Up close, Talking Drum is a self-described “scrappy group” of diverse, soft-spoken, pared-down musicians. But see the group perform, and you will be transported. Talking Drum combines its members’ musical talents with a shared passion for social justice. They will compel you to open your mind and your ears, because they’re creatively getting tough conversations started through the universal medium of music.

The band is composed of Jacob Somerscales (drummer), Doug Blakely (keyboardist), Zach Zito (guitarist), Taylor Cullen (singer/songwriter/guitarist), Kenyatta Woods (vocalist), Kennedy Moore (vocalist) and Amanda Bongiovanni (rapper/singer/songwriter).

Professor Stephanie Shonekan, now the manager of Talking Drum, approached Somerscales with the idea to form the band in early 2016 and relied on him to select members, who all ended up being students in one of Shonekan’s classes.

In addition to her role with the band, Shonekan is an associate professor of ethnomusicology and the chairwoman of the black studies department.

Shonekan said members needed to have a heart for social justice just as much as musical talent. This is why the band includes only seven members and seldom grows.

“We wanted people with heart and soul and a good spirit,” Somerscales said. “People who would bring something unique to the table.”

Shonekan had the idea of Talking Drum long before Citizenship@Mizzou, the new-student inclusivity training session at which the group first performed in August; it just happened to be a prime opportunity. The events that transpired on campus last fall, specifically those pertaining to race as well as graduate students’ healthcare being temporarily dissolved, served as a call-to-action for Shonekan, who sought to use music as the means for change.

She believes there was room for improvement in communication within the community, and music could effectively serve as the catalyst for this. When she proposed the idea to the members, they readily agreed.

“I immediately said yes,” Cullen said in an email. “If I can be a part of something that helps bring peace and understanding to my fellow students, count me in.”

The thought of being a player in the transformative process, physically onstage demonstrating unity between students, was an appealing factor to band members. The group is racially diverse, but not intentionally.

“It just so happens that that’s who they are,” Shonekan said. “They’re a wonderful spectrum of the American landscape.”

Another reason some members felt compelled to join was to reverse what they saw as the wrongs of media coverage last year.

“If you weren’t here, you had absolutely no idea what it was really like,” Zito said. “The media would take it and find whatever would get clicks and views, and under-report.”

The band met for the first time in April to brainstorm, with its name and song selection still up in the air.

“We wanted to play music that was recognizable, something that ‘hits home’ for people, and something that people can attach themselves to,” Somerscales said. “[We wanted to play songs] that have a social message or relevance that carry between generations.”

The band’s signature mash-up is “What’s Going On?” by Marvin Gaye and “Imagine” by John Lennon. Both are songs that highlight peace, camaraderie and worldwide unity, and both were recorded and released in 1971, indicating that two people of different cultures experienced the same social issues. Through these songs, the band capitalizes on the common ground between differing people, no matter where they are from or what they have endured.

The band’s name also needed to convey themes of unity and communion that would be illustrated through song choice.

“We wanted a name that is reflective of what we do,” Shonekan said.

When “Talking Drum” was suggested by Shonekan, it was immediately adopted by the group through an informal vote.

According to Shonekan, the talking drum is a traditional part of West African music, primarily in Nigerian Yoruba culture. It is a small drum, and each part of it has a unique tone. The drummer manipulates strings that are connected to these various parts to create the ideal sound.

“The idea is that the drum sends messages, like it can talk,” Shonekan said. “That’s kind of what we do; we want our music to send messages and create conversation.”

With members’ musical upbringings ranging from self-taught to classically trained, chords and keys were to be worked out in addition to the band title and song selection.

“Sometimes we would just have to take it by ear,” Zito said. “But that’s music.”

Talking Drum’s goal is different than that of most bands. Its mission is to spur conversation about modern racial injustice, ethnic differences and gender inequality. According to Blakely, it’s about “discovery” and “losing preconceived notions” in order to learn something from someone else.

“Being in Talking Drum is not just about playing music that helps convey the right message,” Bongiovanni said in an email. “It’s about being a part of something bigger than yourself and using your voice to help empower the new generation to stand up for themselves and to talk things out.”

Band members were unsure of how their performance would be perceived. Using music as what Zito called “a tool for social issues” was no novel concept, but it was uncharted territory in this environment and in direct response to events that had taken place on our turf.

“We wanted people to feel uncomfortable, because that’s how you grow,” Somerscales said.
Shonekan had a different idea of how the content and presentation would be received.

“We’re a Research I institution,” Shonekan said. “I worried that perhaps my colleagues would think we were in some ways diluting the intent of the program [by using music to transmit ideas].”

Citizenship@Mizzou, including Talking Drum, immediately received positive responses from both students and faculty, and the program has already been requested by two different universities. Shonekan personally received feedback she said was very uplifting.

“Folks are loving on them,” Shonekan said.

Through the experiences of playing for audiences, Talking Drum’s members gained new and profound perspectives about music and cultural connections.

“Music is a valuable tool that can be used to ease the tension in taboo topics that need to be talked about,” Woods said. “Without it or something that serves the same purpose, many students or people in general would be unwilling to listen or participate in the conversation.”

Cullen gained a different perspective from her experience with Talking Drum.

“I learned to look beyond myself,” she said. “My opinions and views are not shared by everyone, but that’s okay.”

The racial issues and tensions at MU that received national attention last year are not exclusive to this university.

“I’m actually glad the way things came out, because I think it needed to be exposed,” Blakely said. “I’m glad that Mizzou is a place that could start that and kind of force us to think about this. It’s an issue that is definitely not over anywhere.”

Shonekan said that further change is the responsibility of all members of the Missouri family.

“You can’t just put people in a room and say, ‘get along,’ because once we leave we’re gonna hate each other, ” Shonekan said. “Talking Drum just put into place some steps that will get us a little bit [closer] to utopia, but it’s up to you to do the work.”

The band will be performing on campus at Citizenship make-up sessions in October and November and at the Black Studies Fall Conference at 2 p.m. on Oct. 15 at the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center.

_Check out the multimedia feature [here](http://move.themaneater.com/special-sections/art-with-purpose/).

_Edited by Katie Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com_