19 September 2007
Random Precision Drumming
Posted under places beginning with: S; Seattle; Pioneer Square .
This short glimpse of a Seattle street scene was sent to us by Christian Jacobsen of Seattle, Washington State.
Yesterday I was at my favorite book store in the world - The Elliott Bay Book Company in Seattle, WA - and I heard drumming. This wasn’t the street musician pounding on overturned buckets. These were real drums, and someone was clearly marching out on the street.
The 25 or so people in the store all moved to the windows. Outside, two black teenagers came marching by in precision lock-step. The girl had a whistle in her mouth and was playing a fine marching band snare drum. The boy marching behind her had a beautiful sounding bass drum strapped to his chest and was pounding out intricate and totally danceable beats!
The two marched by the front of the shop, playing the catchiest solo drum patterns I have ever heard. Eyes straight. Marching to the beat. Pounding out complex polyrhythms on their two piece drum kit.
And then they were gone.
As the sound faded down the street everyone remained in the window, looking at each other, not saying a word.
The cashier turned to the assembled people, shrugged her shoulders, and we all returned to our book browsing.
No words were spoken. No explanation.
