Music Moments: Finding a Tongue Drum
A few days ago, I had one of those experiences in Music that got me fired up on life and really keeps me going. It all started at the end of May on our flight from Kathmandu to Bangkok, Pluto the Travel Guitar met its demise. After a long day of traveling we finally landed in Bangkok. We collected our bags, went to find a ride to our hotel and ended up having another incredibly frustrating interaction with a taxi driver leaving us feeling scammed and ripped off. I hope I finally learned that lesson. Anyways, after all of that I wanted to take out some frustration and Music has always been a fantastic way to ease my mind and make me forget about a stressful day. So I go to open up my guitar case and find the bridge on poor Pluto broken, the strings a tangled mess snapped off the body. Nooooooooooooooooo!!! I was shattered. It was too much. Pluto had survived being strapped to my backpack through the jungle and over Thorung La Pass only to die on the flight out of Nepal. Why Universe why?!
As we continued traveling, finding a guitar and figuring out my next steps in Music has become part of my journey. I’m out here to explore. I’m out here to write with Mia. I’m out here to become more fluent in Music. Challenge accepted Universe! I’ve searched all over for a guitar. A shop on Koh Phangan wouldn’t let me take anything off the wall to test out. A shop in Kuala Lumpur had some nice guitars and it was fun to play but I didn’t feel a deeper connection with any of them. I’m on the hunt for that magic wand guitar. The one that gives me tingles and just comes alive when I pick it up. I’ve come across a few guitars in Bali but I’m still looking for that one that really speaks to me.
In the meantime, I’ve been wanting an outlet to speak some Music. So I went on the search for a hang drum (Youtube it- so cool and big with the yogis here in Bali). I ended up at Adis Music Shop in Ubud and played nearly every drum and lots of other instruments in the place. Music shops are dangerous because it’s easy for me to spend hours playing everything and I usually leave with a long wish list. It’s a little shop. Big enough for the owner to sit on a stool and play one drum and me to sit on another. After learning some basics, the owner started in on a really hypnotic groove and when I was feeling it I joined in playing some lead fills. Time melted away and we ended up jamming together for quite awhile. Within a few minutes, we started to gather a small audience of passersby walking along the street. It was one of those moments in Music that keeps me going. I ended up getting a tongue drum to have something to play as we keep traveling. The journey to find a guitar continues. For now I’m content knowing I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be exploring what’s next in Music with Mia.