Er...

Er... Do I need to resist starting off with "Er"?  I'm tempted to use it every time I write. I suppose it's a hint of an excuse for what is to come, perhaps expressing a sense of minor, personal embarrassment and self-consciousness. If that is the case, then it's an underrated two-letter word containing hidden depths of complex feeling and expression. Er...

Er... I just bought an electronic drum kit. Now for me this is a big deal. My first instrument was a set of drums. I learnt from it the possibilities of dexterity, hand/eye/foot coordination, syncopation and an appreciation for a thumping bass line and the subterranean ground this can place beneath a piece of music. I regret letting that first kit go.

My instinct tells me that, many years later, I haven't lost any of what I learnt from it. The rhythm machine stays in your body, simmering in the background like a constant hum that you don't notice after a while, but is there all the time. So, I'm excited about incorporating this new kit into my music making and having a ball in the process.