Drum Circles
I feel i must relay this story.
The other day, after sitting in the WLR office for who the hell knows how long, EIC, Benji the Hunted, Purple Hays and i decided to get some food. After much thought and consideration, we decided to go to Amy's Cafe. On our way there, our ears were accosted by the sounds of multiple drums. Here's the thing. Drums can be insruments. But the problem with drums is that they're a rhythm thing. Music consists of more than rhythm; you need at least melody and, hopefully, harmony also. For something to count as an instrument, it must be able to make music. Drums cannot make music on their own. So, for drums to be instruments, the following condition must be met: they must be combined with something that can provide melody, like a guitar or a trumpet (timpany, for example, is definitely an instrument).
It follows from this that you cannot make a drum an instrument simply by adding another drum. Or a third drum. Or 40,457 drums. No matter how many drums you're beating on, you're not making music.
So, anyway, on our way to Amy's Cafe, we heard this drum circle. And i commented on how 3 drums is not music, and these assholes should keep their drumming to themselves. Then, some jackass walking ahead of us turns around and says something like "actually, it is music." I thought the guy's face resembled Vin Diesel, but apparently no one agreed with me. Anyway, the point is, i told the guy to go fuck himself.
Yesterday, i was walking around some more and heard yet another drum circle (actually only a drum line - there were only two drummers). And it occured to me that in such a hippie-friendly environment as Madison, drum cirles are probably just one of the things that signals the arrival of spring. It's ok, though: listening to white kids with no rhythm beat on drums appropriated from some other culture is a low price to pay for all the beautiful women running around.
The other day, after sitting in the WLR office for who the hell knows how long, EIC, Benji the Hunted, Purple Hays and i decided to get some food. After much thought and consideration, we decided to go to Amy's Cafe. On our way there, our ears were accosted by the sounds of multiple drums. Here's the thing. Drums can be insruments. But the problem with drums is that they're a rhythm thing. Music consists of more than rhythm; you need at least melody and, hopefully, harmony also. For something to count as an instrument, it must be able to make music. Drums cannot make music on their own. So, for drums to be instruments, the following condition must be met: they must be combined with something that can provide melody, like a guitar or a trumpet (timpany, for example, is definitely an instrument).
It follows from this that you cannot make a drum an instrument simply by adding another drum. Or a third drum. Or 40,457 drums. No matter how many drums you're beating on, you're not making music.
So, anyway, on our way to Amy's Cafe, we heard this drum circle. And i commented on how 3 drums is not music, and these assholes should keep their drumming to themselves. Then, some jackass walking ahead of us turns around and says something like "actually, it is music." I thought the guy's face resembled Vin Diesel, but apparently no one agreed with me. Anyway, the point is, i told the guy to go fuck himself.
Yesterday, i was walking around some more and heard yet another drum circle (actually only a drum line - there were only two drummers). And it occured to me that in such a hippie-friendly environment as Madison, drum cirles are probably just one of the things that signals the arrival of spring. It's ok, though: listening to white kids with no rhythm beat on drums appropriated from some other culture is a low price to pay for all the beautiful women running around.
Agreed! The steel drum can play melodies and harmonies and is, therefore, an instrument.
Plus it kicks ass.
If it had been Vin Diesel, he would have killed you for your insolence and your blog would have exploded.
I agree with trj...different tones and some sort of cohesion make for cool music. Andy, do you consider "Stomp" a musical? Its basically just percussion, no melody, no harmony, but different tones and really really fucking cool rythyms. Still just a glorified drum circle?
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stomp is cool performance art, but i don't think i'd call it a "musical." First off, a musical requires more than music - it requires plot, which i assume Stomp is lacking. Further, by using several different materials (from trash cans to zippo lighters) the performers in Stomp create more than just rhythm.
In any event, the people of Stomp are a hell of a lot more than hippies beating on drums. They're actual musicians and performers. As trj pointed out, the drum circlers fail even to explore any rhythm more complicated than 4/4, something i'm sure the performers in Stomp are more than capable of doing. Further, part of the appeal of Stomp is the performance: I'm sure the DVD of the show is much more successful than the CD.
For all of these reasons, Stomp is cool, drum circles are not.
PLEASE DON'T TELL THE CUBAN DRUMMERS THAT PEOPLE DON'T THINK IT'S MUSIC!!! I promise I'll bring my spoons to school tomorrow and give a stellar performance. and that gerl was probably faking...didn't you ever see when harry met sally?
I agree, hand drumming is totally bad-ass! But, yet, something is still missing. After years of pondering what would make hand drumming complete, it occurred to me. MORE COWBELL! That, and one of those wooden block things that makes the really loud kinda high pitched noise. You know the ones they tried to hide in elementary school music class but you found anyway. Yeah, those.
Kat,
Let's be clear: i wasn't slamming percussion, i was merely slamming unaccompanied and untalented percussion. Produced by hippies.
Now, what you're talking about almost definitely isn't my bag, but it sounds like it's a few notches above the kind of shit that was going on on State Street.
Having said that, though, i must take issue with some things you said. First off, it seems like you're making a huge statement when you say that every culture's included drumming. And, even if that's true, that doesn't go very far to proving that drumming is good, and it doesn't do anything for the assertion that drumming is music.
And, finally, i must address this orgasmic drumming person. First off, is this person set off by anything? Earthquakes, sneezes, bumpy roads? If so, then who cares if she had an orgasm during your drum thing? On the other hand, what if she rarely has orgasms during sex? What's wrong with her then?
In any event, her having an orgasm doesn't do anything for the proposition that drumming is music (which, to reiterate, it is not).
Now, get your pachouli stink out of here!
hahahahahaha! I'm SO w/ Donnie on the cow bell...and w/ Elise on the triangle. Maybe we should go to library mall and I'll play the spoons, and you guys can play yer percussion instruments. We'll make MILLIONS...in pennies and gum wrappers.