Drums wrap-up

Yeah, so I'm back in the big city, far away from the owls, snakes, chipmunks, and bats.
The last couple days I had in Drums, PA were really nice, so I took the kayak out...

There was an island in the middle of the lake, very Tom Sawyer-esque. As I approached, the geese made it clear that it was their island and that they're firmly in command.
I didn't know geese were so territorial. Anyway, it was a lovely afternoon but then it was time to get back to the drums...
Day 10 was tiring...but it felt really good to do one thing in such a focused way. I don't think I've ever done anything so focused before. Even when I was at music school, so much of the day was taken up by classes, homework, ensemble playing, not to mention the normal NY day-to-day stuff. All I did in this house was play drums and take breaks to make food (and get hissed at by the odd goose). I feel a lot happier about the drums, about music in general. I feel happier with my skills. I feel happier with my place in the world of music, especially in NYC.

And, of course, for every question of mine that was answered (like "do I really ever need to play the doumbek again?" the answer is NO, by the way) there were five more questions that popped up. The kind of questions that pop up when you're sitting in a rocking chair and looking at the sun through the trees.

I think it would be great to be able to do a little retreat like this once per year, just to check in with myself and really get a chance to reflect on where I'm at with music, or where music is at with me. It's so amazing to have the time and space to explore an aspect of rhythm that you find intriguing and really become intimate with it. So, here's to more drumming, more rhythms, more music.

This is Emiliano and I saying, "Hasta luego, compadres..."