Welcome to our series sharing Unique Holidays: October 2022: International Drum Month. I would like to share a fact about me you might not know. In Junior High I played the Drum for one year. Don’t worry I wasn’t going to sit the world on fire. I stunk.
International Drum Month
International Drum Month is celebrated in May. We can feel the rhythm and joy already. What is it about drums that create deep connections with forces greater than us? Drumming is hypnotic. Compelling listeners to sway or jump at each turn. Music has always offered humans a space for connection. Drums achieve this spectacularly. Perhaps their beat mimics the energy and sound of the Earth. Their sounds call us to become who we ought to be. Happy, unfettered, and making meaningful connections. Every year in May, musicians everywhere celebrate this most beloved musical instrument.
History of International Drum Month
Music has been a part of life ever since our ancestors learned how to interact. As a social species, humans thrive on connections. Words and actions helped the earliest humans achieve the need to communicate. Soon, it extended to recreating gentle sounds from nature for comfort. We sing lullabies to soothe infants or found objects in nature to hit. Did you know our ancestors made the first drums with membranes from animal skins.
Anthropologists believe that drumming was born to mimic the earth’s rhythm or our heartbeats. Depending on moods and musicians, drumming was slow and gentle. Sometimes, drumming was aggressive and rapid.
Ancient civilizations used drums during religious rites. As human society evolved, people felt the need to communicate with Gods and spirits through music. Music combined with Prayers brought people closer to the divine. Over time, drums would signify joy. Euphoric beats that upped the energy at banquets, festivals, and other occasions.
Not much has changed since then. We still love a great beat. Scientists believe that drums awaken our senses, triggering the need to sway and move our bodies. Have your limbs ever moved as if independent from the body? Let’s say when the bass drops at a concert? Now you know why.
Drums can be the glue that keeps a song or band together. Drums mean so much more than rhythm or keeping time. The best drummers incorporate melody into their playing. Polyphony, call, or response elements add depth and emotion to songs. The numerous valleys and peaks in a piece of music depend on skilled drumming techniques. Drums skillfully weave music in and out of verses, bridges, and choruses.
International Drum Month is a celebration to this fantastic musical instrument. Drummers and budding musicians everywhere celebrate the month in the way they know best by creating music.
International Drum Month Activities
- Dust off an old drum kit and drum your heart out this month. If you don’t have a drum kit? Find a djembe or use your fingertips to create a beat.
- Learn about drumming music traditions in different Countries through videos or tune in to podcasts for the best percussion immersion.
- Nothing can beat the energy and hypnotic beats of a drum circle. Look up the closet one and attend. Participate if you can.
5 Facts About The Djembe
- Djembe made from a wood called ‘Lenke’ is highly valuable and has spiritual meanings.
- sAn expert djembe player is known as a ‘djembefola.’
- ‘Djembe’ has Bambara origins and translates to “everyone gathers in peace.”
- African tribes used the djembe for long-distance communication or drumming since the sound could carry for miles.
- The djembe contains three spirits: the tree that made it, the animal whose skin covers it, and the drum maker.
Why PEOPLE Love International Drum Month
- Drumming connects us to ourselves, others, and the world around us. Drums are uplifting and it’s proof that something larger exists outside ourselves.
- Whether you like jazz, rock, or folk music drums up the energy levels anytime. We love the idea of everyone grooving for an entire month.
- Few things bring more joy than discovering new music. International Drum Month reminds us to take some time and tune in to the best international beats.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
