[deanc54]

I hope not to get too heavy or legnthy here, but I would like to share with you all an experience I had playing at a retirement community last Friday night as a function of our Artists in Progress program. Our band, The Foundation for Aspiring Musicians played a three hour event up in the little town of St. Anthony Idaho last Friday evening. To play at a retirement community is a real experience since alot of the attendees may not be able to show any kind of emotion with regards to your performance. Many have various disabilities that prevent them from participating outwardly, so you have to gaze into their eyes, and pay attention to their body language to determine if you are satisfying or annoying them. Since most of you are really active drummers, I am sure you share my experience with arriving early to set up, tune up and be ready to go when the event starts. Well, I arrived an hour and a half early to accomplish this task (sadly, I have no roadies). It is always nice to have someone to talk to during this process, but usually I have to go it alone until the other band members show up. As I was setting up, I heard a plaintive wail from one of the residents which was 'drums!,..drums!, there are real drums here tonight!'. My first thought was, 'boy, here is a real cowboy,..this is going to be an interesting night'. Most times when you have someone in the crowd that is outwardly vocal like that it is an indication that your evening may be alot more challenging than expected. Turns out this fellow (Jeff) was exactly my age, and had played in a very popular local band when I was in high school. I remember being excited to learn that his band was playing, and making plans to go see them perform. He was a local icon in that time and space. Well, there was a couch positioned directly in front of our playing area where Jeff positioned himself for the performance. Sadly, Jeff related that he had suffered a stroke which completely shut down the left side of his body, effectively stopping his musical career. As I put my kit together, Jeff and I conversed about drums, drumming, guitars, performing music and all the little details that come in between. I was amazed and humbled by this mans' musical expertise and knowledge of our craft. His mind was still incedibly active musically, but his body was useless. He remembered the lyrics of nearly every popular song of the 60's, 70' and 80's. Songs I loved, but had forgotten or shelved in the dusty recesses of my physical hard drive. As this was happening it dawned on me how very fortunate I am indeed to be actively drumming, playing music, and hoping to enlighten and perhaps better the day a bit for those less fortunate than me in a musical way. I think it is safe to say that we all take some things for granted in our lives. The more you play out in public, the more of a chore it seems to be sometimes, and we can lose sight of how truly fortunate we are to be able to do what we do. With all the things you have to do to make a performance come off nicely, it can be a real struggle to get yourself charged up to do the up-front chores. My point is, this experience drove home the realization that those of us that have sound minds and bodies are so fortunate to be able to do what we do no matter what the challenges are. We should all take the time to give thanks to whatever powers there may be that help us to have the chance to ply our trade, live our musical dreams, and perhaps shine a light and better the lot of those that simply can't even though every fibre of their being screams to be able to do so (like my new friend Jeff). We should really cherish each day we have in this life, especially if you have music in your heart, light in your life and the physical and emotional capabilities to play music and share it with others. After this experience, I could not get out of my head the old cliche', 'there but for the grace of God go I'. The roles so easily could have been reversed. So,..for what it's worth,.. try to give thanks for the skills you have the fortune to posess and take time to remember always that there are so many less fortunate ones that would really love just to be able to pick up the sticks and hold them, much less play a drum solo. My apologies if I have posted a less that desireable tale, I just had to get this out of me. Thanks for taking the time to read my little story.

[dtxtremeiiispecial]

I get a little discouraged with my drumming sometimes, but that story makes me want to go downstairs and rock out!

[Der Trommler]

Ha! I had the same thought dtx. What a great (and sad) story Dean, thank you for sharing it with us.

[deanc54]

Originally Posted by Der Trommler

Ha! I had the same thought dtx. What a great (and sad) story Dean, thank you for sharing it with us.

Hey Der! (and Dtxt),

Well, I was hoping my story would not have a 'sad' connotation, but I can see why it would have. For me this experience was very uplifting in the sense that it made me realize how fortunate we are to be able to do what we do. I have a tendency to take that for granted most of the time. Sad in the sense that Jeff will never again be able to just go down in the basement (or wherever) and rock out like we can pretty much whenever we want to. When I put myself in his shoes, it was a pretty dark place. There is no doubt in my mind that I would not be able to handle such a disability with the same grace as Jeff. It just made me realize how fortunate and thankful I am. It renewed my committment to do all I can for the folks less fortunate than I, and how thankful I am to be able to do it. It made Jeff really happy, which in turn was a bit melancholy for me. Sad but good you know..

[deanc54]

Originally Posted by dtxtremeiiispecial

I get a little discouraged with my drumming sometimes, but that makes me want to go downstairs and rock out!

Hey Dtxt,

I get discouraged too until I realize how fortunate I am to be able to do it at all. My freind Jeff made me realize this, and that's what I tried to convey in my post. I sincerely hope that your rock-out trips to the basement serve to dissolve the discouragement you feel. After all, we are pretty fortunate indeed!

[Tainojim]

Dean, it's those little things that count. Even though I came face to face being in a wheelchair, I put up with back pain everyday.

It's like when I'm doing groceries for my mother, she's 87, and I see an elderly person behind me on the check out line, I let them in front of me. No matter how much pain I'm in. It makes me feel a whole lot better.

Last week, I gave this elderly lady (a Neighbor friend) a booster cause her car wouldn't start, but I also checked the battery to make sure it was good, and found that the car alarm was causing the problem. So I fixed it for her. She sterted reaching for hr purse and I asked her in a politely fashion, now don't insult me sweety. Her husband was an auto machanic before he past away four years ago. He was a really nice guy too.

I've been doing this for a long time. Helping others, even strangers. On the bus, trains, the hood. It just makes me feel better about myself.

I bit the bullet, because I was meant to do for others all my life. It's the way I was raised.

[deanc54]

Hey Taino!

Good on you! It's kind of sad these days that when oft times when you make an effort to help someone,..say help an elderly person, or a young single mother get the groceries into their car they have that moment of doubt about the sincerety of your service. Back in my day (and yours I'll wager) it was a given that if you saw someone who needed help there was no hesitation to give them a hand. A lifelong Boy Scout and Scouting supporter,..this is the way I was raised as well. That ethic sure coud use a boost these days. Good for you though Taino!

[Tainojim]

Originally Posted by deanc54

Hey Taino!

Good on you! It's kind of sad these days that when oft times when you make an effort to help someone,..say help an elderly person, or a young single mother get the groceries into their car they have that moment of doubt about the sincerety of your service. Back in my day (and yours I'll wager) it was a given that if you saw someone who needed help there was no hesitation to give them a hand. A lifelong Boy Scout and Scouting supporter,..this is the way I was raised as well. That ethic sure coud use a boost these days. Good for you though Taino!

Troop 639 in Brooklyn. Yeah I was a scout before I was a boy scout. Got lots of merit badges and "Camperee" was one of my favorites. Especially survival hikes for three days at the ripe old age of 10. Yes 10, my Grandmother taught me well about survival and farming. She was great at bareback horse rider on my Great Grandmother's farm. The farm was lost due to taxes over due a long time ago. Once I when I was 4, I stepped on an ant hill. They turned out to be Fire Ants. Their quick and the bites really burn. She picked me up and brushed them off, then took me into the house and put some green ointment made out of herbs. It smelled really bad, but it worked great. In a matter of hours, I was back to my curious self again.

Those were the good old days. Thanks for triggering that memory Mr. Dean.

[deanc54]

Hey Taino,

Thank-you for sharing that experience! I have no doubt that we all could learn alot from your grandmother. My grandparents had a dairy farm, and I shared some similar experiences with ants both at home and on their farm from time to time. I too learned to leave the industrious litlle buggers alone for the most part. I still have a problem with them at my place out in the farm country here in Eastern Idaho. I'll bet you were a real scout before you were a boy scout! Sounds like you entered the ranks of scouting the old fashioned way. Scouting was one of the most rewarding periods of my life. I learned so much from that program I can't begin to tell you how beneficial it was to me. Course, I come from an outdoor camping family. My dad was a fishing guide on Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park back in the 30's and 40's before he joined the Navy and went off to WWII. He met my mom in Yellowstone Park, she was a cook in 'Lake Lodge'. My dad would take his clients fish to her and her alone when the day was done because she knew how to cook them better than anyone else. Back to drumming,..my frst ever drum come to think of it was a cheap little 6 x 8 souvenier from one of the Hamilton Stores in the Park. The heads were rubber and it was configured in faux native american fashion with a little blue feather tied to one of the strings that held the heads on. It came with a little black and red mallet. I just about drove everyone nuts with that thing. I think I still have it somewhere. I learned paradiddles on that baby with the mallet and a camp spoon! (top that xxvenom13xx, talk about rudiments!) Memories are great,..I am so fortunate to have the ones I do. Another reason to give thanks! Oh, one last thing, I don't think you need to address me as mister (Mr.), I'm not worthy of that and it makes me feel old(er)!

[Tainojim]

My Father taught me how to handle the Ant problem, Boric Acid. Safe and Eco friendly. It was also used for eye infections in those days. He was in the Mediterranean War, the Korean War and WWII. He was a Merchant Marine. They brought the supplies to the troops and his ships were sunk twice. I would have given up after the the first one sinking. He was a wise man and knew medicine. Therefore he knew his chemistry and was a Stationary Engineer (steam side) at the powerhouse. I drove him nuts when I would help him at the age of 8 with plumbing repairs around this old house he bought. Since I had started playing at that age, I would be tapping on the pipes while we worked. He also was into music, he played the Harmonica and the xylophone. So I guess he was a stick tapper also. That's where I got it from.

You know when to stop when your Dad would give you that look, to stop the tapping. But nothing beats the look Mom would give you, that one meant stop the tapping and don't do it again... Ever around her anyway.