Stubborn Head, Part 2

Oh I feel so awful! Tonight I finally pulled that head off the drum, but I had to commit a horrible act of vandalism to do so. That's what it felt like--a crime. After setting the drum up on the jacks and cranking them to a dangerous groaning, creaking point--nothing. So tonight I did the only other thing I could think of--I cut the head. At first I thought I could just cut right up the side and that would release the head, but there was no give whatsoever. The drum still sounded as good as it did before I took the tacks out. Then I made another cut and peeled off a section, and still nothing--plus it still sounded great! I think there was something about the initial stretching process that released animal goo-glue and binded the skin to the wood of the drum. It's not that the head was on tight, it's that it was glued on! So then I had to do the really awful thing of cutting the playing-part of the head right down the middle. It's a horrible feeling. Here I was working for my teacher, whom I respect tremendously, and whose instruments I respect tremendously, and what was I doing but the meanest most cruel thing you could do to a drum--cutting the head right down the center. And then in quarters! It was like burning books! Like stepping on flags! Like kicking kittens! Eventually, using muscles and pliers, I was able to get the head off. But sheesh. I hope I never have to do that again. I hope that my apologies to the cow and to Janet were heard on some sort of karmic level.

I hope I can redeem myself by putting on a really great new head. Yes.