sitting on the side watching you can learn much by listening, observing and even taking musical notes! By sitting outside of the music going on you can can absorb many things that you will not when you are on the inside playing a part. Often as a new drummer , (or even expert) you have to concentrate on playing your part correctly and repetitively. Therefore,  you do not have the chance to really listen to each individual part in depth and check out the relationship to each other. However, by sitting on the sidelines in a relaxed manner you can really see  and check out all the relationships of parts within the drum arrangement. Furthermore, you can examine how more experienced players play, what techniques they use, their postures and composure. So please add  watching and observing to your learning experience!