While studying Ghanaian drumming at Brown University under master drummer Kwaku Kwaakye Martin Obeng, a voice was brought to a feeling I had felt my entire life. Martin played a tone, slap, bass, and mute noting that each sound had a distinct “hue.” As we learned and practiced Kpanlogo from the Ga region of Ghana, he would often proclaim ” I cannot hear the colors.” His ear was so refined he could pull out perfect and imperfect tones out of a muddy barrel and separate them.
For a long time and still… I get somewhat frustrated because the color that I see in my mind doesn’t always match the color that I play physically on the drum. Particularly, the slap has been my greatest challenge. To play a yellow ochre slap or a bright orange slap would be ideal for me, yet I am still in the mud somewhat.
As the colors relate to each tone, an emotional response can also match and the colors can change as the beats per minute change. For example, if you can visualize the color becoming more saturated as the rhythm increases in speed. I was thinking about an artist’s palette, where there is not a lot of distinction between hues, tones, or shades, it can look somewhat “muddied.” IN drumming, I see king of a dull grayish brown when there are no variations in tone.
In connection to art education, Wassily Kandinsky is often referenced for his synesthesia. Kandinsky primarily listened to and painted classical music. I would love to see the art of a drummer synesthete. If the art was replicating only the tones, slaps, and bass hits of a hand drum what might that look like? For some maybe analogous? or would the tone and bass be complementary colors to one another? This is another prompt to add to my list. I would love to see what young students would come up with as well. The drumstick is a pencil or paintbrush.
Earlier in the year, I made a color wheel cajon and the students played various rhythms on the color wheel that was rendered on the front of the cajon. Furthmore, the students could play dynamics based on the color they were feeling at the moment. The students who really enjoyed art as a subject were also more excited to try drumming and vice versa. A lot to think about and continue with.
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