This is a photo of an outdoor area with an asphalt surface. Tahitian style log to'ere drums are placed next to white stools for potential players to sit on. Drum sticks are placed next to them. Round drums with white leather canvas on top are also pictured.

Drumroll, Please!

This is a photo of an outdoor area with an asphalt surface. Tahitian style log to'ere drums are placed next to white stools for potential players to sit on. Drum sticks are placed next to them. Round drums with white leather canvas on top are also pictured.

Explosive diarrhea news is everywhere, and the urge to hit something over and over and over again while shouting, “Lettuce live!” is so strong. Luckily, the City of Lynnwood, Washington was having a free luau last weekend to take my mind off such things. It included free drumming lessons. I never slapped an Aloha shirt on Nate so fast.

The luau itself was…interesting. Some kids in grass skirts showed off the dance moves they’ve been practicing, and there were a few taco trucks and one “Ohana” truck selling grilled meats—and a “shave ice” truck. But mostly, it was a parking lot, filled with hot sun, a blood drive, politicians, and someone selling insurance. Also, thrill-seekers could take a tour of a parked, retro-style metro bus, courtesy of the local department of public transportation.

The highlight, for me, was the drum lessons. I had a lot of fun beating out a rhythm on a Tahitian to’ere drum, traditionally made from a hollowed-out log. The rhythm I played was just four taps toward the middle and two taps at the top—or was it the bottom? I can’t remember. In any case, this beat hit so hard. I’m playing it all the time on my desk with a pen that hasn’t broken yet. My goal this year was to maybe experiment with learning the drums. (I use the words “maybe experiment with learning” because I don’t want to commit too hard to anything. What’s the fun in that? What’s the fun in getting to the end of the year with all your resolutions finished? Who even does that?)

During the session, I sat next to two boys who looked like they rocked their junior-high band. They were intimidating, and I didn’t want to seem totally nerdy, with my oversized purse hanging crossbody-style, like a Disney Parks Mom who just finished drinking from the moat around Cinderella’s castle. Nate said he tried to film me, but he couldn’t get a good angle, thank goodness. So, yeah, mostly I crashed a kids’ drum lesson, but there were a few of us older folks who’d passed up on the public facilities info-tent to hang with the band.

As for my future as a drummer? I’m currently comparing prices on to’ere drums and looking into local places that might teach me. I’m also factoring in my actual commitment level divided by my superpower, which is Distraction, multiplied by my new hobby, which is sleeping in later and later each day. The math is currently not mathing.

Still, on days filled with smoky skies and salmonella alerts, I could either scream into the void or pound out a beat on my desk with pens and pencils. But a to’ere drum, I figure, is much more fun, for days when my writing utensils have hit their limit, and there’s a recall on Imodium.

Your Turn: Do you play a musical instrument? Or: have you learned to play one in the past?

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Published by ckennedy

Author of the DIY blog: Fixin' Leaks and Leeks. Paper/Rock Writing Consultation, Sole Proprietor.

25 thoughts on “Drumroll, Please!”

  2. At primary school, I learned to play the trombone. I wasn’t very good at it.

    Every day I am receiving alerts about various causes of gastroenteritis and diarrhoea in the United States. I hope you remain healthful.

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      2. lol my teacher loved me but mom was tough couldn’t carry a tune 🙂 I just cost them money they could ill afford for frivolous stuff just wished I was not the reason for them not being able to try out. 😦 I was in the church choir and the school one as well always signing my heart out trucking was a perfect place for me to continue 🙂

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  4. You have some great lines in this piece. This might be my favorite: “They were intimidating, and I didn’t want to seem totally nerdy, with my oversized purse hanging crossbody-style, like a Disney Parks Mom who just finished drinking from the moat around Cinderella’s castle.”

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  8. love your humor, as usual – and this was fun “But mostly, it was a parking lot, filled with hot sun, a blood drive, politicians, and someone selling insurance” – also, it shows how fully alive you are that you even wanted to play the drum = and if you by one, I hope you find the right one

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