Lessons Week 72

We worked on a drum solo piece EN had from high school. It had lots of flams, ruffs, and triplets. Also some alternating bass stuff. He commented that my sight reading was pretty good and we talked some about reading charts for sessions.

I only occasionally think about the impact my years playing cello have on my ability to play the rock and roll. Looking back, part of me really wishes that my parents would have instead encouraged me to take piano or guitar lessons, and that I'd have played in rock bands instead of school orchestra. But on the other hand, it is really good, in subtle ways, to have a formal ensemble training. I learned to read music and to sight read music (granted, it was a different KIND of music than I read now...bass clef versus drum notation...but I think having learned one helps with learning another)...and I learned to play with a group and follow a director or an ensemble leader. These are all things that plenty of folks who play rock never got exposed to, and it is to their detriment. Sight reading music is a skill that we worked on in school for competitions, and while I may not be the best at it, I definitely have the background and am able to do it somewhat. That's a nice unexpected life gift.