The Sound of Survival

How banning the African drum gave birth to American music | Chris Johnson | TEDxHudson

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Summary

In this engaging talk, Chris Johnson explores the fascinating history of the African drum in early America, highlighting how its banning led to the birth of American music as we know it. Despite the widespread belief that African drums were prohibited due to fears of communication in slave revolts, Johnson uncovered numerous non-violent uses of drums in historical records. Instead of stifling creativity, the ban spurred the invention of new instruments, including the banjo and the drum set, which became foundational to American music genres. This talk connects dots between cultural suppression and innovation, and how African American musicians overcame adversity with remarkable creativity.

Highlights

Chris Johnson researched the African drum for his dissertation when told it wasn't possible 📚.
He discovered over 140 personal accounts referencing African drums in early America 🎤.
Drums were commonly used for non-violent purposes, contrary to popular belief 🎶.
After drums were banned, substitutes like tambourines and banjos emerged 🎻.
Post-Emancipation access to instruments led to the creation of the drum set 🎺.

Key Takeaways

The African drum was banned in early America due to fears of its use in slave revolts 🎶.
Historical records show numerous non-violent uses of drums, like in weddings and harvest festivals 🎉.
The banning of drums led to the creation of other instruments, such as the banjo and tambourine 🎸.
African Americans improvised with newly accessible instruments post-Emancipation, leading to musical innovation 🎷.
The development of the drum set was a pivotal moment in American music history 🥁.

Overview

Chris Johnson delves into a rich history of an enigmatic instrument—the African drum, which was famously prohibited in early America. Despite the common perception that drums were banned due to their alleged role in slave revolts, Johnson's extensive research uncovered a diverse array of documented uses for drums—most of them non-violent, like celebrations and rituals. His findings challenge longstanding assumptions and open new perspectives on the cultural dynamics of African American music history.

Faced with the ban on drums, African American musicians turned adversity into creativity, inventing new instruments that would shape the course of American music. Instruments like the banjo and tambourine rose from the necessity to replace banned drums. These instruments maintained the core rhythms and cultural expression of African American communities, preserving elements of heritage while adapting to restrictions imposed by society.

The emergence of these new instruments culminated in groundbreaking innovation, most notably the invention of the drum set. This clever adaptation of marching band instruments into a single unit for one musician embodied a leap in musical creativity and capability, laying a critical foundation for future American musical genres. Johnson's talk celebrates this resilience and innovation as a testament to the enduring influence of African heritage in American music.

Chapters

00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Dissertation Dilemma In the chapter 'Introduction and Dissertation Dilemma,' the narrator reflects on their time in graduate school, particularly the challenging decision of choosing a dissertation topic. The focus is on the necessity of selecting a subject that is original and significant within their field of study. This decision marks a pivotal moment in the academic journey of any doctoral student, setting the stage for the subsequent research and writing required to complete the doctoral program.
00:30 - 01:00: Choosing the African Drum as a Study The chapter discusses the process of selecting a topic for academic study, specifically a contribution to American studies. The author initially struggled to decide on a topic but became interested in examining the role and influence of the African drum in early America. The African drum's historical context is touched upon, including the common belief that it was banned or prohibited in early American history.
01:00 - 02:00: Historical Context of Banned Objects This chapter delves into the historical context of banned objects, focusing on how certain cultural items have been prohibited due to their perceived use. An example given is the banning of drums, which were thought to be used as communication tools in slave revolts. The chapter invites readers to reflect on other instances where cultural objects were taken or banned by one group from another.
02:00 - 03:00: Professor's Skepticism and Research Breakthrough The chapter discusses various instances in history where books and other things have been banned, such as the phrase 'banned in Boston' and the prohibition of alcoholic drinks in the early 20th century. It also mentions the banning of the Jewish Torah in Western Europe.
03:00 - 05:00: Examples of Drum Use in Early America The chapter titled 'Examples of Drum Use in Early America' delves into various ways drums were utilized throughout the early history of America. Although facing skepticism from his professors, the author draws parallels between the banning of bagpipes in the British Isles and the potential for similar studies on the drum in the Americas. Despite initial resistance, the chapter highlights a dedication to exploring the cultural and historical significance of drums in early American societies.
05:00 - 06:00: Non-Violent Uses of Drums The chapter titled 'Non-Violent Uses of Drums' discusses the historical use of African drums in the Americas. It addresses a common misconception about the lack of documented evidence, referencing over 140 personal accounts and 563 citations that highlight the non-violent application of these drums, contrary to popular belief or limited academic quotations.
06:00 - 07:30: Banning and Surrogates of the Drum The chapter titled 'Banning and Surrogates of the Drum' discusses various perspectives on African-American culture in the early Americas. It highlights contributions from significant historical figures such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Hector St. John de Crèvecœur, Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, and Rudyard Kipling. The chapter provides three notable examples to illustrate these perspectives, aiming to shed light on how African-American culture was viewed and represented by different authors during that period.
07:30 - 10:00: Post-Emancipation Instrumentation and Innovation This chapter discusses the contributions of Sir Hans Sloane, highlighting his role in the creation of The British Museum. It focuses on his experiences in the 1700s when he served as a physician to the Duke of Albemarle in Jamaica.
10:00 - 12:00: Development of the Drum Set The chapter titled 'Development of the Drum Set' explores historical aspects of drums as observed from different cultural perspectives. It notes the observations made by individuals like Colonel Edward Marcus Despard on the use of drums by African slaves, particularly in a war-related context. The chapter also touches upon language variations in drum-related terminologies such as 'thouls.'
12:00 - 13:00: Conclusion and Impact of the African Drum This chapter discusses the account of an incident involving slaves playing a gumbe drum, which caused a significant commotion in the town. The narrative is based on the writings of Benjamin Latrobe, a 19th-century architect, surveyor, and engineer.

How banning the African drum gave birth to American music | Chris Johnson | TEDxHudson Transcription

00:00 - 00:30 Transcriber: Tijana Mihajlović Reviewer: Denise RQ When I was in graduate school working on the doctorate, I eventually reached the point where you have to decide on a topic for the dissertation. The dissertation, or thesis, or book has to be original
00:30 - 01:00 and it has to make a contribution to the field, in my case, American studies. I didn't know what I was going to do, although I had one idea: I thought of creating a study of the drum, the African drum, and how it was used in early America. There is a cliche in American history that the African drum was banned, prohibited in early America,
01:00 - 01:30 because it was thought that the drum was used as a tool of communication in slave revolts. Think of an object, a cultural object, that has been banned, taken by one group from another group. Can you think of any examples?
01:30 - 02:00 Books have been banned over time in various places. The phrase "banned in Boston" comes to mind. Alcoholic drink was banned in the early 20th century during Prohibition. In Western Europe, the Jewish Torah was banned,
02:00 - 02:30 taken from public view. In the British Isles, bagpipes were banned by the English against the Irish, long ago. I took my idea for a studying of the drum in the Americas back to my professors and they said, "No, Chris, you can't do a study on the drum in the Americas.
02:30 - 03:00 There's no evidence. There's one example, you know, the guy up at Yale. Everyone uses his quote." Well, after two years, I had found over 140 personal accounts and over 563 citations of the use of the African drum in the Americas.
03:00 - 03:30 Many people wrote about African-American culture generally in the early Americas: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Hector St. John de Crèvecœur in his "Letters from an American Farmer", Mark Twain, Charles Dickens, Rudyard Kipling, among others. I'd like to share three examples with you.
03:30 - 04:00 Sir Hans Sloane was one of the creators of The British Museum. This is his writing. Have a quick look. In the 1700s, he was physician to the Duke of Albemarle in Jamaica and during his time there
04:00 - 04:30 wrote about African slaves that he saw performing. Notice here towards the bottom, he says, "It was thought to" regarding the use of the drum in relation to war. Also the word 'thouls'; it's just a part of the drum. Colonel Edward Marcus Despard was sent by the British Crown to Honduras in 18th century to assist with the settlement there.
04:30 - 05:00 He also wrote an account and here, in the middle of the page, - take my word for it - (Laughter) he writes about how a group of slaves were playing a gumbe drum and caused a stir in the town. In the 19th century, Benjamin Latrobe, who was an architect, a surveyor, and an engineer
05:00 - 05:30 - he helped design Washington D.C. - visited New Orleans and created drawings of the drums he saw there. He also drew other instruments that he saw. Here on the left is an early version of the banjo. The banjo isn't an American invention. The banjo uses drum technology and its construction.
05:30 - 06:00 Here, a skin is stretched over gourd and neck is attached with strings, an African style sculpture at the top. My research showed that there were many non-violent uses of the drum in the Americas, such as for weddings, at Christmas time, for harvest festivals,
06:00 - 06:30 to signal an arrival, and for dance. Oh, and the war drum - there wasn't any. Of the approximately 250 revolts in the Americas during the slave epoch, how many used drums? Two: one in Louisiana, the other in South Carolina.
06:30 - 07:00 So, the drum was banned, although the ban didn't work. But the drum was banned. The situation led to the creation of surrogates, substitutes, other instruments used in the place of the drum, such as tambourine,
07:00 - 07:30 bones, the banjo, and fiddle. Imagine being a slave. You have few personal items, your time is not your own, and you do really hard work. The instruments African Americans used then had to be small, lightweight, and portable.
07:30 - 08:00 After Emancipation, African Americans got their hands on many more instruments, particularly those of the marching band. The marching band and its music was a kind of a popular form in the late 19th century; brass instruments, woodwind instruments, and percussion. In the early 20th century,
08:00 - 08:30 black players began to experiment with the form and the instruments. They also began to improvise. Picture the instruments, the percussion instruments, of the marching band: bass drum, tam-tam, snare, and cymbals
08:30 - 09:00 arranged on the floor not so that one person could play each instrument, which is the case in a marching band, but so that one person played all of the instruments. This innovation led to the development of one of the most important instruments in music today,
09:00 - 09:30 the drum set. By the way, this is a photo of Max Roach. So it was that a simple musical instrument made of wood and skin that was loved by many and taken away, returned, and was the cause, the catalyst of something amazing.
09:30 - 10:00 Thank you. (Applause)