| Drum music can be moving in the extreme. It is vital, | | | | such celebrations. Taiko drums are capable of |
| powerful and speaks to our most basic instincts. | | | | creating tremendous sounds, and the rumbling notes |
| Perhaps this is because the purpose of drum music is, | | | | of these drums have long been associated with the |
| in essence, to provide a beat that can be heard by | | | | gods. Indeed, in ancient Japan, there was a time |
| everyone. The beat unites the listeners, puts them all | | | | when taiko could be played only on religious |
| in the same time and space, and creates a bond | | | | occasions and only by men who had been granted |
| between them. Given its abilities, it is unsurprising that | | | | special permission by the priests. |
| the drum is one of the most pervasive instruments in | | | | Many people would be surprised to learn that Judaism |
| the world, found in cultures across every continent | | | | has a tradition of using drums. While one will not find |
| on the planet. And even less surprising is the fact | | | | a drum in a traditional service in a synagogue, this |
| that many cultures, at one time or another, have | | | | religion has a strong tradition of using music to |
| applied the energy of the drum to religion and its | | | | celebrate God, and drums have often been a part of |
| ceremonies. | | | | that music. Drums are specifically mentioned in the |
| It would be impossible to give examples of all the | | | | Torah in several locations: Miriam (sister of Moses) |
| different religious applications to which drums have | | | | played drums in celebration of the Jews' escape from |
| been put. There are, after all, countless religions in | | | | the Egyptians and the splitting of the Red Sea |
| the world today and who knows how many that | | | | (Exodus 15:20); and in Psalms, King David speaks of |
| have died out over the eons. Therefore, I will discuss | | | | praising God with timbrels, or small, hand-held drums |
| only the applications in the religions with which I am | | | | (150:4). |
| the most familiar: Shinto, Judaism and Christianity. | | | | Traditionally, Christianity has excluded drums from its |
| Shinto is a very old religion, having existed as long as | | | | religious ceremonies. However, over the past decade |
| there have been people on the island of Japan. It | | | | or two, there has been a growing movement to |
| predates the introduction of Buddhism and has | | | | expand Christian musical boundaries to include more |
| survived to the present day. It is a polytheistic and | | | | contemporary music, and this has sometimes led to |
| animistic faith and is commonly translated as "The | | | | the inclusions of such nontraditional instruments as |
| Way of the Gods." To a visitor in Japan, the most | | | | drums. Additionally, Christianity is unique in that it has |
| obvious manifestations of Shinto are the many | | | | managed to spawn several modern music genres, |
| shrines where the public can go to worship. There | | | | including Christian Rock, Christian Contemporary and |
| are many different celebrations that are held at | | | | even Christian Rap. Drums are certainly used to |
| these shrines throughout the year, and traditional | | | | produce such music, which is, at its core, simply |
| Japanese drums called taiko are often used during | | | | another method of worship. |