Beware of Mr. Baker!

A documentary about drumming legend Ginger Baker paints a picture of a man who was good on the drums but not so good in his personal relationships. “Beware of Mr. Baker” surprises people who thought that the drummer wouldn’t make it past the 1980s. A twenty year heroin addiction may be the reason for his horrible personality, but it’s just as likely that he’s simply not a nice guy. A review of the film on independent. ie says that the drummer has worked with many wonderful musicians over the years, but unsurprisingly, no band he was in lasted very long. Read more here: Cream of the crop of the drummers

No Drumming Love for Bulgarian Duo

Drumming still has a place in Europe, but maybe not this year. Elitsa and Stoyan Yankulov-Stundzhi, a drumming duo from Bulgaria, attempted to earn a spot in the Eurovision finals, again, but didn’t make it. The duo placed fifth in 2007 by performing its song, “Water”. This year, the drumming duo hoped to make it by performing “Only Champions”, but failed to impress the judges. According to novinite.com, many Bulgarian people consider the contest a sloppy, back-scratching political event, making it unlikely that the duo faces any love lost in their own country. Eurovision finals air on Saturday, May 18th. Read more here: Bulgarian Drumming Duo Fails to Make Eurovision Finals

Drumming for Love

Is there anything more romantic than someone composing or playing a piece of music for the love of their life? While pianos and guitars may get most of the attention with regard to love compositions, drumming for love is not totally unheard of. After all, what would Latin music be without either conga drums or love songs? Here are a few good reasons to consider serenading the love of your life.

Love celebrations: Drumming can be a great way to say “I love you” during a wedding or anniversary celebration. Not only do hand drums invite everyone around to participate in some way, but they are also hard to miss. Once you start drumming, you will have everyone’s attention, including your special someone. Drumming for love doesn’t have to involve days of preparation, either. If you have a more adventurous spirit (and you likely do if you are using drums this way), feel free to give an unpracticed yet inspired, heart-felt performance. Allow the emotions to carry you away as you drum on a djembe and your significant other is likely to pick up the beat and meet you on the journey.

Valentine’s Day: Sure, you could send flowers or candy, but that’s rather mundane. Why not surprise your loved one with a piece you’ve been working on for a while? Drumming can be a spiritual experience, but it can also express intimacy. Learn to play a simple rhythm on the congas and play for your date at a club or somewhere dancing is taking place. That could put an interesting spin on things. A date becomes more memorable when the person drums for you while you hit the dance floor. Drumming for love is fun and drumming for future love can help create a lifetime of memories.

Birthday parties: No matter how old a person is turning, birthday parties can be fun. If you find yourself planning a birthday celebration, remember that drumming has the power to connect all age groups. While you’re drumming for love of the birthday boy or girl, everyone will enjoy themselves. Even babies and elders who need to sit throughout the evening will find themselves bopping along to the drum beat, and maybe even shaking a maraca! As you use your drumming to express your love, you will be able to look out into the room and find everyone enjoying themselves along with the cake and ice cream.



Drumming can be used for many purposes in our lives. We don’t have to only bring out the drums for transcendental or group drumming sessions. We can use these powerful instruments for the more mundane aspects of life, as well…if drumming for love can even be considered mundane.

Ontario Youth Cultural Symposium Features Drumming

For students in Chatham, Ontario, drumming is leading to more than a beat. The city recently held its fifth annual Youth Cultural Symposium, dedicated to introducing students and teachers in the Lambton Kent District School Board to the cultures and traditions of First Nations, Metis, and Inuit peoples. This year the healing drum ZhowskeMiingnan was shared with the community, allowing Luke George, the drum’s keeper, an opportunity to teach the importance of living with respect. According to the Chatham Daily News, Luke says the youth are now gravitating toward their traditional cultures because they are a respectful way to live. Read more here: Drumming up cultural awareness

Putting a Little Jingle in Your Jangle

Drumming is often an act of love. It calls for a lot of sweat, maybe some tears, and certainly a bit of enthusiasm. A dedicated drummer may spend hours lost in the creative space others may refer to as ‘oblivion’. The passion and intensity drummers put into their craft often results in explosive, hypnotic acts that call out to everyone within range of hearing.

Percussion accents have likely been used by drummers since ancient times. These accents not only give more dimension to the music, they also allow for more creativity. Instruments like tambourines and bells accompany many traditional drumming sessions in certain parts of the world. While in the past, the accents may have been more likely to be used by the dancers accompanying the drummers or by the rapt participating audience; these days, drummers themselves are adding accent percussion to their drums using various methods.

Tambourines and cowbells, for example, are available for purchase with their own stands so that the drummer can use them as part of a creative drum kit. While accents may be used with a regular drum kit, they can also be used with congas, djembes, or any other kind of drum. The point is to arrange the instruments so that they are easily reached and can be incorporated into the music without disturbing the flow.

For this reason, employing these new sounds may require a change in routine for a drummer just getting started. Perhaps the drummer who is used to standing while playing may now need to sit or vice versa. This flexibility will pay off, because the accents allow for diversity in sound and can trigger creativity in a drummer. A new sound to play with is like heaven for a percussionist, so don’t be surprised if a bit of tinkering results in a new composition.



There are a variety of instruments that can be used as percussion accents. Tambourines and bells might seem like the most widely used (outside of cymbals), but many world drummers also use claves and blocks. Playing a couple of the instruments together can really add depth to a piece. It is also traditional in some parts of the world for drummers to wear bracelets of bells or rings, so that they provide the tones themselves as they pound rhythms from their drum hides. No matter whether the jingles, jangles, bells or blocks placed on a stand, hooked onto the drum’s frame, or worn by the drummer, they are sure to please both drummer and listener alike.

Ward No Longer Drumming with Ozzy

Ozzy Osbourne is letting the people know that Bill Ward isn’t drumming for Black Sabbath anymore due to his inability to play. MSN Entertainment reported on a magazine interview with the front man earlier this month where he had shared that Bill was too rusty to join the band for their reunion. The drummer had apparently tried using yellow post it notes placed on his drums to help him keep on track while playing. The band had to find a different drummer for the gig, since drummers are such an important aspect of a band. Ozzy says no love is lost, though. Read more here: Ozzy Osbourne blames Bill Ward's rusty drumming for Black Sabbath snub 

Starting a Drum Circle

With spring in the air and summer right around the corner, outdoor activities are on the minds of people everywhere. Drum circles are great ways to not only enjoy the weather and soak up some sunlight, but they are an opportunity to join communities of people together in the pursuit of music and rhythm. A drum circle can benefit everyone, regardless of ability, age, gender or culture, but, starting one can be a daunting task even for the most experienced drummer or community organizer.

Beating Cancer with Drums

Drum circles have many purposes, but, perhaps no purpose is as great as healing those who are facing an illness. Azcentral.com reports that a local program is helping residents who are facing cancer establish a variety of methods to help heal from cancer, including drumming. These alternative methods are giving people, those affected with cancer as well as others without illness, a chance to explore a mind-body connection that helps promote healing. The response to these events is positive, and the community that is built has done wonders for the overall well being of those who attend. Read more here: Drum circles are among therapies for cancer patients

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