Seeing and Listening

I recently started playing the doumbek drum. It's a middle eastern hand drum. I have always wanted to play african drums, but I never found a teacher. I now have a great teacher and my experiences overshadow my dreams of playing African drums (at least temporarily).

Every weekend I go to 107th Street and Central Park East. I walk along one of the most beautiful parts of central park and enter the building that Amir calls home. Meetings are held in his living room. The floor and parts of the walls are covered with persian and persian-like tapestries, while drums, string instruments, percussion instruments and other miscellaneous things to play fill the room. About 5-10 people gather each week for the music circle that he leads. Most of us are drummers and some people sing. Amir leads us with a lute and singing, occasionally adding a flute, drums and whatever else he is in the mood for. The music fills the room and everyone participates. Some of us go to see Amir for individual classes to formally learn how to join in, while others continue to do whatever feels right. He takes his most advanced students to concerts with him. So, if I keep this up, that's where I'm heading.

As I learn to play the drum, the atmosphere of his living room has been a large part of the experience. Looking at the different instruments and international tapestries make me feel comfortable, looking at the hands of more advanced students helps me to check myself, and the passionate expressions on participants faces, including Amir's, communicate to me each week.