Inevitably, someone will mention, “In Africa, they sit on drums.” I’ve experienced this firsthand and have seen drums being tossed around and stacked without cases. Honestly, those weren’t their best drums. 

Furthermore, when a drum pops there, a new skin is put on immeadiatley, and it was so hot the drum was up and running again very quickly. They did not have to send it out and wait a few months!

This post isn’t about that, though; it’s about how drummers are perceived in general in the Western world, and how drums are often regarded as less important than other instruments. 

One of my goals is to help people understand that the drum is a
musical instrument and is just as valuable as any other musical instrument. 

We are not in Africa and some of us have paid a lot of money for our drums. They are not cheap to fix or maintain.

If you have an old, rusty car, you might not mind if it gets a little banged up. But if I own a nice car, I’ll make sure to take care of it.

This is also about common decency and respect, and it’s crucial to avoid making ignorant assumptions. 

I won’t allow you to place your beer on my conga head or use my drum as a surface for your personal items.
If you saw a photo or heard a story of drums being sat on, that’s great. They can sit on your drums!