Making a Commons, Listening to the Heart: An interview with HUB special guest, Dr. Drum

Longtime Bronx resident and musician, Jose Ortiz, known to the community as Dr. Drum, came as a special guest for the teens one Saturday afternoon. He spoke about the drum as the oldest instrument, its relation to the body, to our ancestors, to the Earth, and also its ability to connect us to that very entangled emotional presence of our beating hearts. Dr. Drum entwined these contemplative notes with drumming demonstrations and dance, slowly inviting the teens to join him in a collective experience of mutual support, courage, and consciousness. 

I asked Dr. Drum to speak on his experience that afternoon with the teens, and to expand a bit on what he understands the role of the drum to be in making community.

JM: Dr. Drum, thank you so much for sharing yourself, your feelings and ideas, with the teens. As a musician and educator, but also as a longtime resident of the Bronx, I’d like ask if you could elaborate on the significance of the drum for collective as well as personal union that you talked about that day.

DD: As I sat there in front of them, they instantly gave me the moment of silence where they were; at that moment they were listening. To me, listening is really a big thing. You know, I know that people are not really good listeners, so the fact that they were there and just interested in what I was talking about - that really made me feel good. It … also gave me a lot of affirmation that, wow, they’re learning, they’re learning something new. That even though they may not understand this, they know it’s about them. There was something there that … they just knew that there was a moment to listen because it reflected on their ancestors. So it was a moment - so that’s basically what I was bringing to the table.

(I was) creating a space for the drum - but as a tool not to be entertained - but as a message. And I think they got that. They realized - and I think that’s why, then when I said, ok let’s rise and then move with the drum, that they know that they were not performing. So we had a relationship, in such a little time. I know it’s not that simple to dance for anyone, when you just met someone - but here we knew that we were not just dancing on that, we were dancing for something else. And I saw that for some of them too - yeah, it was challenging, but the fact that they took the challenge - that was what was really important - that they tried. So the collective experience with the group, moving from where I started explaining what they are looking at, what’s the next step, how are we going to take that moment to connect with our ancestors. I think that moment of trust was a beautiful moment, that they were able to collectively do that together. There was no disruption, no distraction, it was just flowing like water. It just allowed me to move freely into a space that I felt that we all had something in common; with this connection with the drum. And I think that that experience for them was beautiful to see how, creating a space of union, unity, and how does that work in a community, and they definitely showed that through their actions - that we were able to realize that. 

So yeah, that to me was beautiful. We got them to move. And think at one moment. There was that moment were everyone was just feeling good, feeling joy. 

The drum opens up, it gives you access to your whole brain and that’s a great time to start talking , because now your mind is open and now we can start having a conversation. It’s almost like, ok kids, we’re gonna go to school - but before we go to school, before class begins, there should be - it would be great that we all come down to the auditorium and we have a ceremony. Ok, now go to class. Because the drum is gonna give you the inner motivation that you need - whether you want to be a doctor, whether you want to be - whatever it is that you want to be. The point is that the drum is the initial thing that is gonna start your day. Trying to get that consciousness and that understanding that this is part of our lives. And yet, we’re not taking advantage of it, we’re not using it, we’re not understanding it and it should be a part of everything. That’s all.