Sweet

Readers of my other blog, The Big Dunk, know that this has been a tough week. One of my husband's sisters died over the weekend and it has been a very sad time. Yesterday, the last of the formal rites of passage, the cremation, took place.

So today, when my teacher called to ask if I wanted to get together for a lesson, I said yes.

This was the first time since I got back from Vietnam that we got together and I was amazed at how relaxed I felt. Usually for a private lesson, I get all nervous. I think that too much has happened in the last few weeks for me to get twitchy about drumming at this point. I was just happy to see my teacher and excited to be playing my drum.

He taught me a new part to Wassolonka, which was challenging. Normally, I can't get a new part when I first learn it. I get all flustered, make tons of mistakes, which gets me more flustered, and then have to abandon it until I am alone to work through it. Today, though, I just kept trying until I more or less had the handing and then started to listen for the rhythm. I was excited that I was able to get it the first time out, especially since it is a tricky piece.

My drum sounds fantastic. While I was in Vietnam, I think Sidy tuned it even higher than it was before and I am delighted with how expressive it sounds now. I am really beginning to hear the difference between tones and slaps and am finding that by using the correct one, the rhythm of the piece is easier to grasp.

And yes, when I was listening to my teacher demonstrate the part, I was, again, blown away by how beautiful it sounds when he plays it. I laughed and said I sound like a sledge hammer.

But truly, it was sweet to just pick up a part and play.

Another cool thing: This Sunday, Palm Sunday, at my church, Sidy and my fellow students and I are going to play during the service. I am so excited for my churchy friends to get to hear my drummy friends.

If it wasn't Lent, I would say Hallelujah.