Beat philosophy

When I signed the Boy up for drumming lessons, I didn't realise I was also enrolling him on a philosophy course...

I sat in on the lesson, to see what went on.  After a week of practice, the Boy is not too bad at the paradiddle (R,L,RR, L,R,LL etc), but he's still struggling with the basic drum-kit beat. This involves hitting the hi-hat cymbal (one and two and three and four and...) with the right-hand stick, while the right foot uses the pedal to hit the bass on every one and three beat, and the left-hand stick bangs the snare on the two and four beats. 

"It's simple," said the teacher, demonstrating.  "Not easy...but simple."

Like so much in human experience, I thought.

More words of wisdom when the Boy made a mistake trying to copy a rhythm.  "The hardest thing to learn to do is to keep on going when you make a mistake.  You gotta just keep playing.  'Cause it's all music."

Yes, indeed.

And the teacher even threw in some insights on dental care.  Apparently as a youth (which was possibly quite a while ago) he had played fast and loose with candy and soda, and now, suffering from toothache, he rues the day.

I feel my son may emerge from these classes not just a better drummer, but also a wiser man.