Welcome to Mab's Jal A Drum

the purpose of this site is to help organize and keep track of all the amazing projects and events going on in my life. this is a personal website, and my goal is to keep it updated with my adventures and activites. check the News and Updates sections often as that's where I will be posting the latest details!

About Jal A Drum

The name 'Jal A Drum' is derived from the phrase 'Jal A Drom' which means 'travel the road' in the Gypsy/Rom language. As a performer, I have traveled all over this country, met some amazing musicians, danced with some fabulous people, and made some wonderful friends. I love the life on the road. It is only quite recenty, that I have fallen back in love with my home town, Washington DC.

Jal A Drum is the name I have given to encompase all of my projects and adventures. Jal A Drum is the name of the CD that I will someday release of field recordings from the road. Jal A Drum is the phrase I use when I explain what type of music I play, I travel the drum and touch on Turkish, Egyptian, Irish, Indian, Nordic, and African traditions. There are many things that Jal A Drum. The beat of a heart, the breath of a sound. all of these things are Jal A Drum.

Who is Mab?

what do you want to know? my history? where I was born? what moves me?

I suppose I could do the standard "Bio" bits, where I studied, how long I've been doing this, credits and accolades.

I guess you could say this whole site is Mab. the seeming randomness of it all, but look again, you might see that there is some order to this chaos.

that's me. I appear totally random, maybe even flakey. but I have a deep drive and a great passion. I have a very strict personal order that I maintain.

I am fiercly independant, I am a traveler. I am an artist, and performance is my art. whether it be music, acting, dance, sideshow, putting on a good show for the audiance is the most rewarding thing I can think of.

some other people have said things that convey my thoughts more clearly than I, a humble word hacker, can. allow me to share some of them here -

"It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things."
Leonardo da Vinci

also -

"Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."
Leonardo da Vinci

Leo was a smart fellow, and definately an inspiration to me. a few more...

"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers..."
“A little nonsense now and then, is cherished by the wisest men.”
Willy Wonka