Miniature Instrument #1: Tongue Drum

Photo caption: Storyteller Jessica Baris plays the tongue drum while performing a Romanian folktale at the Sam Hinton Folk Fest in Poway, California.

The instrument that started it all for me is the tongue drum. I was walking through the Little Italy Arts Festival in San Diego when I heard musical sounds coming from one of the art booths. I followed the sound and was led to a booth that was filled with dozens of carved wooden boxes that were being played with mallets. I was completely enchanted by the music made from these wooden boxes.

It turns out the makers are a father-son team. They select and carve the wood to create these tongue drums. The son offered me a pair of mallets so that I could play. All I had to do was lightly hit the "tongues" of a drum and out came a melodious sound. Each note lingered in the air and overlapped with the next one played. It was a singing box.

"This is it," I thought. This is what I can use to add music to my storytelling! I was sold. I walked right out of that booth with my first tongue drum.

I really respect and admire musicians for their ability to create beautiful sounds from the instruments they play. As someone with not much natural ability to learn and play an instrument, the tongue drum opened a door to the musical world for me. It gave me the chance to create captivating music with little effort. That was a true gift. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YXscilVxNI