A secret desire
By clairebb, Sep 19 2014 07:56PM
I fancy drumming.
So when I heard that Nomad Beat was running a drumming workshop, I overcame my fears of being thought daft and joined the kids on the djembe drums. Alison is a brilliant teacher, leading us from ignorance to perfect playing (in my opinion) of a three part rhythm in the round (not sure if that's the correct technical term, but it was impressive).
There is the sense of consciously and clumsily acquiring a physical skill, then putting it aside and trusting that it will appear unconsciously when the music requires it. You have to concentrate and not concentrate at the same time. You stumble, fall off the beat, can't find your way back then a good teacher helps you back to your place as part of something bigger.
This is the sort of crossover activity that the Working Perspectives project seeks to inspire: I wouldn't have gone to the workshop if I hadn't already sussed out the friendliness and inclusiveness of Nomad Beat; in going, not only did I have a great afternoon, I also met a woman who spoke to me about her visual perception of sound, which will in turn inform some of the work I intend to make - and so the ideas blossom, as long as you concentrate and don't concentrate at the same time.

'as long as you concentrate and don't concentrate at the same time.' Ah... this reminded me Claire of a friend who talked about learning to play the guitar - about the muscles having to build a 'memory' of the notes and chords... so that the brain didn't have to be engaged to play the tune. Muscle Memory.
Gawn yersel Claire! - Keep on banging on and banging on Mx


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