Miraculous Enjoyment

April 29, 2013

Another day, another miracle. Today my job consisted of teaching drumming to groups of fifth and sixth graders at a local public school, and today, like so many times before, I went to work injured, and left work healthy.

For several previous days I had significant pain on my left side, as if all the muscles were sprained. It hurt every time I moved. When I got home last night, my left hip and knee were in so much pain it was difficult to walk, impossible to climb stairs. I soaked in a hot bath, and then used cold packs for several hours. When I awoke this morning, the pain had lessened, but was still constant. Any movement triggered muscle spasms up and down my left side. I went to work, and slowly set up all the instruments and chairs, trying to not put any pressure on my left leg. The first group of students arrived, and we began to play… Seventy minutes later, there was a text from my girlfriend, asking if my hip was all right. It surprised me to realize I wasn’t feeling the slightest pain at all. It was completely gone. I had drummed, bounced around, stomped, and even jumped a few times, and had not been in any discomfort at all. An hour of drumming had miraculously cured the pain I had been feeling for a week.

Many times I have gone to work feeling sick, fatigued, or hurting, and had my symptoms cured by the end of the day. Sometimes I almost overlook the daily miracles drumming brings into my life because they happen so frequently. On a yearly average, I only get sick once, typically for only two or three days, and otherwise, stay physically healthy, all the time.

As the decades go by, and my doctors become increasingly surprised by my ongoing state of remarkable physical health, I credit the majority of my health to drumming. Playing drums is my health maintenance program. Every time I play, I get moderate exercise and a heightened heart rate for an extended period of time, I exercise both sides of my body and both hemispheres of my brain, it alleviates all my physical and emotional stress, I get cooperative musical interaction with groups of friends and neighbors, and I have an art/sport/philosophy that brings me health and happiness. The price for a professional caliber djembe and lessons for a year is far less than any medical insurance I’ve ever heard of, and the tests and check-ups are far more pleasant. And sometimes, like today, it even heals my physical injuries.

Play drums. Enjoy your life. And enjoy all the miraculous benefits along the way.

Please show me, I’m blind

August 6, 2012

Saturday I taught my Fundamental Djembe SOLOS class, and began the class by demonstrating the three essential hand drum sounds (bass, tone, and slap). Most of the participants had less than one year of drumming experience, so we spent significant time practicing. After about ten minutes, one of the people in the circle said, “Can you please show me how to do this?”

I paused. We had been practicing technique for quite a while, and I thought I had shown and described the content several different ways. I wondered if I had heard his question accurately. Then he said, “I’m blind. I cannot see your hands. Can you show me how to do this?” So I went over and asked how to help.

He asked me to put his hand in the shape and place it was supposed to go. I slowly placed his hand and fingers on the drum, slowly moved his hand up and down, on and off the drum, and talked to him about the areas of the hand that make contact, and where the sound comes from. His question brought everyone’s focus to the precise details of micro muscle placement. He was calm as we proceeded. Several people got out of their chairs and came over and sat on the carpet so they could watch what we were doing. Everyone copied the slow motion demonstration on their drums. It became the best demonstration of technique I have ever been able to provide. When he succeeded in making tones and slaps, everyone cheered.Note to Self: Because I slowed down and patiently helped him with his question, everyone benefited. We all paid more attention to the micro muscles involved in the techniques, and we all connected in the teaching moment and learning process. I never would have planned to spend fifteen minutes teaching three notes, but it ended up being the most valuable section of the class. I feel like I am the one who learned the most. I learned from his calm, strong, patient request, the way he accepted the help, and the reminder, “The slower you go, the faster you learn.”

The lessons continue…