Dare to Drum

Dare to Drum captures a collaboration between a Dallas drum collective and Stewart Copeland, drummer for The Police. The members of D'Drum, including director John Bryant, originally got together for the fun of it. Since then, they've scoured the world looking for unusual instruments, such as the Hungarian cimbalom, and they have developed a reputation for delivering electric live performances, which leads to a 2007 commission to perform a new work with an orchestra. Bryant is a music professor at Southern Methodist University, Doug Howard (who also teaches) and Ron Snider are percussionists with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Ed Smith teaches Balinese gamelan at the University of North Texas, and Jamal Mohamed directs the World Music Ensemble at SMU. The musicians are excited to learn that they will be working with Copeland—fresh off a two-year reunion tour with his old band—who begins by playing and sampling D'Drum's instruments in order to incorporate sounds into his concerto. Copeland and the group continue to trade ideas for the next couple of years and then in 2009 they have instruments made to record and perform the piece. In 2011, the group prepares for the world premiere with conductor Jaap van Sweden and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Copeland praises D'Drum's chemistry, noting, "A drummer never feels crowded out. He feels empowered by all the other rhythm going around." Although an ice storm hits the city before the big day, the show goes on and is met with a sustained standing ovation. Extras include the full performance of the concerto. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)