By Rev. Greg Dilley, Shidoshi
I am Greg Dilley, Minister, Buddhist and licensed teacher in the Bujinkan of Masaaki Hatsumi, the last living Ninja on Earth.
My regular readers will be wondering why the formality and introduction?. The answer is that this latest installment is meant for an audience I normally don’t write for, a completely different religious sect.
I was previously a snare drummer in the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps in the years 1978, 1979 and 1980. If you happen to be a hard-core drum corps fan you know these were very significant years in drum corps history and marching percussion development.
But this isn’t about me; it’s about Ten Chi Jin, the workings of Heaven Earth and Man. And its about rudimental snare drumming.
Snare drumming in history
Snare drummers in military bands, marching bands and drum and bugle corps, prior to 1977, uniformly and unquestionably utilized a left-handed grip totally exclusive to rudimental snare drumming and universally referred to as “traditional grip”. "Traditional", as it’s commonly called, came from a practical origin. This is how it worked;
The snare drum came from pre-revolutionary war times and was used as a military musical instrument to provide a rhythmic “cadence” for marching troops. This is illustrated in the famous painting of the patriotic young and old snare drummers and their senior head-wounded fife player.
In this picture we can view the origin of the “traditional grip”. It was created out of necessity. In order to march with a drum one had to suspend the drum by way of a strap. Originally the strap hung over the drummer’s head but in more modern times the strap was worn over the left shoulder. The drum was connected by a clip onto one of the lug screws. The bottom line was that in order to march with the drum, the drum naturally slanted sharply to the right or left.
In order to stabilize the snare drum in later eras a “leg rest” was developed that connected to the bottom of the drum and allowed it to rest securely on the left leg, meaning the drum would naturally slant sharply downward and to the right. Playing the snare with the natural “matched” grip (the grip that a tympani player would use) was not practical because the left hand would have to be raised and cocked downwards in an uncomfortable manner.
The answer to this anatomical quandary became known as the “traditional grip”. The stick would be held and operated in the crotch of the left thumb and fore finger. This grip would remain the standard for the “trained drummer” for decades, long past its practical usefulness.
Modern traditional-grip drumming
During the era of the development of the drum set in ragtime jazz and later as jazz developed into modern forms, drummers continued to use traditional grip, compensating for their unequal anatomical positioning by slanting their snare drums and tom-toms in a direction that accommodated the obsolete technique. The reality now was, from as far back as the turn of the century, that drums were mounted on mechanical stands and could be slanted at angles to accommodate matched as well as traditional grip. Yet as jazz drummers progressed into the 50’s and 60’s traditional grip became the “mark” of the trained drummer.
As rock and roll came onto the scene self-taught drummers very naturally played with the more natural matched grip and were labeled as such – “self-taught” and "untrained".
Drum and bugle corps and rudimental drumming developed along different lines than popular or classical musical evolution and emerged from its military roots to become a product of high-performance musical pageantry. By the 1970’s drum and bugle corps had, quite frankly, become an awesome production, marching bands on steroids, pageantry in motion including mind-bending rudimental drumming that was really rather unbelievable to behold. Although technology enabled the snare drum to be mounted in a more level fashion, by way of the multi angle bar, traditional grip prevailed for no other reason than simply no one questioned it and teachers themselves had learned with it – until 1977.
In 1977 a phenomenal snare drummer named Rob Carson who had previously marched in the Santa Clara Vanguard snare line made the leap into the future by switching the snare line he both instructed and played in to matched grip. It was a pioneering decision. In 1978 the Santa Clara Vanguard won the DCI (drum corps international) competition. In 1979 the drum line, including tenors, basses and tympani, had reached a level of excellence that had never before been witnessed. In 1980 the corps experienced catastrophic inner politics that brought it to its knees and while the 1980 drum line remained state-of-the-art, the corps ranked low in the international standing.
Nonetheless the Santa Clara Vanguard drum line had pioneered the use of matched grip for snare drumming for all time to come, or so it seemed. In truth the very next year, lead by a new instructor whom himself was not fully comfortable with matched grip for snare drumming, the SCV snare line de-evolved back to the use of the traditional grip from revolutionary war times. The drum corps snare drumming world, to the amazement of many, remains largely committed to this archaic and unnatural technique even though other sections of the drumline; basses, tenors and tympani as well as keyboard percussion, had always used matched.
An overview of matched grip
In the late 70’s there was much written about the snare drum matched grip revolution. Drumming “authorities” had pointed out that the right hand grip uses 13 muscles while the traditional left-hand grip uses a mere 4. Authors on the subject pointed out that children, given drumsticks and the invitation to bang on something naturally used the matched grip. The historical fact was that traditional grip was an abomination, an adaptation to a technological shortcoming which was the snare drum suspended crudely from a belt or strap.
By 1979 the use of fiberglass snare drum harnesses had been pioneered and made commercially available. This absolutely provided the ability to mount and carry the snare drum in a totally symmetric and level fashion. This new carrying technology totally embraced the use of matched grip for snare drum. Nonetheless in the following decades drum lines insisted on traditional grip even though the grip itself had to be adapted to the new equipment. Players had to lean their left shoulders lower in order to play the traditional grip on a level surface.
That was 25 years ago. There is only one reason that this ridiculous technique has prevailed and it is the same reason that Muslim woman themselves still advocate having their daughter’s clitorises surgically removed; because they did it and it is simply tradition, or even worse, religious tradition.
Of course there are those who will still advocate traditional grip and even claim that it is “faster, once one masters it”. In reality traditional is simply the grip they originally learned and are accustomed to. They have become attached to it and like any religion try to defend what makes them comfortable. I have mastered both grips at various times in my youth and very simply matched grip is superior.
Anyone can test this comparative theory by simply holding up your hands in front of your face. Look at both hands from the back, look at both hands from the front. See any similarity? Of course the majority of human beings are “right handed”, meaning that their right hands are more dominantly dexterous, however this difference is found in the brain and not in the actual flesh and bone. For all practical purposes, our hands are the same.
Well, all this being said we are now approaching the year 2005 and the news is that the Santa Clara Vanguard, once again after 26 years, will be using matched grip for their snare line. Is this common sense or a complete religious RE-revolution? In fact I have been unable to think of any other example in musical development where the favored technique actually makes playing the instrument more difficult. This is simply unheard of in music, though common in martial arts and religion. Music simply does not favor form over function.
The persistence of drummers and instructors throughout the decades in using something that simply doesn’t work as well says a lot about who were are as a race. It certainly is a perfect example of where religion and religious customs go so very wrong.
Rev. Greg Dilley, Shidoshi and ex-SCV snare drummer
And what does this have to do with snar-drumming?
Danna
Posted by: Danna at November 20, 2004 12:46 AMDear buddhas,
Peter Röder sent this back in time to me, Nichiren, the true Buddha of the latter day of the law, a man who is greater in compassion than T´en Tai and Batman (combined). We have, together, removed references to a certain female and thus hope that it will now not be removed as carelessly as the last time.
Sincerely,
Nichiren, 1254, fifth moon to the left of the taxi.
Here is my story:
All right, I´m ready to tell my story now. I´d like to stress that with "victimization" and "victim" I don´t imply physical violence. In fact, I´ve been having the time of my life with the SGI in Denmark. There are, however, some spiritual matters which are extremely important. I do not doubt that the SGI manipulates with people and distorts "reality". Look up in a dictionary under the word "cult" and a description of SGI comes up. Read Orwell´s 1984 and there is 1000s of references to the structure of the org. Orwell tried to warn against this sort of behaviour but Ikeda apparently took it as a text-book on how to organize people. Again, I´d like to stress, that I am aware of the difference between an evil olicharcy/dictatorship such as the one described in 1984 and a religious group/community of faith such as the SGI. It´s all pretty much a mind game, isn´t it? There is no true danger. However, as points out many people are "warped" by their experiences. And this is what I mean by victimization. To fairly normal people like myself being shakobukued to even a light, bright cult like SGI can be mind-warping enough. One is pressured enormously but if you try to leave, additional pressure might be put on you, but then if you succeed in leaving as I have done (for now) then one is isolated and no one wants to speak with you. I have one good friend in SGI left. I have lost hundred of "friends". In terms of gender, hardly any female gave a shit about me at the time I left. Probably only one who was a personal friend. But in terms of males I think I have caused quite a reaction. Of course, I don´t care about "reactions". I´m trying to explain something else. But now on to my story:
(Membership data: 28 years old, copenhagen, denmark, student)
I was shakobukued in march 2003 by a Japanese young woman whose name is Asami. I met her at something called "Studenterhuset" (The Student House) in Copenhagen. She is 24 years old now. I thought she was very sweet and attractive, but she seemed a bit shy. She was with some other Japanese young women, and knew some students, who were also my friends. I met these people because I had tried to help a female student from Estonia, Helen to find a place to stay in Denmark. It was Helen who suggested to go to the International Evenings on the Student House. I spoke a little with Asami and when she was leaving I asked her for her e-mail. We started to talk with each other through e-mail and she asked me whether or not I was interested in Buddhism? I said "yes" because I had wanted to practise Buddhism and meditation in Denmark for a couple of years but had failed to find a good sangha and I didn´t have money to pay for meditation courses. She then gave me a link to a website, which I know now to be shakobuku-propaganda on the Soka Gakkai and SGI, but not knowing this it looks strangely credible, upholding, rather like a magician does his tricks, the illusion that SGI is a "normal", peace-loving and tolerant Buddhist organisation. Most SGI websites around the world accomplishes this trick leaving out the dark side of the SGI completely as if the dark sides of anything does not exist at all. There were material on the historical, Buddha (Shakimuni), og some poems and photographs by the president of Soka Gakkai Daisaku Ikeda. Asami said she belonged to this organisation. When went out a couple of times for cafés in Copenhagen, and she later told me her own Shakobuku story which is, very briefly, that she had hated her father but then the org. and the daimoku had helped her realize how wonderful he is, and how great the human potential for positive change is. I liked the poems and photographs by Ikeda. There was one of Mount Fuji. Ikeda seemed like a great humanist, peace-activist and writer. I showed it to my parents and they thought it looked interesting.
I kept seeing Asami, and she arranged a so-called "mini-meeting" with a young woman called Y and a Japanese young man
called X. They were supposed to tell me about Buddhism. We met at another café in Copenhagen. They seemed very nice and polite but more interested in their "daily lives" than in, what I thought was, Buddhism. They told me nothing about the norms or values of the SGI. When I tried to talk with the about Buddhism they seemed very interested but didn´t respond to it really.
Afterwards Asami asked me what I had thought about them. "They seem nice," I said. But I had understood very little about the SGI. Of course, now I understand that I was supposed to judge them from their behaviour and the things they did not say but how could I have known that then? They things that must be bothering them about the org. they kept to themselves.
Then Asami took me to a chanting session in the "Kaikan" which is the SGI head quarters in Copenhagen. It´s situated very nicely on Østerbro. It also has the strange euphomism "Scandinavian Culture Center" which sounds like something right out of Orwell´s "1984". There were some people in a large room on the first floor of the large house who chanted to an alter. Asami gave me a little note of paper which said: "nam-myo-ho-ren-ge-kyo" which was translated with: "I devote myself to the Mystic Law of Cause and Effect through Vibration" (which sound pretty esoteric although it´s a completely phony translation, of course, as most SGI-members and ND Buddhists know). I was not particularly good at chanting. Asami seemed very cute and sweet when she chanted though so I became highly attracted to her.
Later we went to a so-called "group meeting" in the apartment of a young man, whose name is X1. The purpose of those sort of group meetings are shakobuku, introducing and converting new members. Some people sat down chanting. I sat down next to Asami, and became heavily attracted to her again. I began to associate chanting with the sex-life I had had with my ex-girlfriend Oksana, who had left me on the 23. august, 2002 after a long relationship. I missed Oksana so much. I had lost my best friend, Torben. I was very isolated on my studies, like most other students are on the University of Copenhagen (Humanities). I missed something in my life. Apparently, I was the perfect cult-victim. The people I met all seemed completely friendly and sincere. I remember writing (I am a writer) in my notes on the computer: "I got more friends in eight seconds through the Soka Gakkai than through eight yours on University of Copenhagen". Yeah, right. Friends is a relative term. I asked them what they thought about "meditation" and a man called X2 said with great shakobuku-enthusiasm that this was "their form of meditation". In fact, it was a religious prayer called "daimoku" (the ultimate good).
I became friends with X1 and several others. People seemed very nice. I still think SGI-members are the friendliest people in the world. Some of them, maybe a lot of them, are religious fanatics and fundamentalists though, which is unpleasent. In those cases, their kindness is their fanaticism. I started going to other meetings. SGI seemed like a credible and very good sangha (buddhist community). When I spoke about Buddhism no one stopped me. I rarely heard the name Ikeda or Nichiren come up. It was more about Buddhist concepts such as esho funin, itai doshin, the three evil paths, the ten worlds, poison to medicine, etc. Basic concepts in the SGI.
A couple of months went by, and I was sceptical in terms of joining but I took part in activities and went to meetings. The intolerance towards other forms of Buddhism became more apparent to me. One day I talked with X1 about this and he said: "It´s about having trust in these people". So, suddenly, Buddhism was no longer allowed in the SGI, or what? I could not understand it. And why weren´t people at the Kaikan interested in other forms of meditation? Group leaders and what I would call "male oppressors" in the Danish SGI told me to "chant to a white wall". Something I find particularly distasteful today since I know that one can download an image of the Gohonzon from the Net (see what Lisa Jones has said about this issue and what SGIs policy is). I thought the expression "young men meetings" sounded awful. What kind of peace organisation would have a military stucture? But I went to those meetings anyway. It was on the island Amager next to Copenhagen. It wasn´t so far from my ex-girlfriend Oskana, and I begin dreaming that she could feel the daimoku. I chanted for her hapiness and other young women I liked in the Danish branch. I dreamt about shakobukuing Oksana. If she began to practice, I thought, then she would be happy. Mostly because of all the nice friends she could have, and she could tell about her background in the Ukraine and how she came to Denmark to live. The young men meetings were horrible, and probably the closest thing I have experienced to "SGI-brainwash" (I mean, the group leader "feeding" the members with what he wants them to know and how he wants them to be and act).
I had the most ridicolous, lunatic-asylum style sokahan experiences, and I had some good ones. I was night-watch which was fairly interesting, although I find the notion of "protecting the gohonzon" somewhat disturbing now. One guy who obviously suffered from a mental illness was chosen as the top sokahan-leader on the course to Trets. I don´t know if this is common practice in the SGI, and I hope I will never find out. I went to the course in Trets as a normal member. It was a nice course. It was interesting to see France. Now I was pretty sure though that the whole "peace"-thing in the SGI was only related to shakobuku, that is, the growth of the organisation.
Soon it was basically over for me. After having had the gohonzon for half a year I was in activity almost for the whole month of August and there I realized that something was wrong. I was sokahan at the summer course in Askov and at the Ikeda Dam Festival. The mentor-disciple indocrination is much more severe if one chooses to partake in such activities and the peer pressure is enormous to do so. I had a lot of fun. It was really exciting. However, I was left with absolute disgust for the org. itself. Afterwards people didn´t give a shit what I had done. They just kept pushing me and asking me to do things and go to meetings and do activities. If I tried to say "no" it was not respected. They tried all the cult-dobbeltalk in the SGIs vocabulary. I stopped answering the phone and I withdrew from people. I condemned my shakobuku-mother, Asami, to the avichi-hell (over e-mail). X1 had pushed me very hard, and he didn´t understand when I asked him to leave me alone. It was only later that he apparently understood that. There are two things I find particularly disgusting about the SGI and what I have experienced: 1. That I was pushed so much after having done so much for them. It was like they thought: "Now he is down on his knees. Kick him some more so he falls on his stomach." What sort of an org. would do or think something like that? It is because (like in Scientology I can imagine)
controlling the members are the key to "succes" in the SGI. Needles to say that I find this very un-buddhistic and absolutely despicable 2. That members get two completely opposite messages - first they are told that they should do it "for themselves" and then "for others". That they are free but interdependent. That they should not compare themselves with others but that they should have the same mind. That they are strong if they stand alone and that the only true victory is to work with others for the same goal, etc. What does this do to a person´s mind, I wonder? Why would anyone choose to have the same mind as Daisaku Ikeda? What does it mean to have the same mind as someone else?
I wrote a similar text to the story I´m telling here which I concluded with a quote from an American action-movie: ”I swear to God if I even feel somebody behind me, there is no measure to how fast and how hard I will bring this fight to your doorstep. I´m on my own side now.” (Matt Damon, The Bourne Identity). That was some weeks ago. I feel slightly different now. I think the sangha has absolutely no responsiblity towards its members. People will be manipulated with as members, and if they stand for this, they will be patted on the back, but if they try to leave no one within the SGI will take them seriously. How many people have been "warped" by this experience? I know that it is not like a dangerous, sensational cult-story but that does not make it any less sad for a fairly normal person like me. I think I should conclude with a different quote. How about Winston from "1984": "Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two are four. Everything else follows this."
Best regards
Peter
Hey Rev. Greg and others...
You all sound like a tight knit group. My son's been bugging me about drums, he's in third grade. I got him snare sticks for Christmas, what's a good age for him to start. His school has a band that he can start in 5th grade.
Greg you never seise(sp) to amaze me with your knowledge of stuff.
Danna
Posted by: Danna at November 14, 2004 09:54 PMTim, thanks so much. I remember you actually, and that's saying something as I don't remember alot!
Ralph Hardimon, I'm honored you took the time to reply! Thank you so much. Allow me to clarify any misunderstanding; No, I didn't think it was you, and I certainly didn't imply anything negative about going back to traditional. It's all a part of some grand scheme of the universe, in some strange way.
For my Gakkai readers, Mr. Hardimon has shared with me that he travels to Japan and teaches at SGI music schools! Is this cool or what? Ralph is certainly an institution and an ICON in modern drum corps. One of two true adults that kept me and others kids "in line" way back in the day. I owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude.
Tim and Ralph, thanks for your kind comments.
Greg (yesIcanstillplay) Dilley
Posted by: Rev. Greg at November 14, 2004 09:19 PMGreg,
I marched soprano with you in '78. Now, I do teach drums to beginning 4 and 5 graders. I have shown them videos of drum corps drum lines and they asked about the differences between traditional and matched grip, not how, but why. Now, I can tell them why. Thanks!
Posted by: Tim Curry at November 14, 2004 08:42 PMhey Greg, this is very cool!! I thinking that you feel im responsible for switching back to tradish because I was the percussion caption head then, not the case though, twas the way most of the snare drummers wanted to drum, I didnt really care, as long as the music (my main responsibility) was where it needed to be!! thought you and folks needed some clarification on that part of the subject......anyways, on another note, all the groups i write for and teach in Japan are SGI schools!!!!!!!!
Ralph
Posted by: Ralph Hardimon at November 14, 2004 07:42 PMNon-SGI related discussions should go elsewhere, thank you. (LOL, just kidding :)
Peter
Posted by: Peter Röder at November 14, 2004 06:03 PMJohn - thank for the correction, I fixed it. Unfortunately while I think I knew there was something wrong with that, it was almost an ironic sort of statement, and I liked the sound of it. Oh well.
Thom - thanks for writing! I would remember Sherry if I saw her. 1980 was an extremely difficult year and I've found, now that I've reconnected with some of you, that I've blanked much of it out.
Thanks for reading - both of you!
Rev. Greg
Posted by: Rev. Greg at November 14, 2004 05:26 PM"marching percussive development"
marching percussion development? Looks lie a spell check hijack =)
abo
per·cus·sive
Function: adjective
1 : of or relating to percussion; especially : operative or operated by striking
2 : having powerful impact
- per·cus·sive·ly adverb
- per·cus·sive·ness noun
Rev. G:
You and I did not march together, but we have met. I joined the SCV family in 1981. Like you, I marched 3 seasons. Those were truly some of the best years of my life. I still consider myself a member of the SCV family. My wife and I participated the the SCV TOR Corps last january. It was an awesome experience. My wife (Sherry Liddick) marched with you in 1980. She understands me and my "bizzarre" attachment to the activity, and to SCV - few others in the world do.
I enjoy your blog. Please keep on with it. I had a blog I wrote, but I haven't kept it current. Maybe now I will?
Thom Taylor
Posted by: Thom Taylor at November 14, 2004 03:25 PM