100 Mile Elementary School echoed with the beat of drums from across the world on Wednesday, June 18.
The entire school gathered together in the gymnasium for a presentation by Rythm Resource's Daniel Duggan, an energetic Scotsman with a love for drums. Over an hour and several subsequent workshops with the various grade groups, Duggan taught each student how to play the drums and the importance of resiliency in the face of adversity.
"The show that I'm delivering (in 100 Mile) is all about resilience. Each of the instruments are born out of a place of resilience where people were facing many different, significant challenges," Duggan said. "We're creating new ways to keep important parts of their drumming culture alive."
For Duggan, his love of percussion and drumming started when he was growing up in Scotland as a young boy. He said he joined a Scottish pipes band and became a drummer and also played the drums at church on Sunday.
"I just enjoyed it, so from there the passion just grew. I went to university to study music and got a jazz degree," Duggan remarked. "I graduated and went touring with bands, working on TV and recording as a session musician. The thing I always love about drums is how they can bring people together.
"In addition to playing drums by myself, I loved to gather people and I started to build up a collection of drums. Someone actually invited me, from the church I was at, to do some drumming in their community group. From there, it just kind of organically grew."
Duggan went on to found Infectious Grooves LTD in 2000 and eventually Rythm Resource before his move to Canada in 2015. Duggan said he and his wife chose to move to Burnaby because they had family living in Canada. He noted they also knew Canada was a very "vibrant place" with a lot of arts and music.
"Coming here, we also wanted to connect with First Nations drummers, which we did. We had some drums made and a First Nations drummer and artist designed these drums, which we then shipped back to some of the schools in Scotland," Duggan said.
Every drum that Duggan uses during his workshops and presentations is linked to his own cultural heritage. Since moving to Canada, he said he's been on a journey of self-discovery about who he is and where he's come from.
Through research, Duggan learned that he has roots in Panama on his father's side and that some of his ancestors were transported to the West Indies during the West African Slave trade. During his time with the students at 100 Mile Elementary School, he explained that these people had a strong tradition of drumming but lost access to their traditional drums. Rather than let their culture die, these people created new forms of drums that now define parts of South America and the Caribbean to this day.
"I started off playing drums, but as I dug into my own cultural background, I found out there was lots of music and drumming connected to my cultural roots as well," Duggan remarked. "Finding out more about who I am has been a rich cultural journey."
One of the techniques he taught the students was the hambone, or juba dance. Started among enslaved peoples, this technique uses the oldest instrument in the world, the human body, with Duggan teaching the children how to use their hands, chest and legs to create a beat.
He also gave students the chance to play several different types of drums, including the Peruvian cajón, also known as box drums, the Brazillian surdo, samba drums, the tambourim (not to be confused with the similar tambourine) and an agogo bell, to name a few. Duggan said he loves finding out more about these instruments and sharing this knowledge with others, especially children.
"I enjoy seeing students working together, the stomping, tapping, clapping and jumping. Being able to share that experience with them and engage them in something that's fun and creative has a deep meaning," Duggan said. "Imparting the message of resilience because sometimes students don't realize that giving up is a choice. In that moment where you're just about to choose to give up, there is something you can do so you don't give up, that's what the message of the show is all about."
Duggan said the feedback he received from students and their teachers is that the message of his show is impactful and encourages them not to give up in their own lives. He noted 100 Mile Elementary's students had great energy and had plenty of smiles. Even the Grade 7s, who are preparing to go into high school, seemed to get into the spirit of the show.
"Everyone from the oldest right up to the youngest was engaged. For them, being all engaged, all having a great time, is a privilege. This is a great school," Duggan said.
After his time in 100 Mile House, Duggan said next week he'd be visiting several other schools in Likely, Horsefly, Tatla Lake and Williams Lake. He is hopeful that the students will keep his message of resilience in mind for years to come.
"Each person, as we say in the show, is individual and has different gifts and skills. It does take that strength on the inside to push through the challenges and fully realize those skills, as it were, that person has," Duggan concluded.
