We have enough toy stories out there, wouldn't you say? How about a drum set story? If you've read about my drumming beginnings, you'll know I was in 7th grade percussion but quit because playing the drums got "hard" and "girls don't play drums." But I eventually learned and decided that was a bunch of bull excuses and (as an adult) got back into drumming as a hobby. I signed up for private lessons my last semester of college, which fueled my passion, and I quickly improved as I practiced anywhere between 30-minutes to an hour every day. I moved from Utah to Arizona after that--- for graduate school--- and didn't have as much time for drumming as I wanted, but when I finished my Master's degree two years later, I bought myself a new, shiny drum set and took online private lessons. But I'm getting ahead of the drum set story... Before Me I researched drum models, types, and styles before purchasing my new set. I visited local music stores, searched the internet, and talked to people I knew who also drummed. I visited a lot of people selling drums on Craig's list, but eventually met a guy who was selling his five-piece Yamaha because his wife was making him.
He told me about setting it up before various gigs and breaking it down. He talked about the band members and the thrill of playing in front of an audience. At the time, I imagined myself doing similar, but--- to be honest--- the set had a quieter, simpler life with me. My time with the set I moved in with a new roommate when I bought the set, but she knew I was planning on the purchase and we negotiated a place in the small two-bedroom, one-bath house we rented together. And talked about the best times I could practice. I mostly reviewed exercises from my previous private teacher--- the one I had before moving to Arizona, but I also used YouTube to learn a couple songs I could play along with. For reasons unrelated to the drum set, my roommate and had a falling out, and I decided to move. I got engaged and was going to move in with my husband after we got married anyway, so I found a temporary place to stay until that time. Unfortunately, I couldn't take my set to my new place. There wasn't room. My fiancé, however, said I could set it up in his parents' basement until we found our own place, so I talked to my soon-to-be in-laws and made all the arrangements. After work, usually once or twice a week, I'd go to the basement and play around. I made up a few fun rhythms and shared my love for drumming with anyone who was visiting and wandered down to hear what the banging was. I got married and put the set up in our new home--- before my bed. (You can see my priorities!) It was about that time that I started this blog, so you can look back at my earlier posts to see the ups and downs of playing the drums while teaching and tutoring and writing. I feel like my drumming improved the most when I decided to take lessons again and found my way to Drum Ambition. But I also prepped for Hit Like A Girl Contest, which I participated in two or three different years. I wasn't always consistent in practicing and eventually had to drop online lessons, but having the set was always proof that I am a drummer. Just walking by--- and seeing the beautiful set made me smile. Saying goodbye Recently, my husband and I decided it was time to think about extending our family and become parents. I pushed for buying a house before doing so, not only because I knew we'd need the space as little ones always need so much... stuff... but also because I wanted a music room and space for the drum set. Well, shopping for a house was impossible! There was the pandemic and then inflation. In short, buying a house... just isn't in our budget right now. I remember sitting at the set and coming to the practical realization that I needed to sell the drum set. After a good cry, I said goodbye. Not long after that, I was finally pregnant... A new home My husband and I put the drum set up for sale two months ago. We had a few people ask about it, but they didn't seem all that serious. And then an old friend of my husband's reached out to us. He said he wasn't sure if he could afford what we were asking, but was really interested! We agreed that small payments would be fine, but when he told us that he worked as a music teacher and that he had two girls in his class, I told my husband to lower the price so he could have it. The new owner teaches kids from kindergarten to sixth grade! It's his first year teaching, and he was looking for something that would motivate them to practice, and something that would challenge his more advanced students. He came by with his wife tonight and picked up the set. As they were heading to the car, he smiled and said, "we're going to set it up tonight. It'll be a surprise for the kids in the morning!... I can't wait to share it with them, and, you know what? I think I have three girls in my class, not two." Which warmed my heart! My husband put an arm over me as they drove away. I thought I'd cry, but... I smiled instead. The drum set is going to a good home.
And another chapter in this drum set story is just beginning...
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This is what I told myself after work today.Just five-minutes. I can play for five-minutes.
See, I have an alarm that goes off when I finish work (just before dinner) that tells me to practice the drums, but for the past month or more, I've gotten into a bad habit! When I hear the alarm, I turn it off. It may not seem like a big deal to anyone else, but playing drums is not only my favorite hobby, it's also a lifeline for me, especially as I'm working from home. I've been doing yoga every day, and I thought that was enough to calm my frustrations and concerns that come from living through a pandemic and dealing with, general, adulting tasks. For the most part it has been, and I really am grateful for my yoga practice. But nothing beats beating the drums! I was reminded of that, yet again, as I convinced myself to sit at the set for five-minutes, which turned into playing a favorite song (another five-minutes), and another and another. Almost a half hour went by before I got back up. It felt really good! It seems almost ridiculous that I have to coax myself into practicing or doing something I love, but I decided today that that's how the best hobbies are! They often challenge us, take a bit of effort, but (in the end) are always worth doing. Do you have a hobby that you love but sometimes have to coax yourself into doing? Tell me about it in the comments. I wouldn't say I have trouble sleeping. Not exactly. Most of the time I sleep really well at night! But sometimes my mind... talks.
It makes lists: things I've done, things I need to do, and sometimes things I don't know but am wondering about. For example, I wonder when this Covid-19 is going to get under control. I wonder about the students that are currently enrolled in online classes. I think about health care workers and their families. I think about my family. I think of my neighbors. I think about coworkers and their families. I think about the recent elections, the racial strife in our country, and the unemployment rate. I also think about the many miracles I've seen, the kind word at work and the random texts from friends. I think about how blessed I am to have a job and that I get to work from home... These thoughts tend to pile up at night, just as I'm trying to go to sleep. I toss and turn and try to tell my brain to shut up so I can sleep! Sound familiar? Well, I have a remedy. Several, actually. But I'm going to tell you about the one I've started using more now than I ever have: drumming. Yes, drumming is, once again, here to help. Here's what I do: when my brain keeps talking at night and I can't make it shut up, I start counting beats. You've maybe heard about counting sheep. No. Counting beats is much more effective! Lately, I've been reviewing sixteenth notes. Well, I count three bars of those in my head and then count out an easy fill. I keep the fills pretty simple, usually eighth notes or quarter notes. I do one bar of those (sometimes a mixture of eighth or quarter notes) and then I do another three bars of sixteenth notes. Keep it simple, though. As I feel myself getting sleepy, I'll stop doing fills and slow the time down to eighth notes or even quarter notes. And before I know it, I'm asleep! A friend of mine describes her family members as yo-yos. Because of Covid-19, her and her husband are now working from home and her kids are doing online school. As can be expected, emotions are all over the place. They're missing friends, struggling with technology, and (overall) having a variety of challenges that come from everyone being in the same house for long periods of time.
A tough week I don't know about you, but it's been a tough week this week. I've been down more than I like to admit. It's like my yo-yo won't wind up so I keep dropping to the ground every time it looks like I'm on my way up. My husband is "up" this week, (thank goodness). I've enjoyed his listening ear, tight hugs and endless kisses. They make me feel heaps better! But this evening I was... well, I was angry. Actually, I had a lot of emotions inside me, but anger was climbing the top the quickest, so instead of throwing things and yelling like I wanted, I decided to do some drumming. Drumming as therapy
Music, in general, has therapeutic qualities; we know this. But drumming is especially good for the soul. (I might be biased, but I'm also right!) After sitting on the throne, I picked up my sticks, twirled them a few times and kicked the bass. Oh, it felt good! I glanced at the calendar and realized I had only practiced twice this month! I haven't had a regular drumming schedule for a while, but still! I played one song, then another, and another. After playing for about a half hour, I decided to do some-- what my drum teacher calls-- "noodling." It's where you goof around for a bit. I did that, and before I knew it, my cheeks were wet with tears. I kept playing and crying until, when I finished, I felt as good as new! So, I guess a shoulder is a good thing to cry on, but so is a snare. After work today, my husband showed me the video below. It's Danny Carey from Tool. Maybe you recognize him? He's a pretty incredible drummer! His set is pretty sweet, too.
In short, drumming often takes a lot of coordination! It looks easy, though, doesn't it? Well, believe me it's not!
But don't worry, Simon (my drum teacher) always said anything's possible with practice. Take it limb at a time! Take it slow. Sometimes I twirl a drumstick while I'm watching TV or tap rhythms out while I'm sitting at my desk. Practice doesn't alway have to happen at the set. I haven't sat at my set for a while. It's been a struggle balancing writing goals and increased online tutoring and teaching in this new Corvid-19 world we live in. But I try not to beat myself up about it, and you shouldn't either-- whatever hobby you've set on the shelf for a while. It's times like these--- where my husband shows me an awesome drummer video--- that I remember what it takes to be a drummer. I'm definitely proud to be part of the drumming family. We're living in interesting times, wouldn't you say? But even though I'm going through major library withdrawals, I don't have much to complain about. My family is staying safe and healthy. My husband and I still have our jobs, and we have a comfortable supply of toilet paper. I don't know what your situation is. I don't know if you've lost your job, have had to be tested or have had a loved one tested for CORVID-19, if you have restless kiddos in the house, or if you're eating Raman noodles as a family for the third week in a row. I sincerely hope you are well and pray for you and yours! These are tough times, but we will get through it. With that introduction in mind, I wanted to share what I'm doing to find my new rhythm. I'm not suggesting that if you do these things you'll suddenly feel better about what's happening or that your personal struggles will go away. But maybe as you read about the habits I'm building as I stay home, you might be able to brainstorm your own and find your new rhythm.
I have one, specifically, for an hour and half between jobs. I give myself a choice: take a nap, go for a bike ride, read a book, or play drums. (All things I love!) Sometimes I go wild and do two of these! This me-time has helped me emotionally, mentally, and physically! It's a life-saver for me... literally. Eating out... locally My husband and I don't normally eat out. (Maybe once a month?) But since the stay-home initiative, we've been eating out once a week. It started because when we budgeted our finances that first week, we noticed that my income had increased-- having triple the work it better have!--- and we weren't spending money on gas or groceries. Also, we were concerned about our community and the economy in general. Each Friday, then, we eat out at an independently owned, local restaurant. We take turns researching and choosing, and picking up the food. Then we either watch a movie or play boardgames together. It's a great reward for my long week of work and makes for a great date night, but more importantly, we're doing our part. It's a small part. But we're helping these local businesses so they have a better chance at coming back when our life finally normalizes again. Buying books... from independently owned bookstores I know Amazon is "convenient" and "quick," but it is the beast in the book selling business, oftentimes gobbling up our homey locally owned bookstores. I decided (for me!) that Amazon doesn't need my help. If you buy from Amazon, no judging, I promise! But my eating out locally had inspired me. So instead of jumping onto Amazon for my book needs, I've been doing my book searches a little differently.
They're doing a cool promo right now: if you buy a $25 gift card, you'll get a second one free! So if you live in Arizona, for sure check that out. I'm not saying you should get me one of these for my birthday, but I will tell you that I have a summer birthday coming up. It's in June. (wink; wink) Doing yoga For me, this means I get to do yoga whenever I want. In fact, even when I'm working, I wear yoga pants so I'm ready to do a down-dog or butterfly in-between tutoring sessions if I wish. I've been doing morning yoga at home for about three years (probably longer!), so I have a collection of great videos. I've found the ones for neck and shoulders essential. I do exercises from those videos almost daily! I shared them with my tutoring team and other coworkers. I don't know if they're doing them, but that's okay! Trying something new... like essential oils! My experience with essential oils was tied to yoga. I knew about lavender and peppermint, but I didn't realize that essential oils was a "thing," until my best friend started selling them. Also, my husband and I were given a crazy amount of oils when a family friend died two years ago and gave us a part of her collection of oils. I was given a diffuser but hadn't really used it. But with this stay-home initiative and with the help of my best friend, I started experimenting with essential oils. They smell great, and have energizing and/or calming properties, so they've been really great to work with as I am stay-home extrovert or feeling overworked or just need something to help me relax before bed. They've also been really helpful to my writing process! Moving forward
I thought this post would be a quicky, but as I started drafting, I realized that my rhythm during COVID-19 is a lot more complex than I realized. I haven't finished sharing all of the things I do to help me cope with my new lifestyle! But these are the best ones, I think. They're the ones that are making the most difference right now... for me. Again, I hope you are well and safe wherever you are! We got this, y'all. If you speak Ukulese, you'll know that when I say I "uke" the Ukulele, I mean that I love the ukulele! So, remember when I said I was going to Girls Camp? And I was learning to djembe so I could do it around the campfire? That didn't exactly work out the way I planned. I mean, I did it, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Let me explain. For starters, we were in a no-fire zone. So there were no campfires. But that didn't stop me from a little drumming. Hubby made me a strap so I could put it over one shoulder and I sometimes played it while I walked. It came in handy for our skit night where we had a chant, and it helped us keep in time. I made-up a rhythm to go along with one of the songs we sang, and it was a success! So, yes, I did do some djembe.
Backstory: I am rubbish at the guitar! I've had at least three or more friends try to teach me to play, but I could never get my fingers to press down hard enough or reach where they need to go. It's such a bummer because I have this vision of me (again) playing songs around the campfire or just in the living room when we do Family Home Evening. That has never happened for me. The guitar just... wasn't a good fit for me. But the ukulele? The strings are softer, and there's only four of them. It's much easier to wrap my fingers around the neck. Anyway, I learned to play "You are my Sunshine," at camp and now I'm hooked. So hooked that as soon as I got back, I went straight to Bookman's and bought a ukulele.
About a month ago, my church asked me to be a camp leader for girls camp (ages 11-18). I said I would. Afterwards, I wandered my apartment thinking, what did I just agree to? That's when I walked by my hand drum. Oh, yeah!...
So, I created a goal to learn to play it, take it with me to girls camp and be the "cool" hippie camp leader that plays the drums by the campfire. There's a girl going with us that can play the ukulele, and I thought it'd be perfect to know just enough that I could accompany her. Or just play a steady rhythm while marshmallows are a roastin'. I daydreamed about that for a bit until it got me excited for girls camp. But now it's time to do this. I dusted off the drum, started tap-tap-tapping, but---needless to say, even though I play the drum set, learning to play my Bookman's drum has been a little trickier than I realized... 5 things about doing djembe: 1. Know that you're playing a djembe and not a bongo. (Similar instruments, but different techniques.) 2. Learn to spell djembe: D-J-E-M-B-E (weird!) 3. Learn to pronounce djembe ("jem-bay") 4. Learn to talk djembe ("gat-goo-gat-goo-gat-gat") 5. Practice, practice, practice! I'm at the beginnings of learning, but it's been fun so far. I've learned that my djembe has three sounds: bass tone, open tone, and slap tone, that the drum goes between your legs and should be pointed away from you, never towards, and that you're not supposed to play with any rings on (oops!). Below are a few videos suggested by Simon, my drum teacher. If you want to learn more than djembe, like the bongos, shakers, and more I suggest you check out Kalani's yoututbe channel and website. That's what I'll be doing up until camp. I'll be sure to write a follow up post about my experience playing by the campfire. Until then, happy drumming! Videos to get started: PROPER DJEMBE TECHNIQUE BUILD YOUR DRUM SKILLS TWO POPULAR DJEMBE RHYTHMS This is my second time submitting to the Hit Like a Girl Contest (HLAG), and once again, I'm not doing it to win. I'm doing it for me, to be part of the drumming community, to show the world that I've learned a song and can play along.
Last time I submitted, Hubby set up his speakers super loud so I could hear the song while I played. The quality, naturally, wasn't very good. This time around, he suggested his nephew help me out, which was really awesome---even if his fancy camera didn't work for him. ha ha! I'm just glad to have the video up. It's not a complicated song to play, but I am proud. (My drum teacher Simon taught it to me!) I learned it a year ago but didn't have the patience or guts to submit it last year. I know I won't win because they group us in ages not skill level. I'm in the 18-39 age category, and some of those people have been playing a lot longer and a lot more than I do. Heck, some of them might be drum teachers! So, I'm just happy to participate and show the world that I can play "Yellow" by Coldplay. Watch the website in the next couple weeks or so to see my video up on the website. Thank you to all my family and friends and neighbors who support me in my drumming! I'm a big believer in learning to read music, just as Simon says. But drumming is also, I believe, flexible. Adaptable. The more experienced you get (and/or familiar with a song) the more free style can happen. Dr.Vartan, one of my drum teachers, told me that playing the drums is like driving. Let's say you're headed to the library. You think about how fast you need to drive, where the other cars are, and when you should signal that you want to switch lanes, move over, and turn into the parking lot. There are rules to the road, but you've got to think about where you're headed and how fast. Drumming is like that. You've got to keep tempo, move around other instruments if you're playing in a band, and think about where you're headed in your fill, etc. She always encouraged me to read/look at the bar ahead of the one I was playing. (It's harder than it sounds.)
Which is another reason, I guess, to love the drums that much more! In a way, drummers are pirates. I believe, like Simon says, that reading music is an important skill. But it's also important to be flexible, be creative and learn to free style!
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I'm what you'd call a "hobbyist" drummer.
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