Island's contribution to the world's music.

It probably began with the Bermudian innovation of using a military snare and sticks to play the gombey rhythm.

Four men come to mind for taking their place on the world stage and leaving their mark on jazz and rhythm and blues.

For the music fan, the names Arnold "King Drake'' Lawes, Andy Newmark, Clarence "Tootsie'' Bean, and Howard Rego continually pop up in reissues.

Other drummers without fanfare work day jobs and later change and play in churches, or in hotels -- or at least they used to.

It is as a drumming instructor that Eddie Ming has carved a niche, though.

For 21 years he has produced his Drum Exhibition and Buffet, an opportunity for parents to see just what their young people are doing. Granted, it is tedious to hear basic rhythms played without variation for a minute or so followed by another novice.

But in watching a five-year-old hold a drumstick properly and tap out a simple pattern, we get to see inside the under-appreciated art of drumming.

Stripped of the clutter of the melodic and other rhythmic instruments, a drum exhibition is a great way to see and hear that it is not just about time keeping.

On Saturday at the St. Paul's AME Centennial Hall, a variety of styles took to the stage for the show.

Naturally, the pinnacle was the work of jazzman Eric MacPherson, a drummer with an arsenal of licks and the taste to put them all together.

A 27-year-old graduate of LaGuardia High School for the Arts -- otherwise known as the "Fame'' school -- MacPherson studied at the University of Hartford under hard bop saxophonist Jackie Maclean.

The non-musician could clearly see there is a direct line between mastering a drumming rudiment and MacPherson putting it all together.

MacPherson did it all in a five minute solo on John Birks "Dizzy'' and Gillespie's "A night in Tunisia'' with the Bermuda Jazz Ensemble.

He has such control, it combined volume dynamics, pushing the beat and riding on it, and still kept impeccable time.

Later he joined the school's collective "Storm'' for a Ming original "Woman come and go'' and played the piece for the first time.

Other Ming compositions, "A handful of Rice'' and "Freedom for Nelson Mandela'' showcased the talents of Mr. Ming and several teenagers from the school.

Accompanied only by some noodling on keyboard by Dennis Fox, Storm used an array of percussion instruments -- I gave up counting at 75 -- to build melody and pace.

It is sad however, that yet another musical event had to be held in a non-musical venue.

The time is high for a venue at which all musics are welcome and the atmosphere for the audience is welcoming.

It must have been difficult to give one's all in a room without air-conditioning and adequate lighting -- there is not even a gentle slope so that all could see the stage.

I guess the decision makers did not see the CBS Network advert about the arts being essential.

Despite the lack of proper facilities, with the budding talent on show Saturday, I am sure our drumming tradition is in good hands.

by Patrick Burgess