Before I was a Buddhist, I was a rudimental snare drummer. I suppose I converted from Drum Corps to Buddhism, from a certain point of view. More accurately since Drum Corps ended for me at age 21, and simply needed a new religion and a new practice.
The key to either is practice. I learned to practice when I was young. It came about quite unexpectedly one day when I was practicing rudiments, double stroke rolls to be exact, on my wood-with-rubber-top drum pad. I had been taught basic rudiments by an ex-drummer and boyfriend of my babysitter some time in the very early 70’s, most likely ’72 or ’73.
I had been attempting to practice what I’d been taught by him, and written out in the form of stroke notation i.e. RRLLRRLL, on notebook paper. It didn’t make much sense which is to say I did it but it wasn’t tangible or fulfilling until one fateful day it stuck. All of the sudden in a single point of time the double-stroke roll clicked. It was the very single point of time in which I understood what it was to practice.
I ended up joining a drum and bell corps called the Rebel Cadets. It was a younger version of drum and bugle corps with marching glockenspiels, or bells, instead of brass instruments. We won the California State contest both in 1974 and 1975, quite a big deal for a youngster.
More importantly I acquired my first real drum teacher, an ex-Bass Drummer from the already famous and international champion drum corps, the Santa Clara Vanguard.
Being the only kid who could actually play, I’m sure I was a pleasure for Kent Cahil to teach and have in his drum line, but I was already developing quite the young ego. Some time during the 1975 season I found myself in a little spat with Kent, over something I thought I deserved (I have no idea what) and I received the most important lesson of my young life. I learned I wouldn’t get my way just because I was good.
Kent should have just bid me goodbye, but as he did need me he instead took the patient road and let me walk away that day. He did however with hold teaching me the drum solo I was suppose to learn and perform later that year. Whatever happened I did learn the solo so I must have apologized and gotten my attitude together.
I performed the solo twice. Individual solo competitions were held earlier in the day before important competitive drum corps shows. I was very nervous moments before I played as I approach the judges table. Actually, I was petrified. First I ran down an open roll which was to begin with R R L L and accelerate gradually to top speed and then slow back down gradually and evenly until again reaching the beginning speed and then stopping. The trick was to accelerate evenly and play the roll the same amount of time up as down.
Having completed the drum roll I began the solo portion. About a third of the way through I completely forgot the solo. After a terrifying moment of silence I let loose a variety of high-speed roll patterns which were my forte. I played as fast as I could until I thought I had played enough.
I won.
I left Rebels in 1975 and journeyed to other drum corps eventually ending up in the Santa Clara Vanguard snare line. In both 1978 and 1979 Santa Clara fielded state-of-the-art lines and won the high drum caption in the Drum Corps International contest. 1980 was my final year and I was the anchorman for the snare line, the senior and center snare drummer, somewhat of a distinguished position.
I think I recall that in 1981 I saw Kent again, in a group at a local corps show, and tried to reconnect. He was my first teacher and I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to “report in” to him with my accomplishments all of which began with his instruction. I spoke with him but didn’t feel I had made any serious connection. I wish we had. I had marched in the same drum corps in which he had played, and had been very successful. I felt I needed for him to understand and appreciate what I had done.
Practice and the Master and Disciple relationship…
I suppose I don’t really need to say more. All paths have a beginning rooted in a single point of time.
Rev. Greg, Shidoshi
Ah Peter, how are you?
A true master-disciple relationship is something very very special. I am experiencing that now with a high-level ninja teacher here in the US. It's ok to pretend we have that relationship with someone we may have never met, but the real thing is quite different.
Sometimes we only realize we had that relationship only in retrospect. Other times we may realize we have never had it - ever.
The thing is, for you Peter, to move on and find your tribe, and your true path. Let go of the past and - well - just let go.
Rev. Greg
Posted by: Rev. Greg at July 7, 2005 06:41 AMI don´t see a problem with student-mentor relations. As long as it isn´t with Ikeda as mentor.
Posted by: Josef Cohen at July 7, 2005 12:00 AM