My Nineteenth Mid Life Crisis.

[rhythmaning]

When I was younger (so much younger than today) I played drums. I haven't set my drum kit up for maybe fifteen years, though "drummer" is one of the many things which I think define me.

I have for several years been thinking of getting an electronic drum kit. Mostly because during the off season, I don't really get much exercise. Playing drums is a very good upper body workout.

Electronic because - well, it doesn't make any noise. Unless your have the headphones plugged in. So no problems with the neighbours.

(An aside. When I was fifteen, my parents were woken up at 3am by our neighbours, complaining about my drumming in the middle of the night. My mother, confused, checked my bedroom where I was fast asleep. I wasn't playing drums. It turned out that they had been woken by their daughter's hamster, playing on his running wheel. They never again complained about any noise I made - though I was still very careful about when I played drums.)

A couple of weeks ago, I finally got around to it. I bought a drum kit, a Yamaha 450, with an extra cymbal thrown in. This kit, plus another cymbal.

It took a little while to set up - and it isn't quite set up properly yet. But it is great fun, if a little frustrating when I can't quite remember how to do things I know I can do.

I have dug out my book of drum rudiments and I'm trying to teach myself to read drum music. (Not easy.)

But mostly I'm having fun hitting things. Sorry, I mean exercising.

Comments

[fiendish-cat.livejournal.com]

That's brilliant. I had NO idea you were a drummer. Hurrah for starting it back up again.

(My cousin's husband is a drummer and teaches drumming and has had an electronic kit as long as I've known him.)

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

Really? No idea?

I find that very strange - I see it as something quite fundamental to my being. Walker, photographer, drummer. Even though I hadn't played for fifteen years, and only intermittently for ten years before that, I would still have described myself as a drummer.

[fiendish-cat.livejournal.com]

I noticed that. Interesting isn't it - that something that for you is so "you", is something that others who met you more recently might not have known. (It could just be that I'm particularly dense and didn't pick up on it mind you.)

I did know about walker and photographer. I'd probably have whisky drinker in there too in my mental filing of you. But not drummer. *Re-calibrates*