Drumsound rises on the air ~ its beat, my heart.
– 13th-century Persian poet Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī
In the Spring of 2020 during isolation brought about by the coronavirus pandemic stay-at-home-orders, I found a little extra time to pick up my frame drum and attempt to accompany myself reciting Rumi.
I have been exceedingly blessed to enjoy accompaniment by professional percussionists (Grant Smith, Paulo Mattioli, and Glen Velez to name a few!) which allowed me to get lost in the words/world of Rumi…. (See for example, the delightful spontaneous experience with Maestro Glen Velez at a July 2019 weekend retreat.) Therefore, to accompany myself would prove to be a challenge!
Nevertheless, I thought it would be a good challenge and I practiced here and there in between while also working full-time remotely from home. Challenging indeed! It is sooo easy to get lost in the poetry, it’s hard to stay focused and grounded enough to sustain the rhythm and play the drum at the same time. At any rate, it turns out it was a good thing I had been practicing it because our local PBS station contacted me thinking that I would be a likely candidate for them to feature on their Friday arts segment. They had looked at my website and specifically asked for me to do something with drumming to which I counter requested if I might include Rumi recitations and they loved the idea. I also mentioned that I found refuge in the weekly series of exploring ‘A Treasury of Rumi* faciliated by Dr. Walead Mosaad, director of Muslim Student Life at Lehigh University, in which we gather to discuss the ‘Rumi Wisdom for Reflective Isolation.’
So, below you’ll find my offering ~ a recording on a webcam over Zoom. The quality’s not great but I hope you’ll look favorably upon my effort. I am mesmerized by Rumi thus making it difficult to stay sufficiently grounded to play the drum. KUDOS to all the drummers out there who play polyrhythms and sing simultaneously! WOW! Nevertheless, it’s a great practice for me and one I hope/intend to maintain. NAMASTÉ
POSTSCRIPT: I made this recording on the afternoon of Thursday, May 28, 2020, BEFORE protests erupted over the course of two+ weeks in at least 30 US cities, which then extended in Europe too, over the death of unarmed George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
When I first published this blog post, my inherent cheerful demeanor and smile seemed unreasonable, perhaps even disrespectful, under the dire circumstances of unrest and protest 😥 and yet, I have to admit Rumi’s words remain all the more poignant.
This being human is a guest house.
– 13th-century Persian poet Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī