The Beat Goes On: July 2013

Writing the Foreword to the YOUCAT (2011), the Catholic Church's condensed catechism on Church teaching written especially for youth, Pope Benedict XVI challenges his young friends: "Today I recommend for your reading an unusual book. It is unusual both because of its content and because of the way it came to be. I would like to tell you a little about how it was written, because then it will be clear why it is so unusual."

Our Pope explains, in a nutshell, after Vatican II (an official meeting of the Catholic Church in Rome lasting from 1962-1965) and a changing culture, many people in society and the Church were left confused.

What's a Christian to believe? Can we believe anything the Church teaches, is it even reasonable to be a believer? Then came the bold and decisive decision of Pope John Paul II to write a book that would answer these questions. "...a real book, " writes Pope Benedict XVI, "not just a haphazard collection of all sorts of documents…..something entirely new and exciting…..It would show what the Catholic Church believes today and how one can with good reason believe."

In December 2009, during the spring time of my own reversion, having been plodding along all these years, sort of lost in an agnostic, moral relativism, making room at times for a non-denominational New-Age way of thinking, I had now found a sudden spark of light in, who would have guessed, that traditional 'old fashioned' Catholicism of my youth. I bought a used version (the Pope's vision having already manifested into reality nearly 15 years before) with the 'old-fashioned' title: Catechism of the Catholic Church (1994) and proceeded to read it cover to cover.

Wow, I was floored and blown away even though much of it was way to deep, theologically and philosophically. I had received nothing at all like this before. Well at least now I could partly understand the underlying causes of my departure from the Catholic Church.

IGNORANCE. There, swallowing my pride, I have spoken the truth. Now since I have publicly admitted it - how about you? What do you REALLY know about the CHURCH, your faith? What is your hope grounded in? Superstition? The world?

Having been born in 1964, I had been poorly "formed" in the Church during the 30 year period prior to 1994 where, even today, the Church admits its existence was punctuated by a drought of religious education, a catechetical vacuum of sorts.

Now here's some great news. Motivated by the success and enthusiasm of the World Youth Days started during the pontificate of John Paul II, "- young people from all over the world have come together, young people who want to believe, who are seeking God, who love Christ, and who want fellowship on their journey." - Pope Benedict VXI

Seventeen years from its original 1994 publishing date, the Catechism of the Catholic Church has been translated into the much more approachable and fascinating version called YOUCAT. This little yellow paperback book with mostly cartoon stick figure illustrations scattered throughout it's pages is fun; see for yourself.

Pope Benedict XVI (now our Pope Emeritus) continues his Foreword with a fervent challenge: "Study this Catechism! That is my heartfelt desire. This Catechism was not written to please you. It will not make life easy for you, because it demands of you a new life. It places before you the Gospel message as the 'pearl of great value' (Mt. 13:46) for which you must give everything. So I beg you: Study this Catechism with passion and perseverance. Make a sacrifice of your time for it! Study it in the quiet of your room; read it with a friend; form study groups and networks; share with each other on the Internet. By all means continue to talk with each other about your faith. You need to know what you believe. You need to know your faith with that same precision with which an IT specialist knows the inner workings of a computer. You need to understand it like a good musician knows the piece he is playing." [emphasis is mine]

Bingo! The principles taught in the YOUCAT make all that follow it better. So if you're a soccer camp founded on YOUCAT teachings then you're a better soccer team; a choral group founded on YOUCAT teachings then you're a better choral group; a cooking club, a couple of auto mechanics swapping tips, a hunting and fishing group - all better communities when grounded in these truth principals.

How about Internet based hand percussion lessons, short video segments free of charge, presenting multi-cultural rhythms from around the world along with YOUCAT teachings? Why not. I think you'd be a better percussion community because of it.

My imagination kicks into gear and I can even envision a parish or similar community level YOUCAT Conga Camp (study group) complete with yellow YOUCAT paperbacks and matching yellow t-shirts: "St. Luke's YOUCAT Conga Cats" emblazoned across the front or back; you substitute in the name of your own parish or community group.

One could easily work in at least one YOUCAT point while facilitating a world rhythm circle or percussion lesson. How about a YouTube channel for the group to access; Google + page to post the sheet music and Google Hangouts sessions to interact with those community members located across the country or world?

YOUCAT enthusiasts can join international, online groups for fellowship and where pictures and photos of all the fun can be uploaded. I can see the photo now: a conga under one arm and a YOUCAT paperback in the other hand. Call me a romantic, call me a dreamer- no, call me a Christian following the call to a New Evangelization!

Convinced but not yet sure how to integrate your hobby with our new YOUCAT?

Why not follow me for now with my new "Time for the Table" series where I really stretch out on a limb and try a lot of new, (fortunately very low cost or free) technology. We'll find out together what works and what can be improved upon.

Saint Mother Theresa [updated 2/4/2017] encourages Christians to be faithful and not to worry about whether or not we are successful in the process; God takes care of that part. If just a small handful of people follow your work, more than likely friends and family members; great, you've wonderfully succeeded! Then teach these people how to use these same tools so that a handful of people follow each of them; and so on….

Christianity has changed the world and will continue to do so; we can change the world too. "Do not be afraid!" exclaims Pope Saint John Paul II [updated 2/4/2017].

Do not be afraid!

Monday, July 8, 2013

Community Drumming 101

During late 2003, an opportunity to share my love for the conga drums in a paid teaching effort came about by way of the new Brushy Creek Community Center scheduled to open in the spring of 2004 (Round Rock, Texas).

About a year after leaving the band Stones Throw in 2000, I had been tinkering around with ways to apply my collection of percussion books, videos, and personal playing experience into "on-the-side" lessons, in addition to my regular employment, a little business of my own.

Over the next several years, I developed a lesson plan that in it's advancement paralleled the way one progresses in a karate class through the qualification of colored belts. In my early twenties, I had personally progressed from a white belt in karate to a green belt, just falling short of obtaining a blue belt after suffering a third degree sprain in my neck.

To summarize, my entire percussion course would consist of ten colored levels, from gray through maroon; the first level gray being for beginners and the tenth and final maroon level for "seasoned pros;" having of course already studied and practiced the eight color levels in-between and now finding themselves capable and equipped with the skills to perform with percussion instruments during a live show.

In my zeal I placed ads in the local community newsletter and I stapled flyers on community boards and I waited…...and waited.

Unfortunately but predictably, despite my best efforts at self promotion, I managed to acquire just one paid student, Sahel, a nice and patient man from Persia. What a good time we had even though we transacted just about a month's worth of classes.

When Sahel called me back for more lessons a few months later, I had already given up - I had taken a new job that required me to be on the road several nights a week and so I no longer had the same availability as I had had before but this job would not last much longer; fortunately!

So when the Brushy Creek Community Center opportunity arrived in 2003 you can probably imagine my enthusiasm going before the Board of Directors and promoting one hour community drumming classes- and finding they were all in -and that they loved it!

I even attended the grand opening event with a table full of instruments and an exciting "looped" video of a community drum circle. When the full colored, Spring 2004 Grand Opening catalogue was mailed out to all the residents of the Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District (MUD) my class was in it!

"Community Drumming 101" Saturdays 5-6pm. Only $80 for all eight Saturdays. My class was mixed together with classes and workshops and educational offerings in topics ranging from fitness, dancercise, crafts, sewing, stitching, quilts, ceramics, cooking, nutrition, gardening, parenting, art, first-aid, spring-camps & events, tots programs, after school programs, senior activities, etc.; most of the classes fee based. However, on-top of the individual class fee there was a hefty annual family membership fee of $300.

Still, the Center thrives to this day, a wonderful community asset, and so the up-front fees couldn't have been the problem. Maybe it was the day, Saturdays, or the time slot between 5 and 6 pm?

Despite doing my homework, neither one of my two advertised 8 week sessions drew any interest. I had either overpriced the session, picked a bad time slot, or simply people were not interested in community drumming as an activity.

When the MUD called me to offer reassurance and to extend the class offering into the fall, I declined explaining I had started my own appraisal practice and would no longer have time to offer the classes.

And so my great foray into percussion education came to a close.

What is it about music that so excites the soul? Or sewing? Or reading? Or cooking? Or gardening? Or computing? Or playing soccer? Or any other wholesome hobby for that matter?

I didn't quite see it then but in reality, they are all gifts, God given gifts.

The joys and advantages one finds say in the varying rhythms and hand patterns, the passion for learning and playing new world rhythms; all are simply graces; graces that have been given FREE of charge.

The desire to teach and share with others are graces from God too.

Musical talents in my case, maybe sewing, reading, cooking, gardening, computing, or playing soccer in your case.

Maybe all along, I'd simply taken the wrong approach.