Oooo, that sounds sooo . . . . . . African!
Go into most rural Tanzanian churches and the only instrument you will
find is a drum...a homemade drum. Depending on the song, the drummer will use
his or her hands and/or a stick. Wrapping a strip of bicycle inner tube to the
end of the stick will add to the variety of sounds.
Making drums is considered a life skill by most of the youth here. You
start with a fresh goat or cow skin (available in the market) and a barrel or
paint can with the ends cut out. From the animal hide, cut strips of rawhide
and discs a bit larger than the diameter of your can. Punch holes around the
circumference of your discs and soak the leather pieces and strips. Lace them
up tight and set the drum in the sun for a few days to thoroughly dry. The
leather will shrink while drying and create a tight playing surface.
We found out the day the students came to borrow Babu’s hammer and knife that a band was being formed at 
Friday morning assemblies involve a special time for the students to
sing the national anthem, an African anthem, and the school song while the
Scouts raise the flag. This Friday will be the first time to incorporate the
drums and flutes.
In God’s grace and service,
Gary
and Joanne Grenell
No comments:
Post a Comment