Sports - As a spectator and a Participant

Talking to my brother this morning via our weekly Skype call, I mentioned that live golf had returned to TV this weekend. As I talked about it, Jerry told me that he knew basically nothing about golf. I reminded myself that he wanted to play football in high school, but developed hay fever so bad he had to take shots. He got into music instead which turned out, I think for him, much better.

I asked him if he followed or played any sports; of course, I forgot he was and still is to an extent, a cyclist. He actually worked in a bike shop and became the store manager (of course, he did) before he retired from that career. He still follows the sport religiously.

I followed the Tour de France during the late eighties and nineties with Greg Lamond and up through the Lance Armstrong era. I even had a nice Peugeot six-speed when I was in the Army and stationed in Kansas. But after getting into running in 1978, and crashing quite spectacularly going downhill - without a helmet - I more or less gave it up. I found I was better at running anyway and enjoyed it more.

I eventually sold the bike as I did with my golf clubs - three times. But that's another story.

And You Thought a Drum Was Just For Keeping the Beat...

This morning I had my weekly Skype chat with my younger brother (by 3 years), Jerry, who lives in Colorado Springs. We bring each other up to date on things of the past week, as well as talk about things we remember from our past. One of the things we have in common is drumming. I don't drum anymore. I learned in 8th grade and played through high school. I was a pretty good drummer and finally went to State Band my senior year. I didn't play after that.

But my biggest accomplishment to my mind was to teach Jerry to play the drums. I taught him in his 8th grade and by the time he was in high school he was better than me. He went on the garner many honors with his skill and went to college to study music. When he finished his master's degree he volunteered for the Army so he could play in the NORAD Band in Colorado. This was during the Vietnam era. When he got out of the service, he and his wife, also a music major (flute), remained in the state. He began teaching in middle school for some years, retired from that and worked himself up to managing a bicycle shop, a hobby that proved useful. 

All along, he taught privately as well as played in local orchestras and bands. Today, he still teaches, though it's by Skype right now - and is a member of a local concert band which has suspended its playing for now.

All of this is leading up to my chat with him today. It began by him telling me that he had his first Skype lesson for about five of his current students. It was about replacing a drumhead on a snare drum. Then our conversation went from there to drumheads in general, then snares, then the drums, how to hold the sticks, and then back to drums, and the next thing we knew we were approaching noon (my time - we set a one-hour time limit generally) when both of us have other things to do; him more than me usually.

Anyway, I so enjoyed discussing some of the things I learned about drums I wanted to mention them here, but I am going to some mental organizing first and then post again. So actually, I never got to the title of today's blog. I will.

But it truly was a very interesting Skype call today. \

Stay home and Stay Safe!