Animal skin drum heads

Well.....anyone play any hand drums? i just realized how many animals die for us to play drums with animal skin heads......Any alternatives? around this other than the obvious remo variety? i know theres some creative people out there...

 

ask drumminmama, she'd know. I really have no idea. What about if they developed some sort of thick latex for it? (I don't even know what they use now in place of skin, some sort of plasticy looking thing)

 

There are non-animal substitutes (if petroleum doesn't count as "animal"). The problem is the sound.
Does it help that cows are not killed for their skins? Meat slaughter produces more skins than are needed. But many drum heads come from other animals.

 

Everytime the drum circle locks into perfect rhythm and the energy piques, I thank the goat that gave his life for my drumhead. What better way to honor it's spirit?

 

Or, you could honour its life, and not support taking its life in the first place ...

It's rather selfish to kill and give thanks, than to actually respect life in the first place. That kind of logic is why our world is polluted and our politicians are corrupt and why war still exists today.

 

I just find it funny how many vegetarians actually play animal skin drum heads, are into animal rights thats all

 

Hikaru Zero-
I couldn't agree with you more.



And also buying "byproducts" still contributes to the industry. Veal can technically be considered a byproduct of the dairy industry. The "by-" part seems to trivialize the importance of the purchase of the product but I do not it should be trivialized.

 

Jeez, don't get your panties in a wad or anything. We just believe different things.

I believe in the natural order of things. We humans are the top of the food chain. All the animals and plants here are for us to use as we see fit. Don't condemn me for my beliefs and I will respect yours as well.

 

Use as we see fit? Like their lives are just here for your pleasure? Animals exist for their own reasons, not the reasons humans assign them. You can believe what you want but the only one who can "use as they see fit" would be a creator of such things. I can't see how you can get defensive when someone is siding with not killing.
To each their own. That includes the animals though.

 

Help me to understand you. The cockroach that you see crawling across your kitchen counter not only shouldn't be squished..(animal's right to life) but should also be allowed to remain in your house because after all, if you put it outside... well... it may not like it?

 

Many of the goat skins for drum heads come from Pakistan and Africa. The people their use the goats for their main source for food, as meat and milk. Their goats are valuable assets for a family and are usually freely grazed. They are their livelyhood. The goats are neither kept confined, made to suffer, or disrespected. They are valuable parts of an agrarian culture. When they do kill them for meat, they then use every part of the animal. The goats were not killed to make drum heads, this is purely a secondary market for their skins.

 

woodsgod-
I really do not see how you can logically make that comparison when all I was doing was basically saying that it is pretty egotistical so say animals are here to do what we want with them. Only a creator of such animals should have the gall to say that- we aren't god, we can't dictate WHY a creature is here. We don't even know certainly why WE are here. Your comparison also did not logically follow my comment. I didn't mention anything about animals not "liking" something.
Regarding your question- there is such a thing as self-preservation. I would not let bugs crawl all over our counters and food because I feel that is unsanitary. And personally roaches scare me (I know they can't do much). So I put the roach outside. I do not let fleas crawl all over my dog because it would cause him pain. I wouldn't let my dog live with intestinal parasites. Yes those animals are alive, too, but it is self preservation. I was talking about how it seems arrogant (in my opinion) to say that animals are here for us, and nothing more. I feel you are reading into it trying to catch some sort of loophole. Maybe you didn't mean it in an antagonistic way.

 

While we're on this inane "food chain" argument, how many other animals high on the food chain simply "do what they wish" with the animals they eat? None. Most of them kill only to survive. We kill for recreation and luxury objects. That is an insult to the food chain, not proof of it.

 

Part of our relationship with animals is due to our relationship with things.
We are tool makers and users. To cave folks, the animal's skin was not just an impediment to the meat, but also warmth and shelter. The animal is not only dinner, but also a raw material for tools. Leather, sinew, .... there is all kinds of useful stuff inside an animal.
Seeing the animal as both food and tool source helped us see ourselves as seperate from animals.

 

But the actions of people then using animals out of absolute necessity do not justify our absolutely unnecessary actions and use of animals now. We have evolved.

 

True. But the past shapes past attitudes and helps answer "how can anyone.....".

 

What non-animal heads sound the best? I have an old (15 yr.) Mid-East Mfg. dumbek that has a plastic/paper(?) combo for the head. Not as good as goat skin, but better than the other vegan heads avaliable at the time.

 

For those of you that want a more ethical, non-animal skinnned drum, the Remo line on hand drums, such as their Djembe's are made of recycled wood and synthetic skin head. No animals parts were used in its making. That's what I mostly play.