Sacred Journey drums are made of clay with Goatskin heads. They're strong and durable, but they do need a bit more care and attention while playing & handling than standard drums. With mistreatment, the drumhead can detach from the drum or, in the worst cases, the drum itself can crack. A detached head can be repaired. In some cases a cracked drum can be fixed too, but none of us want this situation to arise. Sacred Journey drums are fired to be strong, but when dropped, they are ceramic and will shatter.
Two basic rules for ALL drums:
1) Heat: Keep the drum away from continuous heat sources - fireplaces, space heaters, windows, direct sunlight, radiators, hot air vents, closed car sitting in the sun, etc.
2) Storage: Store the drum in a space that is not too dry, and out of reach of anyone who doesn't understand how to treat valuable musical instruments. (Kids, pets... from personal experience the goatskin is like a giant potato chip chew toy to dogs).
Basic use and maintenance:
Tuning the drum: If the head is too tight, spray a little water on the head, or wipe the head with a damp sponge. This will tune it to a lower pitch. On a dry head the sound will be a bit dead in the center of the drum. Dampening the skin will help bring out a fuller sound. Using a hand cream with lanolin, or even a leather conditioner is an option. Caution: These drums are made to be struck with the hands or padded drumsticks. Using traditional drumsticks may break through the goatskin. If your drum has a shoulder strap, a supporting hand should always be in contact with the drum in case the straps separate from the drum body.
Final word:
Play often, Play well, and raise a little hell!
