I've often wondered what was the (dare we say "karmic"?) reason for me to spend 2 years as a Tech Director at a school. I think one of the significant things I gained was an interest in examining the learning process. One thing my time at the school taught me was the basic concepts of not only learning, but reflecting on your learning. How do you learn? What makes learning easier or harder? And what have you learned? What came easily, and what took work - and how do you feel about either?

It's been a year since I took my first pandeiro lesson from Robert Wallace, and since then I've been repeatedly impressed by the breadth of his knowledge, and his ability to teach at any level. He is an excellent teacher for beginner drummers / percussionists (which was perfect for me learning pandeiro), but he also has an impressive background in a wide range of drumming and dancing that has helped me with more advanced conga rhythms I have wanted to study.

I started drumming when I was 21. There were a couple of long breaks, for a year or so, when I did not drum very much at all. And other periods when I was drumming for up to 10 hours a week.

I've now been drumming for 15 years, and in some ways, I can feel it. I'm comfortable playing and knowledgeable about a lot of rhythms. But it's like technology or wine - I'm either very capable and talented, or just a dabbler - depending on the level of the person I'm talking to.