Djammin' on the Djembe

When Todd asked earlier this year if we would pay for him to take djembe lessons, I suspected it'd be a hobby that kept his interest for only a short time. It appears my suspicions were unfounded.

For those that might not know, a djembe is a hand drum from West Africa. The name comes from the Mali phrase "to gather in peace". Todd took an initial interest in the drum after learning about it on the Internet. His formal request for lessons came after I suggested he get a hobby that didn't involve a game controller or a computer mouse. I reluctantly agreed to pay for lessons if he could find an instructor and also show that his interest wasn't just a passing fancy. After a bit of searching he was able to find an instructor in Salt Lake. He showed me that he really was interested by asking me every day for a couple of weeks if I'd sign him up.

So, I signed him up for lessons...and it's been a great experience the whole time. Todd has learned surprisingly fast. He has natural ability at playing the djembe, but more importantly, since he's interested in it he devotes the time and attention required to be good at it. He has already had multiple performances and plays regularly for the African Dance classes at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center. In the picture below, he is helping teach a drum class to kids.

Todd doesn't have any djembe performances scheduled right now, but we'll try to let people know when the next one comes up. We're proud of Todd for choosing such a fun hobby and working so hard at it. We look forward to him continuing to improve his ability to djam on the djembe.