On Percussions and Life

I've been thinking for quite some time why I became interested in percussions. Like most people, my initial interest in percussions is to partake in music without much skill to speak of. Since percussions is largely not the core melody or riff in most music out there, the lack of skill allows you to pretend like you are as skilled as the rest of your band. You are allowed to make mistakes on stage and be able to hide it because any mistakes are not prominently heard by the audience.

As years progressed, I can safely say that I've improved and have actually learnt more about percussions beyond what I have just invented. Traditional rhythms are now being injected in my invented style of playing. I decided to inject theory into my style instead of completely supplanting what I know with theory. (I use the word theory loosely because I really don't know much about theory in comparision to the learned the likes of UP Conservatory graduates).

Beyond my percussive improvement, and beyond my years of revelling in the music scene with the least path of resistance, I realized by I like percussions in terms of how I would prefer life to be.

Percussions is first and foremost about maintaining a beat or rhythm. After one stroke on my congas, there is an assumed expectation that another stroke follows, and so on and so forth.

As one progresses in skill and gets more creative, fills and variations are introduced into the basic rhythm. I personally do fills to change things up a little. But with every fill or variation, you always have to come back to the regular timing of the basic rhythm. Like in grunge music that usually has a 4/4 timing, you always have to come back to the 4th measure in time.

So how does relate to my life perspective? Pardon the long winded background explanation to lead towards the point I'm trying to make.

I am a person who doesn't mind routine. Just like maintaining the basic rhythm of a song or jam, routine can be likened to the repition of strokes.

I also don't mind changing things up because it provides color and excitement in my life. This can be likened to fill and variations that you do. Fills and variations to me are calculated risks; where you deviate from the basic rhythm but you are sure that you come back to the right timing at the end of the measure of your fill. I don't make decisions in my life that are way too risky. I usually take conservative or at most calculated risks. I can venture out of my safe zone. But ensure that I am able to come back to the routine.

I also realized that I don't want good things in my life to end. And hence why I don't mind doing or partaking in those good things over and over again. In percussions, there is always the next stroke. There is always the next measure. There is always the next song. There is always the next gig or the next jam.

In life, change is inevitable. I had huge changes in my life over a year ago. And I am glad that those changes turned out for the better in terms of my life. Freedom, Independence, a little more self confidence, getting back to my career, splurging on things that make me happy, participating in the music scene with little skill, are all things I enjoy now that I never had before.

I don't mind partaking in all these good things in my life over and over again. Routine is a good thing in this sense. And although change is inevitable in life, I wish for this to never end. If this is all I can really look forward to in life, then so be it. I am fine with this routine.


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