I know that may seem like a strange question but I am hoping my friends who are musicans on the board and also our ame family in Africa can help me to understand. Our praise leader is a drummer, African drums he studied for years in Ghana and Zambia and plays all types of african percussion. We use percussion instruments only in our service. It is just how the Holy Spirit moves in our church. For I do a lot of call and response. Our leader was sharing with me about the spiritual aspect of drumming and how it impacts on community. He has given all of drums to our church (60) for he says no one person should own all those drums and that we should use them to praise God. And we do!! It is very interesting how our service is evolving. For our leader is white and he and his family transferred from an AME Zion church in Maine. There is such a joy when the cong's are played and we sing. I have told everyone the Bishop is going to love his Montana church with the drumming. So can any of you share on the importance of the drum? Thanks

-- Anonymous, January 02, 2003

Answers

I am studing this in school, and I know that drums play a very important role in religious activites, they don;t have guitar centers there, so when you are bored some afternoon you go and buy a drum and just play for the heck of it. They all have specific meanings and are of great importance. It is somthing that you learn all your lives and has more meaning than jsut music, but a purpose to life. It is also very tied in with nature, I don;t know if this helps at all, but I know that to understand the drum, you need to understand the significance

-- Anonymous, November 22, 2003