Me and My Drum
Yesterday I was in a store doing some last-minute holiday shopping when The Little Drummer Boy started playing. It’s magical how music can shift your mood and reconnect you to people, places, situations and feelings you thought you had forgotten.
When I was around six years old, my sister and I used to perform The Little Drummer Boy together. Connie is seven years older than me and played piano. I sang and operated the sustain pedal. Since The Little Drummer Boy was the only song we performed, December was our busiest month. Connie had a larger musical repertoire, but most of her songs didn’t require vocals… or so I was told. Had I only known “Alley Cat” had lyrics, we could have doubled our set list.
Our primary audience consisted of my mom, dad, brother and dog—in various combinations. (Note: Were it not for my love of animals, Punky, the meanest dog I’ve ever known… may he rest in peace… would not be included in this story, nor considered an audience member.) Since the piano was adjacent to the kitchen, my mom heard us perform the most.
The piano was a Wurlitzer spinet. My grandfather, “Pa,” worked at the Wurlitzer factory in DeKalb, Illinois, where the piano was built. If he hadn’t, we would have never owned a piano. Pa was my mom’s dad. He was born in Germany and took pride in this fact… he took great pride in his work as well. Between his work ethic and commitment to quality, he was proof that the phrase “Work your fingers to the bone” was more than an idiom. I was told the pianos he hand-finished were flawless because “Pa believed in doing his best.”
As The Little Drummer Boy played in the background, I was transported back in time… I was six years old again sitting on the piano bench. I loved sitting by my big sister, pretending to read music and singing. I must confess, during those early performances, I did more than just sing the lyrics… in my mind I actually become that little boy in the song. There’s something else I must acknowledge… my singing back then wasn’t much in demand… even in December. Each performance required that I first convince the audience to attend and then convince Connie to accompany me.
Strangely, I never felt bad that no one ever asked me to sing. I didn’t need them to. It was my gift to them. When we do our best, we don’t need approval… we already have it. No one asked The Little Drummer Boy to play either. I used to believe that that’s why Jesus smiled at him. When we give the best of ourselves to those we love, we are giving our finest gift.
Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum
A newborn king to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum
To lay before the king, pa rum pum pum pum
So to honor him, pa rum pum pum pum
When we come.
Little baby, pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum
That’s fit to give the king, pa rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you, pa rum pum pum pum
On my drum?
Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum
The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my drum for him, pa rum pum pum pum
I played my best for him, pa rum pum pum pum
Then he smiled at me, pa rum pum pum pum
Me and my drum.
The song ended and so did my last-minute shopping. Hearing it confirmed what I have always known… real gifts come from the heart… they can’t be bought. While the ox and lamb kept time, neither could stop it as time waits for no one. Don’t sit by waiting for the right time to share your finest gifts… the time to share them is always right. Pa rum pum pum pum.
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6 Responses to “Me and My Drum”
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Very nice story, Michael. And a great message. Thanks for sharing it — and all the stories you’ve shared on here this year. Happy holidays!
Thank you, Mike.
It is amazing how music can transport us in time. I can just see you and Connie entertaining your family. I’m wondering if my dear father-in-law, K.Gunnar Benson, designed that Wurlitzer spinet of yours. He started designing in the 50′s and designed them for 40 years. He would be so happy to know that one of his own grandson’s learned to play on the Wurlitzer that he gave us and now makes a living in the music field. Your grandfather’s input into that music memory of yours is a treasure.
There’s an excellent chance K. Gunnar designed our spinet. During college, when I worked at Wurlitzer as an illustrator, Gunnar would always go out of his way to acknowledge me in some way. Considering my role and his prominence at (inside and outside) Wurlitzer, this point becomes far more significant. While he was a renowned, award-winning designer… Gunnar was also a most amazing and wonderful person too. He was proud of Don and you… and told me Don picked the most perfect woman in the world to be his wife. What a compliment! The fact that his grandson learned to play the piano he provided… and today is a professional jazz musician performing with the best of the best… well, I guess that’s just icing on the cake. Thanks for sharing, Jan.
Mike ,
At Christmas my Grandma loved music also and would sit behind her electric piano with her little Santa hat on and play all kinds of Christmas music for all us family. She is gone now and I miss her dearly and the music. It some how made it more Family and magical for me.
Thanks for sharing your story and letting us share ours.
Thanks again
Kelly Abbott
Thank you, Kelly. When we share what we love with those we love, magic happens. It sounds like the memories your grandma created still resonate… our actions and deeds remain long after we’re gone.