Life of the Party

Was it only last Friday that my latest drumming class ended? What a loooooong week! At the end of each session, Mae throws a big party and jam session. This time, Daryl and I thought Mia would enjoy it. Once she heard she was going to a party....out came her party dress and ballerina slippers. Don't try to call them ballet slippers...she will correct you. I had a wonderful time just playing, and so did Mia. She actually stole the show. I wasn't aware of the ham she most definitely is. She pulled out and played with all the instruments and then picked TWO djembes to play at the SAME time. Everyone was either smiling hard or outright giggling and enjoying her. I just realized that all the video is still in my camera that Daryl took to the coast. Well, I'll post some shots and then the video will come later. Yay! I don't have to edit :)

beyond drumming, fun & color

last friday, i had a super bad ass time with Lynn...the previous owner of my new drum. we met up to carpool to Aralyn's place downtown...first off, i was late. VERY late. FYI Jollyville and Old Jollyville are NOT the same road. Lyn was cool as a cucumber about it, helped me load up my djembe and we were off to drum. on the drive she told me a little about Aralyn, our hostess. she lives one block south of the capitol on congress, she has a metal spider over her door and owns a pot belly pig (Ara, named after Aralyn's mother) she won in a silent auction! Cathy, another Djembabe, ran the class and Lynn helped out on duns. it was fun and exhilarating. wine was poured and clothes were almost taken off...Aralyn. i don't know what i enjoyed more, the drumming, Aralyn or her home. she and her place are quite colorful...i even took pictures of her bathroom!

Meet Ara

she's a super fab doorstop/watch pig (Lynn trying to get passed her)

Aralyn is a real estate agent and artist...to name a few

there are actual live fish swimming in this toilet

fish in a bag with herbs n lemon!...hanging from her shower head

doesn't everyone have a chandelier like this in their bathroom?


after drumming (the acoustics in this room were AWESOME!)
top are Lynn's duns, then some djembes...mine is at the lower right

Aralyn hosts a monthly drum happy hour from 5-7...if you're interested :)

i drum

my loving husband gave me an early birthday gift a couple of weeks ago. a new djembe! actually a new to me djembe. this drum comes from a wonderful woman, Lynn. Lynn had been hand drumming for years, but sustained a hand injury and wouldn't be able to play a djembe again...she's fine and has moved on to her love...the duns. this drum was displayed at Mae's home...not my sister, Mae, my drum teacher, Mae. i fell in love with it, but not it's price tag. Daryl noticed my interest in the drum, so he contacted Mae about buying it. 'absolutely NOT' Mae said....'Tanya has to pick out her own drum...one can't just be bought for her...it's a very personal choice'. she did give Daryl Lynn's info....a few days later, i found myself in front of whole foods playing this lovely drum. Lynn told me what she knew about the drum...it's from West Africa and is sacred. the carving is of kundalini rising...

you can see it better in this shot. in an email to Daryl (that he shared with me), Lynn wrote, 'It is like kundalini rising when drumming, you know what I mean?'...no, he didn't, but i do :)

the goat skin is beautiful...with the obvious spine down the center...very desirable in a djembe

here's a close up..you can actually see some of the goat hair....it's that beautiful? it's said that each drum has three spirits...from the tree, the animal and the drum maker. i love that


here's my lil snapper, thrilled to get her hands on both of mama's djembes...the smaller one is now hers and she's just delighted.

so, tonight was the first night of the next series of drum classes. Leah Ann also drummed...all the others couldn't make it this session. we were joined with 2 women that had taken 3 previous classes...i was a tad intimidated...so in awe. there were also 2 newbies..and i'm soooo glad. Mae had us doing much harder/faster rhythms, and i needed the time it took Mae to teach the new students to catch up with my parts. it was difficult, but that's what it's all about stretching yourself. my drum sounded fabulous and was so much easier to play...the wide base enabled me to get a good tilt without worrying it would fall over. i was able to close my eyes and let it flow. i'm SO ready for next weeks class and the drum circle i'm going to with Lynn next friday....did i mention she's a Djembabe? :)

thanks for the beautiful drum, Babe

fangaaaaaaaa

last friday night, our drumming fun loving instructor* invited her students and their significant others to her home for dinner, drinks and music...there was also a little bit of dancing at the end of Fanga. Daryl and Mae (my sis) came to hang out and watch me play the djembe with my beautiful friends. having them there really added to the excitement and made it a real performance :)

lighting was poor, but the energy & love that night was brilliant

Here's some poorly lit, highly distorted video of a warm up then parts of Fanga...that song went on for 22 minutes, then the camera ran out of space!

*out of respect for my drum instructor's privacy, I've ommited her name...but feel free to email or ask me for info...she's FABULOUS!!!

i djembe

i'm a drummer. i drum djembe. Yvonne, Stephanie and I had our first class last night with Mae the magnificent. on the carpool over, Yvonne and i realized that we had some time to kill...we stopped off at the Texas Roadhouse for a drink (drank it pretty fast) and peanuts...thankfully she had tic-tacs!

on to Mae's gorgeous Tudor home and into her den filled with drums and other musical instruments. we were at the riiiiight place. first was a quick history of the djembe...fascinating! my fav was that the drum is to have 3 spirits..1. the tree (the base) 2. the animal (the skin) 3. the drum maker. then on to the basics. it was exhilarating! for the next hour and a half my mind was free of troubles...the only thoughts were of rhythm and joy. it was great to be in it and then look over at my friends and see the pleasure in their faces. we were kids again!

today, my hands are a little sore...my left one especially...hmmmm must work on placement. oh, after our class, we had sort of a jam session. Mae played two drums and the rest of us picked out our choice of ethnic instrument...we just let loose and blissed out.

i'm looking forward to next weeks lesson and on our third week joining with our friends...Andrea, Anja, Mel, Leah Ann and Domi (we had to be split b/c of scheduling). off to practice...she gave us homework :)

anticipation is killing me!

my djembe is Out for Delivery!!!!!!!!! Not sure what the hell I'm gonna do with it once I get it....probably bang it around and pretend I'm a Djembabe on stage with the spot light on me....or playing in a subway for the world to hear...or even better....in a drum circle with lovely dancers doing their thang to the beat of my music.