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Hi All;
Long time no see. (I have Monday night rehearsals, and as I'm the conductor, I can't very well bail out, so I've missed you guys. For those who don't remember me by name, I'm the woman who sings up into the stratosphere and has a long blond braid.)
Having started many musical groups myself, I think it is perfectly reasonable for Patter, who began this whole party/drum thing way back when in his living room, to keep the name. It's kind of his band, whether we all think we're part of it or not. The thing is, Patter organized this thing, taught bunches of folks to play, lent dozens of people instruments, and hosted this entity. It was his to begin with. It has been very generous of him to include all and sundry, if you think about it. And now he's passing the torch. He wants to keep the name, and it seems like a pretty small thing, in terms of how huge this thumping party has become.
Things changed. Yup, some of it happened without consulting us, the masses, but now we're being consulted. We're being asked to find a name for ourselves and to participate in a more organic way than just showing up and beating a path to the food. We're being asked for opinions. It's true that there hasn't been a lot of invitation to join the organizing "board," but really folks, how many of you would put in the time and energy it took to get this show on the road, and find a home for us (go on, just try to find a place that is willing to host drummers), and build a Web site, and find guest hosts, and and and. If you really would like to bend your elbow, I'm sure the "board" would welcome you. Otherwise, how nice that something else has changed and it's time for us to employ democracy again.
I, for one, am very grateful to Patter for giving me a nice place to see just how fast I can drum before my heart explodes, a place to fool around with leadership and following, listening and hearing, and for meeting people I otherwise might not have tripped over, medievalist that I am. To me, watching Patter own the name of the group he founded and poured so much love into is a great way of applauding his efforts.
A rose, after all, by any other name, would still find the beat.
Melanie
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