And the beat goes on.

I teach creative craft and art courses in a junior high school with multigrade level art classes. Three years ago, I started teaching the art of drum making to my creative crafts students. It has become a signature project and very popular for the eighth and ninth graders who sign up for the crafts program. Separate from the Art I classes that I teach, many of these students take a semester of creative crafts as a way to escape daily academic stress, as well as to learn about artistic, cultural, and historical purposes.

Our school's philosophy is based on team teaching and thematic coursework within each grade level. This is a great opportunity to teach cultural, historical, and interrelated art themes within a project such as drum making because drums are found throughout the world, in practically every culture. Drums are known to have existed since at least 6000 BC. I have students create images on drums based on a period in history or cultural movement. Many times this coincides with what they are learning in History, Language Arts, and units in Science or Math.

Beating Around the World ...

Drums have strong ceremonial, sacred, or symbolic associations almost everywhere. Students create drums depicting representations from Asian, African, Celtic, Native American, and Australian Aborigines cultures. With the Aboriginal arts, students paint Papunya Dot Dreamings onto handmade drums. Each semester that I teach drum making becomes a personal journey for students and me because we learn so much about the cultural aspects of people around the world. Within hundreds of American Indian tribes, drum making and ceremonies are regarded as very sacred and distinct. Teachers need to be sensitive with the religious symbolism, never generalize, and be advised by an elder or shaman of the Native American Council or Nation closest to their geographic location.

The Spirit of Drumming

Students learn that the drum is a musical instrument. Drum shells are commonly made of wood, metal, or pottery. I gather various sizes of broken PVC pipe that irrigation businesses have available in piles for recycling. They usually donate them and invite students to display their drums in their office. My husband has been a wonderful supporter of this project in that he will cut and drill the holes, as middle school students are not allowed to use skill saws and drill presses. The drum heads are made of animal skin and fastened to the shell wet, with cord lacing that overlaps the shell. Thin duck decoy cord, purchased at a sporting goods store, works well and is cost effective. I purchase full-size rawhide from a local leather company. The drum shell holds the skin taut and also acts as a resonator--the larger the width and depth of a drum, the deeper resonance; the narrower and higher the drum, the higher the pitch.

In addition to teaching elements of design connections into the principles, I integrate cultural music into the two-week project. To enrich and personalize the drum-making journey, I incorporate films on dance and drumming. I show students drums made from many countries, tribes and cultures. In the past I have invited a Native American drummer into the classroom. I have also asked our custodian to demonstrate making handmade drums, as she is a musician who makes her own musical instruments. She showed me how to make this style of drum using recycled PVC pipe. Due to the high cost of rawhide, students make drums with only one head. It is a cross between a tom-tom and a kettledrum. In addition to individual drums, I have students make a large double-headed tom-tom drum so the class may experience rhythm and teamwork in a drumming circle.

The Journey of Making

Students learn that a drum is truly an art form made with skill and artistry. They learn there is need for much patience and time to create a drum that will last a lifetime. They learn that many cultures only allow certain craftspeople to make drums, and some societies even have artists or visionaries that create symbols and images on the surface of a drum.

1. Students select a size and height of drum shell they want to make.

2. They create cultural designs, to size, after research and thumbnail sketches.

3. Students clean and scrub off all dirt. With masks and/or safety talks, they sand and file the PVC pipe until rims are smooth as glass. Walls are sanded rough for acrylic paint to adhere.

4. Students paint two coats of acrylic over the entire surface to create a background color before transferring the imagery onto die shell.

5. Once the design is on the shell, students use detail brushes to paint their images. It is truly amazing how carefully and involved students are during this phase. When painting is complete, students brush on a clear gloss medium to seal the image.

6. They cut a circular drumhead out of the presoaked rawhide. I usually have all students cut all drum heads the same day. I place the full hide onto the table that has soaked several hours in a barrel of water diluted with a cup of bleach to kill any germs. Drum heads must overlap about 2" (5 cm) to allow for overhang and shrinkage.

7. Students mark the wet drum head, and make as many holes as there are in the shell with a leather punch.

8. Before lacing, students can choose to soak the drum heads in a vegetable dye made from food coloring or leave them natural. Lacing can be done in several ways with duck decoy cording. Designs include crossing over to make Ws or Vs, which are the strongest ways to pull the head tight. Other design patterns include Ls and wagon-wheel lacing inside the drum. Lacing is tedious and requires cinching the cord until all cord slack is gone. Students have a choice--use a highly intricate lace design for more points, or a basic pattern for a lower point standard. Students must complete lacing in one class period because the rawhide will dry and shrink overnight. The best drum heads will dry straight across without sagging for a rich tonal quality.

9. Allow 24 hours for the drum to dry.

10. After the drum head is dry and tight, students transfer and paint on the rawhide with acrylic. The imagery is usually a carryover design from the shell design. A clear coat is applied to the design for endurance.

11. Last, students add a carrying strap embellished with beads, leather strapping, and/or feathers, depending on cultural similarities.

The Beat Goes On ...

After the class has finished, we discuss their drum-making journeys--stories of imagery and challenges of artistry. I reinforce principles of design such as rhythm, pattern, balance, emphasis, and harmony through aesthetic analysis. Students grade their journey, not their drum. Before we place the drums on display, I have them come into a circle to make music. It is a highlight of the semester to hear the rhythm the entire class creates. The making of the drum is complete and they will take their trophy home after being displayed. And the beat goes on for everyone who took the journey!

NATIONAL STANDARD

Students demonstrate how history, culture, and the visual arts can influence each other in making and studying works of art.

Debra Chojnacky is an art teacher at Les Bois Junior High in Boise, Idaho.