"You know the drum was the first instrument besides the human voice"

Billy Higgins’s statement recognizes the drum as a foundational piece in the history of music, placing it immediately after the human voice in the evolution of musical expression. This perspective invites reflection on the primal and universal nature of rhythm and percussion. Before complex melodic or harmonic instruments were invented, humans discovered the capacity to communicate and express emotion through their voices. Yet, alongside singing, another need emerged: the desire to create rhythm, to mark time, to call, to celebrate, or to mourn, and for that, the drum became essential.

The drum’s simplicity is its genius. Early humans likely found its earliest forms in objects close at hand, a hollowed log, a stretched animal skin. The physical act of striking an object and producing a rhythm predates any refined system of music. Drumbeats can be felt as much as heard; they resonate in the body, evoking instinctual responses. They can synchronize a group, whether in dancing or marching, forming the heartbeat of collective experience. In this sense, drums are communal tools as much as they are musical ones.

Across the world, cultures that never made contact nonetheless developed drums, African djembe, Native American frame drums, Asian taiko, all evidence that rhythm is embedded deeply in the human condition. The drum, therefore, stands as a bridge, a way to link individuals to each other and to something ancient within themselves. More than a musical device, it is an instrument of communication and connection.

By acknowledging the drum’s ancient primacy after the voice, the statement also subtly honors the physicality and immediacy of music; rhythm and voice are accessible to all, requiring only a body and a surface. For Billy Higgins, a master percussionist, this recognition isn’t just historical fact but an appreciation for the drum’s power to evoke emotion, unify people, and form the basis of musical creation itself.