:: My Divided Soul ::

A couple weekends ago, I got to do something I haven’t done in a long while: play music in front of people. In this case, it was playing the background music for the First Congregational Church musical production “Daniel” with Dexter. Actually, we did the show at Dexter’s church a month or so ago, before this writing outlet even existed for me. The second time we did the show was at the First Presbyterian Church in Trumansburg.

The last time I got to play music in front of people was doing some quiet jazz with Matt at a frat where a bunch of stuffy rich white boys walked around with their proud fathers drinking and laughing. At that show, we were paid in beer, which I don’t drink. But that past show is not what is important here.

Playing in “Daniel” came about when Dexter asked me five days before the show if I’d be willing to do it, as their drummer had pulled out at the last minute. The prospect of playing music in front of people again excited me a great deal and so I agreed. The thought also made me a bit nervous. While the jazz show with Matt went all right, it wasn’t exactly done at a volume at which mistakes could be noticed, and I made plenty of mistakes. This show was a bit different as my playing not only affected the other musicians, but the twenty or thirty kids singing, dancing, and acting.

In my favor, I suppose, was that there was no actual drum part written, so I could improv it. At the first rehearsal, I realized that sixteen years of playing drums and percussion has given the hands and feet an ability to just know what to play. My brain didn’t need to send signals actively, most of the time. The right foot naturally locked into Dexter’s bass playing. The hands knew which notes to accent in order to complement Bill’s piano. I really felt like a drummer. We were the “Babylon Band.”

Bill wrote all the songs for the show and I have to say he did an amazing job. The songs were catchy and upbeat, with swing, 50s rock, and ballads. The kids seemed to have a blast doing the show and I think the parents and attendees enjoyed it, too. I find the songs running through my head at times, in particular, a lovely little ditty with a bunch of young children dressed up as lions singing, “Munch, munch, where’s our lunch? Crunch, crunch, thanks a bunch!”

Watching the kids react to my drumming reminded me of my days in the show South Pacific when I was 10. It was that show that was partially responsible for cultivating my interest in drumming. During breaks in rehearsal, I would go up to the orchestra pit (yes, the pit was above the stage) and bang around on the drums and have a grand ol’ time. During rehearsal for “Daniel,” I noticed a few of the kids smiling and air drumming as they walked passed me. That made me smile. It seems the drums are just an instrument that draws people in. I mean, who doesn’t want to beat something with sticks?

It all makes me think that I could be interested in teaching drum lessons someday. However, I’m not sure I have the technique and ability necessary to do so. What I do know is that I am definitely a drummer for life.