DRUM CARE ON THE SUNSHINE COAST

So lets talk about the weather.  42 degrees in Mali where the sweat literally evaporates off you. I was drinking 4.5 litres of water a day, so that I didn’t completely dry out.  Shortly following this extreme humidity, I found myself in Paris with some of the coldest times the romance capital has seen. -2 C with just a T shirt and hooded jumper, I had to eat a croissant an hour to keep frigidity at bay. After an arduous 3 day trip home with delayed and missed flights and lost luggage I landed in a very saturated and soggy Sunshine Coast to find broken skins and moldy drums. It’s hot and sunny, then cold and wet and with all these weather changes my drums don’t know if they are a bongo or a djembe. So, a few tips to look after your loved ones in these unprecedented times.

• Keep them inside where you’d like to be. Dry, warm and with some good conversation.
• DO NOT leave them in the car until next drum class particularly if you have just recently given them a tune up and a good slapping. Baking hot cars and cold nights will make anyone split their skins!
• If it has been raining for weeks and your feeling a bit damp and fury, check your drum cos it will probably feel the same. Once Ra  shows his beautiful face and your enjoying a little sun bake bring your drum out with you. Your drum will love you for it and the UV will help kill off those moldy mates. When your all filled up and sun-kissed bring your drum in too!
• If your drum is trying to walk out the door itself, then a quick splash of metho on a cloth and an affectionate rub down will probably be a good idea. Just enough to clear the fur away, your drum doesn’t need a metho bath.
• Top of the list is for you to enjoy your drum and play as often as you can.

-Peace and Rhythm