Steel pan drums or steelpans, as they are often referred to, have quite a storied history in the world. Having its roots in Trinidad, many people have heard steel drums, but have no idea what goes into the process of making one. Dating back to as far as the 1800’s, making a steel pan drum is an under seen art, often passed from generation to generation, like true passions should be. Known for their distinctive “island” sound, they are so much more than just drums. They offer an eclectic range of sounds and tones, and this all comes down to how steel drums are made.
Just to hear the sounds of it getting hammered out is pretty sublime. We often get to see and appreciate the end result of instruments, but rarely do we get insight into what makes their sound so special.
Also, how cool is it that the guy hammering it out looks just like Morgan Freeman? Almost makes you appreciate it that much more.
But all jokes aside, just look at the determination as he hammers that thing into existence. It’s funny, as he progresses in making the drum, you can actually hear the sound slowly evolve across the course of the video. At first, it just sounds like he is banging a metal tin, but by the end, we hear that distinct sound being birthed. It is quite a sight to behold (and sound to hear)!
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