Drummin'

I've always been a person who doesn't like going with the flow of "normal". That doesn't appeal to me at all. It seems so boring! I like to do things differently and do different things. What I like and my interests just happen to go that way. One of my newest interests is a bit out of the norm as well. The Bodhran...


It's an Irish drum. I'm not sure if I have any Irish in me. But that's okay. A good friend of my daughter brought his Bodhran over a month or so ago and I was fascinated. About a week later he let me borrow it. I quickly went to YouTube, pulled up some instructional videos and started learning to play. I spent hours that evening beating away at the drum. It was so fun and, believe it or not, relaxing.

I soon bought my own Bodhran. I've been practicing just about every day since and working my way through a series of lessons on YouTube called Bodhran Master Class. The instructor, Michelle Stewart, breaks it down and makes it simple and fun to learn. You can see and hear her playing in this VIDEO.

I played the clarinet for about three years when I was a kid but sadly gave it up in eigth grade. In my 20's I took piano and voice lessons but then life got busy. I tried the piano again a few years ago but I can't seem to get the notes to stick in my head. I really want to play an instrument and I'm fascinated with so many of them. I love this one because I don't have to read music. It's fun and, so far, I'm sticking with it. Who knows, maybe it'll give me some knowledge and confidence to try out some other instruments and actually get the whole reading music thing to stick. I can only hope. In the meantime, I'll keep playing my drum and enjoying every beat.