once in a blue blue moon

Last night I attended the Full Moon Drum Circle at the Dandelion Cafe in Orlando, Fl. This small circle is generous; the participants always bring a variety of acoustic instruments for self and group expression. And it’s not an instrument’s fault if a discordant note is occasionally heard. The most pleasing key at this circle, at least to my ears, is B.

Last night I heard a woman play a crystal bowl. She tapped it’s side four times, then round and round the rim she, with stick, did rub. The bowl began to sing, softly at first, then loud and clear, like a bell’s chime without end. I played along with this glorious sound; a crystal drone for Londonderry Aire, Loch Lomond and a host of Celtic melodies that seemed to dance from my flute.

Last night I played a seashell flute in the Key of B. I make seashell flutes in the keys of B, C, D and sometimes E. The length of the shell’s spiral tube determines the key the flute is in. At length I asked what key her bowl was in, expecting her to say B. She, instead, said F.

B, C, D, E, F– five notes separate our instruments; a perfect fifth. I never knew what that really meant until last night. It means perfect harmony. My seashell flute, in the key of B, was incapable of playing discordant notes with her crystal bowl. I played with passion; first softly, then loud and clear. She tapped her bowl in time with my tunes, adding her own rhythmic chimes to the ethereal sounds of seashell flute, crystal bowl and drums.