This vacation, I decided to take lessons in African drumming. This journey has been truly awakening. Here I was, thinking that drumming was as easy as it seems when watching local drummers play.
When I started the lessons, I found out the intricacies of drumming which makes me keep using this mantra, “Nothing in this world is easy”.
Everyday, I struggle with getting the the coordination of the beats. Everyday I learn much more about drums and what to do to make them sound melodic. I also learn to get the beats right, at the same time creating pleasing rhythms. It’s a whole performance.
I told my instructor during the first or second lesson that, he started me off learning the eight times tables when I could have at started with the two times tables. This was me thinking like a teacher and trying to figure out how he could have helped me by scaffolding the lessons right from the start.
For my third lesson though, when I had purchased my own drums, I felt quite confident, still struggling to put pieces together but at least my tempo had gained the required rhythm.
I compared my lessons with that of learning a new language. To me there seems to be many similarities. The language of music, the does and don’ts. The sounds are like the pronunciation, the rules, conventions and grammar of a new language.
I hope the drill helps me to thoroughly understand the rules so that I can also enjoy the trip and maybe teach others to drum.
GIFTS 
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