New Gear...

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Meet A-Yu-Da-Qua-Lo-S-Guh, or translated from Cherokee to English, Thunder. You'll hear why soon enough.

This is my new 18" Elk-Skinned Handdrum, built by hand for my by Jerry Chapman "Drumspeaker to the Nations". His Website is www.jerrychapman.org. He makes these for native people to use in Worship in a variety of ways. He spent 2 months building it for me and delivered it to me recently at the Tacoma First Nations Gathering on April 3rd, 2010. Jerry invited the Elders to come forth and anoint it with a blessing. This is a shot of the front.

Here's a shot of the back

I like this pic because you get a sense of just how huge the handmade full size drum kit is that Jerry plays. This is as close as I've ever witnessed of a traditionally tribal drum has approached a traditional modern drum set, complete with a kick drum using a regualr kick drum pedal.

Jerry, myself, and his monstosity of a traditional drum ensemble with a modern approach.

 

[Volitions Advocate]

consider this "pasty-white-boy-with-no-culture approved".  Very cool stuff.  I love Traditional drums.  Any chance you could get a recording of that drum set?

 

[erogenousjones17]

That is very cool. I'm a big fan of traditional percussion as well. I once jammed with a guy who played one of those Celtic skin drums (resembles what you've got, but smaller) and it was fascinating. I'd be really interested in hearing that drum kit...

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

consider this "pasty-white-boy-with-no-culture approved".  Very cool stuff.  I love Traditional drums.  Any chance you could get a recording of that drum set?

look me up on facebook, got video of it in action.

I still need to record the hand drum, but I have to replace a phantom power supply first so I can use the condenser mic, I don't think the SM 58 will capture all of the low end this thing puts out.

 

[OzziePete]

Wow, that's a nice piece of work done by Jerry. Is the hand drum used for ceremonial situations (you mentioned it got blessed by Elders), or can you use it when you need a piece of drum in a musical piece as you wish?

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Wow, that's a nice piece of work done by Jerry. Is the hand drum used for ceremonial situations (you mentioned it got blessed by Elders), or can you use it when you need a piece of drum in a musical piece as you wish?

It's an instrument, use it how you wish.  Traditionally, they are used ceremonially, but they have been used in a variety of applications as time has progressed.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

A lil test last nite revealled that Thunder has a resonant frequency of 32.70 HZ, which is a low C, one octave lower than the lowest C on my 7 string guitar.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be using it at World Vision's U.S. Headquarters during the daily devotions to open in prayer, but I'll be singing a song by Bill Miller called Praises, sung part in English, and the other parts are the traditionally ceremonial chants in Menominee, thanking the Creator for all things.  If I'm able to video it with the Flip video, then I'll upload it so everyone can hear this thing really pump out some thunk, & you'll understand then why the elders named it Thunder.