Beat of Drums

This past Tuesday was probably one of my favorite class periods of all time. We listened to music. We slapped out beats. Dr. Mack taught us the African roots of Latin America music and we learned what makes samba samba, salsa salsa, and reggaeton reggaeton. It’s the beat.

The basic beat of different types of music  aren’t beat out robotically in the background of the piece, as Dr. Mack mentioned in class, rather,  the melody  falls in and around the beat. The melody and the beat complement each other to create a unique and distinctive blend of sounds. Drums or other such percussion instruments are usually the musical instruments that carry the beat-they set the tone and rhythm for the music. While the melody is catchy and nice to listen to, it is the rhythm that compels your body to move. To rock and sway in time with the pulsing of the rhythm— dancing.  As rhythm is often carried out by the percussion, drumming plays a huge role in setting music genres apart.

As I thought about Latin American music, my thoughts broadened and encompassed more land and people. Virtually every culture and people has their own distinct form of music, made unique by the instruments used to make the music and possibly more importantly, what its basic underlying beat is.

For whatever reason, a phrase in  Kesha’s Die Young keeps running through my head- “I hear your heart beat to the beat of my drums.” As we immerse ourselves in the music, ‘turn our brains off, and just feel it,’ as Dr.Mack advised, we are able to connect which that culture. The beat of the underlying rhythm, sometimes subtle, while at other times unmistakable, beats to the rhythm of their hearts.  And as we open our minds and our hearts to them to appreciate their music, we become one with them. For a time, our hearts beat in unison. They beat as one.