A Jubilant Soul

“The passion of playing music is the essence of my life,” says professional percussionist Richard Noel.

The multi-instrumentalist has a long laundry list of accomplishments, but his smile is biggest when talking about spreading happiness through music.

“It is so joyful and important to me when I see people responding when I play my music, it definitely propels me,” Noel explains. “I play music from my soul and I think it is transmitted to other people’s lives.”

The aeronautical/structural engineer is known around town as the force behind Sticks and Fingers, a percussion ensemble that plays downtown regularly as part of 2nd Saturdays. The Aug. 13 event saw throngs of people surrounding the group, who was hosting a high-energy limbo competition in rhythm to island beats. The crowd loved it.

Noel, originally from The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, has percussion seared into his body and spirit. As a child growing up in the Caribbean, he’d wake up to the sounds of drums when the elders were engaging in religious rituals. “I grew up in a real festive culture, everything was a celebration,” says the 46-year-old. “Some rituals involved playing drums for 24 hours. It’s not like that anymore, but that’s the way it was when I was growing up.” He laughs, adding that the “iPod generation took that custom out.”

He laughs a lot, with an ardor that is infectious and uplifting. His broad pearly-white smile punctuates a handsome face and contrasts beautifully with his deep-ebony skin. Noel is in fabulous shape, probably due in part to his drumming contributions in the UZO movement classes at The Movement Shala, 435 E. 9th St.

When he’s not working at Evergreen Air Center, hosting foster children and raising three daughters with his wife, you can find him running his non-profit Arts for Life Community (mission: to unite and empower the underserved and the greater arts community through live percussion workshops) and serving on the Tucson Meet Yourself board.

This year, Noel released “Joy of the Caribbean,” an 11-track CD recorded in his bedroom studio. The mostly one-man project (Noel played 90% of the instruments) is a fantastic dance album that fuses together Caribbean Soca, Bass, American Standards and Latin beats. It is available at 17th Street Market, 830 E. 17th St., iTunes, Amazon and at his live performances.

Through his music, Noel says one of his goals is to take “the steel drum, and percussion in general, to where it’s never been before - as a lead instrument. The steel drum is a melodic instrument; it can play melodies and songs, it has notes.”

He also aims to make the world a better place. “It’s about spreading the joy wherever we go. I think that’s what is missing in community, politics divide us. That universal language of love through music is something that can bring us back through community events.”

Richard Noel, featuring Sticks and Fingers, performs at Tucson Meet Yourself on Saturday, Oct. 15, 8:30pm, at the TCC plaza stage. A sneak preview of that show happens during 2nd Saturdays on Oct. 8. Visit RDNoel.com and TucsonMeetYourself.org for details.