Latest news with #drumming
New York Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Get Creative
Last May, my father-in-law showed up at my house with a child-size drum set in his trunk. That might make some parents shudder, but I was thrilled. I was a drummer when I was younger, with a set just like this one, and now my 7-year-old son could follow in my footsteps. I've learned two things in the year since. First, you can't force your kids to like the things you like; my son has probably played those drums for 15 minutes total. More important, though, I learned that I wasn't a former drummer. I'm still a drummer. Even though I hadn't engaged that part of my brain in years, my trips downstairs to do laundry now usually include a few minutes bashing on that little drum set. I'm not making beautiful music — just ask my neighbors — but I'm having a great time. Every little session leaves me feeling energized. That spark of creativity is something my colleagues at Well, The Times's personal health and wellness section, think everyone could use more of. Starting tomorrow, they've got a five-day challenge that aims to help readers nurture their creative side. I spoke with Elizabeth Passarella, the writer behind the project, to learn more. After years away from the drums, I've been shocked by how good it feels to make music. Why is that? What you feel is what many of us feel when we do something creative: giddy and inspired. Whether you do something more traditionally creative, like draw or play music, or riff on a recipe because you were out of an ingredient, it gives you a little boost. And there is plenty of research that links creativity to happiness and better moods. Some people reading this are gifted painters and musicians, I'm sure. But others would probably say that they don't have much artistic talent. What would you say to them? You are all creative in some way. There's a definition of creativity that researchers use: generating something novel that is also useful. That could be the score to a movie. It could also be, as one expert told me, a brilliant solution to keeping your dog out of a certain area of your house. Or making up a weird game to play with your toddler. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
NHK
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- NHK
Foreign students in Hokkaido drum up affinity with Japanese culture
Students from abroad experienced Japanese taiko drumming to deepen their understanding of the country's culture. A Japanese-language school in Nakashibetsu town, located in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, hosted an event on Thursday as part of a cultural studies class. About 50 students participated. Members of a local taiko group kicked off the event by performing a powerful piece inspired by the ocean and the fishing practices of Hokkaido. The students then had a chance to play the drums themselves. They learned the basic stance -- placing their left leg diagonally forward with knees slightly bent. They also learned a striking technique that involves lifting the drumsticks straight up and bringing them down to hit the center of the drum. The participants followed the rhythm or played freely, enjoying the sounds of various sizes of drums and Japanese flutes. A male student from Nepal said it was difficult but fun. A female participant from Myanmar said she felt nervous but found it very interesting and would like to try playing again.
Telegraph
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The Who drummer kicked out of band for a second time
Zak Starkey, the drummer for The Who, has been kicked out of the rock band for a second time in one month. Starkey, who has been a band member since 1996, claimed his departure from the band had not been a mutual decision and alleged he had experienced 'weeks of mayhem' and 'would never have quit' The Who willingly. In a lengthy statement on his Instagram account, the drummer said: 'I was fired two weeks after reinstatement and asked to make a statement saying I had quit The Who to pursue my other musical endeavours. This would be a lie. 'I love The Who and would never had [sic] quit…quitting the who would also have let down the countless amazing people who stood up for me…thru [sic] weeks of mayhem.' It comes after reports surfaced last month that the band had taken the 'collective decision' to fire Starkey following a row over their charity show at the Royal Albert Hall in March. 'Surprised and saddened' One review of the band's Teenage Cancer Trust performance, which has been an annual gig for The Who since 2000, reported that Roger Daltrey, the frontman, had been 'frustrated' with Starkey's drumming during some songs. The Metro's gig review suggested that Daltrey had complained onstage about his bandmate's performance, reportedly pausing during their final song to tell the audience: 'To sing that song I do need to hear the key, and I can't. 'All I've got is drums going boom, boom, boom. I can't sing to that. I'm sorry guys.' Responding to the news, Starkey said he was 'surprised and saddened' to learn he was being let go. However, the band swiftly responded to the rumours of the 59-year-old drummer's sacking, clarifying that he was 'not being asked to step down' three days later. Pete Townshend, The Who's guitarist, blamed 'personal and private' communication issues at the time. On the band's official social media, he wrote: 'Roger and I would like Zak to tighten up his latest evolved drumming style to accommodate our non-orchestral line-up and he has readily agreed.' He added that Starkey, who is the son of Ringo Starr, had 'made a few mistakes and he has apologised'. Starkey then thanked the pair for supporting him. But on Sunday, in an apparent U-turn, Townshend wrote on Instagram that 'after many years of great work on drums from Zak, the time has come for a change'. In a statement that appeared to take their long-time drummer by surprise, he added: 'A poignant time. Zak has lots of new projects in hand and I wish him the best.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yolanda Tarbox (@yaggerdang) Starkey insisted that while he did have other projects on the go, 'none of this has ever interfered with The Who and was never a problem for them'. 'The lie is or would have been that I quit The Who – I didn't. I love The Who and everyone in it,' he added. The announcement comes just weeks before The Who are scheduled to start their farewell tour. The rock band are embarking on a 'final' farewell tour of the US and Canada with 16 dates beginning in August in Florida.
South China Morning Post
13-05-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Can the origins of human music be seen in chimps drumming? Study provides new insights
Out west, they groove with fast, evenly spaced beats. In the east, it is more free-form and fluid. Like humans, chimpanzees drum with distinct rhythms – and two subspecies living on opposite sides of Africa have their own signature styles, according to a study published in the scientific journal Current Biology. The idea that ape drumming might hold clues to the origins of human musicality has long fascinated scientists, but collecting enough clean data amid the cacophony of the jungle had, until now, proven elusive. 'Finally we've been able to quantify that chimps drum rhythmically – they don't just randomly drum,' said the study's lead author, Vesta Eleuteri, of the University of Vienna in Austria. Play The findings lend fresh weight to the theory that the raw ingredients of human music were present before our evolutionary split from chimpanzees 6 million years ago.
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Wildlife: Do chimps have rhythm?
They might not be the next Nandi Bushell, but chimpanzees do love to drum. Wild chimpanzees have been observed for centuries drumming on tree trunks , externaland roots with their hands and feet. And now researchers have discovered that this drumming is done with deliberate rhythms to help communication. Researchers say this finding could also help explain the evolutionary origins of music. Scientists have previously found that chimpanzees drum on trees to send information to each other. They also have previously found evidence that each individual has its own signature style of drumming. But until now, it wasn't known whether they have rhythm and timing to their drumming or if it is just random experts have published research in the journal Current Biology, after observing over 350 drumming performances by chimps across several countries in Africa. And they have concluded that they do in fact have and understand rhythm. From analysing recorded performances of the drumming, scientists were able to look at the gaps between each hit, and much the those rhythms change, or stay the same. They compared this to drumming with random patterns of beats, and they found the chimps' drumming was predictable which Prof Catherine Hobaiter, a senior author of the study, explained is a strong clue of rhythm. So next time you hear a beat in the trees, it might just be a chimp putting on a special jungle concert!
