Steel Drums
Steel Drums
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Publisher's Hardcover ©2018--
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Aladdin
Just the Series: Made by Hand   

Series and Publisher: Made by Hand   

Annotation: Learn how craftsman Glenn Rowsey makes one-of-a-kind steel drums by hand, and the history of the instrument.
Genre: [Music]
 
Reviews: 2
Catalog Number: #102635
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Publisher: Aladdin
Copyright Date: 2018
Edition Date: 2018 Release Date: 12/18/18
Pages: 32 pages
ISBN: 1-481-47898-2
ISBN 13: 978-1-481-47898-4
Dewey: 786.8
LCCN: 2017007111
Dimensions: 24 x 29 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews

A chronicle of the history and production of steel drums.Steel drumming began on Trinidad. Its African roots are made clear: West Africans forced into chattel slavery brought their drumming traditions with them to the island, but oppressive white slaveholders outlawed drumming. Even post-slavery the drumming ban continued, so the people adapted by using found materials such as biscuit tins and paint cans. During World War II, the U.S. built a base on Trinidad, and drummers used the 55-gallon oil containers to make drums. Ellie Mannette, an ingenious black Trini who would come to be known as the "Father of the Modern Steel Drum," was one of the first to do this. The focus here shifts to Glenn Rowsey, a white U.S. steel drummer and steel-drum maker. Readers follow Rowsey through the fascinating process of creating a steel drum, which makes up the bulk of the book. The choice to highlight a white musician/craftsperson comes off as culturally tone deaf given the African/African diasporic roots of the art. Easy-to-understand text and plentiful full-color photos make this book accessible even for younger readers. Books on steel drumming are scarce, so it's particularly disappointing that this book, while offering a good historical base, places white voices and experiences at its center.A decent choice for music classrooms, but its focus on a white American musician makes it a bust for another seemingly natural application in units on Caribbean culture. (DIY instrument instructions, timeline, glossary, resources) (Nonfiction. 6-10)

Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

To show the history of the steel drum (also called a pan), Lakin navigates histories of colonialism and slavery in Trinidad, not avoiding darker realities despite the book's focus on the instrument. Readers then "meet" a contemporary drum craftsman and entrepreneur and are walked through his process. The subject is made accessible through clear text, large photographs, and stylish design elements. Includes instrument-making projects. Reading list, timeline. Glos.

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Kirkus Reviews
Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)
Bibliography Index/Note: Includes bibliographical references (page 32).
Reading Level: 3.0
Interest Level: 3-6
Lexile: 870L

Go behind the scenes and learn how craftsman Glenn Rowsey makes one-of-a-kind steel drums by hand with this nonfiction book that’s full of photographs and illustrations about his process.

Tap-happy Glenn was inspired and taught by the Father of the Modern Steel Drum, Ellie Mannette. This book gives a step-by-step glimpse at Glenn’s creative process for making and tuning pans—from start to finish—with love and care. It also features a timeline and history detailing how the passion of generations of determined people from Trinidad gave birth to this percussion instrument. Charts, infographics, and bold photographs will inspire kids to make their own objects by hand.


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