Female Drummers in the Ancient Near East
by McKenzie Brummond
I was drumming at Tootsies, a famous little bar on Broadway in Nashville. Even though it was a Tuesday afternoon, the second floor of the small, dingy, and entirely too purple bar was packed with tourists. Many famous artists got their start performing on the Tootsies circuit, making the dive bar a popular tourist destination. As we finished a song, a highly intoxicated middle-aged man threw a twenty in our tip bucket and yelled, “I love the girl drummer!” Gee, thank you, random citizen. At least he was a good tipper. That being said, the novelty most people associate with girl drummers has always amused me. We smash stereotypes by smashing cymbals.
This is why, while researching women in the Bible, I was astonished to learn that in Ancient Near Eastern cultures, the vast majority of drummers were women. We see a prime biblical example of female drumming in Exodus, when Miriam leads the Israelite women in drumming and dancing upon their liberation from the bonds of slavery in Egypt:
Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine
in her hand; and all the women went out after her with
tambourines and with dancing. And Miriam sang to them:
“Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; horse
and rider he has thrown into the sea.” (Exodus 15:20-21, NRSV)
This passage gives us unique insight into the worship of the women of Israel—their praise to YHWH is embellished with drumming and dancing. The God of Israel was worshipped by girl drummers!
Archaeological evidence supports this idea that drummers in the Ancient Near East were predominantly women. For instance, archaeologists have discovered Iron Age terracotta figurines depicting female drummers. These clay figures, which are typically female, are commonplace among Iron Age artifacts. Scholars have speculated that these renderings could portray fertility figures, or goddesses, but the purpose of these figures remains conjecture. One quality that is evident, however, is that many of these female figurines are depicted holding hand drums. This observation implies that hand drummers in the Iron Age were predominantly women.
It is interesting to note the way in which our own society has flipped this stereotype on its head—most drummers now seem to be men. As a member of the drumline in college, I can attest to the fact that women were in the minority. Of approximately 36 drummers, only about 7-10 of us were female in a typical year. While the drumline was a prime example of how much men dominate the scene as percussionists, I am grateful for the special sense of comradery shared by the “drummer girls.” This comradery mirrors female drummers in the bible, which attest to the existence of women’s groups in the Ancient Near East. The existence of groups specifically for women are often good for the overall status of women in a society, as these groups are an indication of relative independence and opportunities to build a strong community of women. Girl drummers empower each other and stick together (no pun intended).
I have run into some situations where the role of drums in worship is contested (not unlike the role of women in worship, in some circles). I grew up in a Methodist church where I often played the drums during our contemporary worship service. When I arrived at Notre Dame as a freshman, our dorm liturgical music coordinator was excited that I had brought my cajon (a Latin percussion instrument, or box drum) to play during our dorm masses. However, on more than one occasion, visiting families would object to the use of drums in the mass. I always found it somewhat ironic that a means of worship with such a strong biblical and historical foundation could be found objectionable. But I have always been grateful for the opportunity to express my reverence for God through my talent as a percussionist.
Will Gafney describes drumming as a prophetic activity, and perhaps there is a reason that women are particularly well-suited to this form of prophecy. Because female drummers made up a female community in Israel, it is significant that they played together to prophesy and worship YHWH. Rather than overshadow one another and try to be the star of the show, they used their talents as a beautiful opportunity for fellowship and praise. They praised God by amplifying one another. My high school band teacher used to point out that the drummer is often underappreciated. As the heartbeat of the band, it is rare for an audience to notice when a drummer is playing well, but they will surely notice if the drummer makes a mistake. I have always enjoyed this relative anonymity of the drummer because I see the musicians and instruments as servants to the song itself. I take pride in effectively keeping a steady tempo, in subtly cuing other musicians when they should come in, and in marking transitions in the song with an effective fill. I do not need solos or loud microphones to feel fulfilled as a drummer; for me, playing music is a form of communion in which no one part is greater than the whole. When I read about Miriam leading the women in worship with her hand drum or tambourine, I feel empowered as a female musician to see this fellowship reflected in my own musical communities.
I would like to wrap up this post by highlighting some inspiring female drummers from our own time. Anika Niles from Germany is widely considered to be the greatest female drummer in the world. Another well-known girl drummer is Sarah Thawer; I was especially drawn to her engaging personality! (Her DRUMS ARE THE BEST video literally had me laughing at my desk). Check out this drum off between her and another female drummer, Senri Kawaguchi. As if we needed more reasons to love Prince, both Sheila E. and Cora Coleman Dunham have accompanied him on the drums. And bands like the Summer Set and The Bangles feature female drummers Jess Bowen and Debbi Peterson. I was excited to learn that we girl drummers are part of a long legacy, and it is empowering to know that biblical women helped lay the foundation for a strong community of drummer girls that continues to this day.
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McKenzie Brummond earned her Master of Religion degree from Yale University and holds a Bachelor degree of Liberal Arts from Notre Dame. Interested in music and theological principles, McKenzie spends her time contemplating the intersection of musical worship and theological study.
