Drum in a backpack & strangers hitting it

[Sdready]

Hello!

Well this is more a question for people who carry their drum around in public and public transport for example (like me) and who do not live in countries where Djembes are a well-known part of culture.

Just again today I was carrying my drum.... and in the train and in front of the bakery people beat my backpack (tried to beat the drum inside the bag). They popped up behind me and did this without asking.
And somehow that happens to me quite often.

Do you experience that too? And if yes, how do you react?
Many times the people then say something like "cool a drum, what kind of drum is ist? Tell me more!" and I find that okay... they show interest and turn out to be nice. But still, why do they have to hit onto my backpack in the first place? -.- And there are also others who seem not to be nice... and just try to bother you by doing that...

Take Care
Sdready

[michi]

Do you experience that too? And if yes, how do you react?

This hasn't happened to me personally. Not sure how to best deal with it. There seems to be little point in teaching etiquette to complete strangers. I guess you could just say "please don't" or ignore it. Giving them a lecture about it is probably a waste of time and, with some people, you might find yourself in a fight before you know it.

I've experienced (usually drunk) people hitting my drum at gigs, sometimes even while I'm playing it. I take care to move the drum aside during breaks and I never leave it without a hat with a hard board in the lid during gigs. It's just too easy to have someone spill a drink over the drum and I've heard stories of spectators taking a dundun stick and hitting a djembe with it, with a predictable outcome…

Cheers,

Michi.

[Sdready]

Hi Michi!

Oh yes its a good idea to keep the drum covered! At times people have the weirdest ideas...
A friend of mine didn´t cover her Djembe at a party and when she came back to the living room, a couple of people were already using the drum as a side-table and put their glasses and ashtray onto the drum -.-

[michi]

Oh yes its a good idea to keep the drum covered! At times people have the weirdest ideas...
A friend of mine didn´t cover her Djembe at a party and when she came back to the living room, a couple of people were already using the drum as a side-table and put their glasses and ashtray onto the drum -.-

No surprise there…

I've also seen people sit on djembes. The insensitivity (not mention stupidity) of some people is staggering at times.

Michi.

[Rhythm House Drums]

I've sat on a djembe before.. I brought two to a drum circle type thing, one with cowskin ended up being my chair.. do the same with a sangban often for some reason...

I've had drunk people come up and play my drum too, while I'm playing. Never had someone just hit it through my bag. I think there was a similar discussion on this board earlier and one person suggested sharpening your ksinks...

[FreekAce]

i've had people playing my drum when i return from stepping out for a moment (happened the other night actually). i'm okay with other people playing my drum. just not appreciative of people doing so without my consent. i find it a little disrespectful. same goes for any of my instruments really.

anyone hitting my drum while in transit is sure to get a confrontation, not sure why someone in their right mind would think such a thing acceptable.

[Carl]

Most "rude" treatment of my djembe...

Someone actually put a sweating glass of cold beer on my uncovered djembe!

I just picked up their beer and handed it back to them... not comment necessary.

It is amazing how little respect people can have for musical equipment!

Carl

[Djembe-nerd]

Well you are patient person, I would have thrown the bottle in the trash in front of him. If people can be jerks they need to be shown thier place.

[e2c]

I think that a layer of foam + a hard board in the backpack (covering the drum head) would be helpful, in terms of getting people to back off your drum, sdready.

All the stories you guys are telling... unfortunately, they're commonplace.

I always keep my instruments covered during breaks, etc. when playing out. Too many people take liberties with instruments... though I doubt most would do so with a guitar or bass.

Drums seem to turn some people into little kids - bad ones. I guess most don't consider drums/percussion to be music, just sound or even noise. Sadly, I once heard a reed player - who actually doubled on percussion for a couple of pieces - speak that way; "It's just percussion." (Nothing special.) He had a very nice darbouka and I was wishing I could have bought it from him on the spot (not sure he realized what he had).

[e2c]

Well you are patient person, I would have thrown the bottle in the trash in front of him. If people can be jerks they need to be shown thier place.

Only problem is... you could have a fight on your hands if you do something like that. Definitely not worth it!

[bubudi]

i've had all the above happen to me... i used to carry my huge lenke mali drum on a backpack on public transport 3 times a week and walk it down the road to rehearsals another 3 times a week, and then to gigs. i've carried a dununba on my back lots of times, too. invariably, at least 3 times during transit, someone will tap on it, through the bag. i always put a towel between the head and the end of the bag, so it's not going to give much sound, so they wouldn't repeat it.

drums are seen as 'community music' - something to be shared with everyone (maybe open drum circles have something to do with this). which it is to a degree... the music, that is, not your drum people really have no idea about the drum being a personal thing, that you may have paid quite a sum of money for, and think of it as quite a sturdy thing when in reality it can be quite vulnerable given the wrong treatment.

i always return my drum to the case and lay it sideways when taking a break from playing at gigs or outdoor sessions. this should prevent people from sitting on it or using it as a table.

i think the only reason people don't do these things with a guitar, bass, flute, etc is because they're in a hard case, they are not beaten with the hands and they often need assembling (in the case of wind instruments). you're pretty safe with those in a hard case. maybe this makes a good selling point for a hard djembe case

[Jan >^..^<]

Hello!
Just again today I was carrying my drum.... and in the train and in front of the bakery people beat my backpack (tried to beat the drum inside the bag). They popped up behind me and did this without asking.
And somehow that happens to me quite often.

Maybe you should beat on their head like they did your backpack! That will show them what you think! OK, maybe not! That could be dangerous. No point in being rude back at them.

How about a small sign on the bag that says "fragile" or "please don't touch"?

(Or "bang on my drum and I bang on your head"! )

[the kid]

Put a "Don't touch my Bongo" sign on it ...

[Brian Lynch]

i tell them to drum somewhere else

[Garvin]

Put a "Don't touch my Bongo" sign on it ...

I would buy that bumper sticker!