general percussion
Who would have thought that a musical instrument fashioned out of an empty 55-gallon oil barrel could turn out to be the source of such pleasant entertainment? The steel drum (or steel pan) has become practically synonymous with the Caribbean these days and, often, people even refer to Caribbean music, in general, simply as ’steel drum’ music.
While percussive in nature, and occasionally featured as a stand-alone instrument, most frequently it is accompanied by additional instrumentation, which provides a rhythmic backdrop for the pan steel melodies. Caribbean beats, such as Soca-Calypso and Reggae, are the most commonly associated rhythms and, indeed, these rhythms themselves ideally compliment the tropical music experience that the steel pan conveys.
The steel drum instrument can be played in a single-note melody but, because the twin mallet sticks can be struck simultaneously, a musical chord can also be played. Additionally, because of the ‘bouncing’ percussive attack the mallets provide, multiple notes can be repeated in quick succession, which can have the effect of hearing a continuous, melodic tone. These sustained notes can resemble the elongated sound that is an attribute of organ music, and the effect can be especially soothing to the listener.
The Houston, Texas-based musical group IRIE TIME features the steel drum sound predominantly throughout their performances. While the band also integrates a range of lead and harmony vocals in their repertoire, the group consistently features extended instrumental solos that rely, thematically, on the steel pan sound as intrinsic to the Caribbean ambiance they provide. The band is comprised of skilled musicians that maintain creative and varying instrumental passages throughout the scope of their performances.
IRIE TIME also features a host of additional tropical sounds that infuse variation into the melodic soundscape of the music. Vibes, marimbas, flutes, and brass can all lend themselves to a festive, tropical musical texture, and provide stimulating variety in the course of a sequence of songs that comprise the typical set of music. Yet, the sound of the steel drum returns again and again as the intrinsic basis and theme for the Caribbean music the band is noted for.
As stated previously, Calypso music (now known as Soca) is possibly the most common rhythmic accompaniment to the steel pan. This may be, in part, due to the fact that both Soca music and the steel pan instrument itself were invented on the Caribbean island of Trinidad! The percussive nature of the pan, along with the up-tempo, percussion-laden Soca are a perfect mixture. The spirit of the Caribbean shines forth in this pairing, and puts every listener in the mood for dancing and celebration. “It’s in the air – celebration time; Music’s sweet – captivates your mind” are the lyrics to the world-famous song “(Are Your Feeling) Hot Hot Hot.” Anyone who has visited the Caribbean is immediately drawn back to recollections of their tropical ‘fun in the sun’ when they hear this music. The steel drum sound is an instant connection to the beach, clear blue waters, palm trees and peaceful breezes blowing on an island paradise. One instrument that can transport the imagination of the listener to so specific a locale could not be more unique in all the world.
The band IRIE TIME has been performing Caribbean Reggae and Soca music for over a decade, and has released numerous all-original CDs, which are distributed worldwide. More information can be obtained at their website or by contacting IRIE TIME directly at 713-398-3798.
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Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – An Inimitable Caribbean Invention – the Steel Drum
Plymouth 2009 – 1st Place (Best Music, Visual, General Effect, Percussion, and Guard)
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Percussion-CL : 0822329042
$19.46 [T]his work is exemplary, both analytically and performatively. . . . Percussion is striking.br--Paul Bowman, Culture MachinePercussion is an attempt--in the author's words--to make sense of senseless beating, to grasp how rhythm makes sense in music and society. Both a scholar and a former professional drummer, John Mowitt forges a striking encounter between cultural studies and new musicology that seeks to lay out the percussive field through which beating--specifically the backbeat that defines early rock-and-roll--comes to matter for raced, urban subjects.brFor Mowitt, percussion is both an experience of embodiment--making contact in and on the skin--and a provocation for critical theory itself. In delimiting the percussive field, he plays drumming off against the musicological account of the beat, the sociological account of shock and the psychoanalytical account of fantasy. In the process he touches on such topics as the separation of slaves and drums in the era of the slave trade, the migration of rural blacks to urban centers of the North, the practice and politics of rough music, the links between interpellation and possession, the general strike, beating fantasies, and the concept of the skin ego.brPercussion makes a fresh and provocative contribution to cultural studies, new musicology, the history of the body and critical race theory. It will be of interest to students of cultural studies and critical theory as well as readers with a serious interest in the history of music, rock-and-roll and drumming.brThis book contributes subtly and powerfully to the important project of self-reflexively retheorizing musical analysis. Mowitt knits together the most complex cultural theory with the most influential popular music in surprising and illuminating ways.--Robert Walser, author of Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music |
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Percussion-PB : 0822329190
$23.91 [T]his work is exemplary, both analytically and performatively. . . . Percussion is striking.br--Paul Bowman, Culture MachinePercussion is an attempt--in the author's words--to make sense of senseless beating, to grasp how rhythm makes sense in music and society. Both a scholar and a former professional drummer, John Mowitt forges a striking encounter between cultural studies and new musicology that seeks to lay out the percussive field through which beating--specifically the backbeat that defines early rock-and-roll--comes to matter for raced, urban subjects.brFor Mowitt, percussion is both an experience of embodiment--making contact in and on the skin--and a provocation for critical theory itself. In delimiting the percussive field, he plays drumming off against the musicological account of the beat, the sociological account of shock and the psychoanalytical account of fantasy. In the process he touches on such topics as the separation of slaves and drums in the era of the slave trade, the migration of rural blacks to urban centers of the North, the practice and politics of rough music, the links between interpellation and possession, the general strike, beating fantasies, and the concept of the skin ego.brPercussion makes a fresh and provocative contribution to cultural studies, new musicology, the history of the body and critical race theory. It will be of interest to students of cultural studies and critical theory as well as readers with a serious interest in the history of music, rock-and-roll and drumming.brThis book contributes subtly and powerfully to the important project of self-reflexively retheorizing musical analysis. Mowitt knits together the most complex cultural theory with the most influential popular music in surprising and illuminating ways.--Robert Walser, author of Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music |
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Percussion Primers: Exotic Percussion
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Intimate Percussion / Exotic Percussion
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Practical Percussion: A Guide to the Instruments and Their Sources
$46.5 If you have ever felt the pulsating beat of the timbales, those electrifying steel drums native to Puerto Rico, or the reverberating sound of the djembe, the wooden hand drum born in Africa, then you know the power of percussive instruments. One shake of a rain stick or a few scratches on a washboard has the ability to turn an ordinary song into something far more profound. The intent of this volume is to guide researchers, students, and those with a general curiosity about percussion instruments in their efforts to expand their understanding of this dynamic and wide-ranging group of instruments. This revised edition of Practical Percussion includes a revised and expanded list of manufacturers and suppliers, additional entries and photographs, and an index. |
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Percussion and Auscultation as Diagnostic AIDS; A Manual for Students
$21.88 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1869 Original Publisher: Lippincott Subjects: Percussion Auscultation Medical / Cardiology Medical / Diagnosis Medical / Pulmonary |
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Auscultation and Percussion, Together with Other Methods of Physical E
$28.53 General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1883 Original Publisher: Smith, Elder Subjects: Auscultation Percussion Chest Physical diagnosis Medical / Cardiology Medical / Diagnosis Medical / Pulmonary |
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Team Percussion: Percussion Tutor (team Percussion)
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