Tom, age 47, often brings an extra drum, so there will always be a drum to share with someone.

I was going in the park afternoons, bike riding mostly, and I think it was about ten years ago that I noticed that there was a little drum circle that met around the Fountain. I was intrigued, not only because, as a pianist, I love any kind of acoustic music, but because of the mix of people that were there. It was just the most eclectic mix of people that I ever saw! I said, "This could only be in New York." It was just a totally incohesive, very open group of people. It's like a flock of birds meeting in the park, basically.

So, I used to hang out, but I didn't think I could play with them, and be able to keep up. And then I bought my own drum in the flea market on 26th Street, and I started coming around and drumming with them. In the beginning, there were more Africans, and they didn't want you to just kind of jam or whatever you want. They wanted you to start with the very basic beats, and try to learn from the bottom up. And they wouldn't let you do solos. I had a couple of times that I would try to do little riffs that I made up on my own, and they'd scream, "You don't know the beat!" It made me more determined to actually learn it better, 'cause I said, "Well, maybe I don't know the beat."

Now I try to come when there's a specific kind of non-humid weather. I noticed that when it gets too humid, the drummers get more irascible and more testy with each other. When there's very low humidity, everyone plays nice.

I took a couple of courses in the winter, down at Union Square... there's a drumming school there, but indoor drumming just isn't the same; it's not much fun. Yeah, it's really fun to see the sun go down in the park, and see the light change, and see the various crowds that come and go, and to be a part of the little bit of nature that we have in New York. It's all part of the park Scene.