Writing a book on the philosophy of drums

I am writing a book on the philosophy of drums and would like to get some insights on other drummers and/or musicians in general. Musicians today are loosing why we all are musicians in the first place, it's all about whose better than who and girls and money. When we were all very young and stated playing our instrument we werent thinking of those things, we just were fullfilled by doing it...it was the most funnest thing in the world, now its fun in a twisted way. So i would like to get reasons why you started playing, how it makes you feel now as opposed to how it made you feel in the beginning. what your dreams and aspirations are...periodically i will be asking more questions..and posting excerpts of the book i am writing to get your feelings on the subject

-Giann

 

well my music carreer started out when i was in the 3rd grade playing violin. I saw drummers and became jealous because i absolutely loved the idea of playing a drum. So it took a while but when i was 12 i finally picked up a pair of sticks and started playing drumset. I absolutely loved the feeling i was getting from playing. I felt so smooth and in control of what i was doing and it was just good to go to the kit and let my emotions flow. I joined the school jazz band and loved the fact that if i played a solid groove that everybody would be solid with me and if i didn't then they wouldn't play well either. I got the feeling that i was the backbone of the band and it was a responsibility that i loved taking. Now i still feel the same way but i have a lot more knowledge of the complexity of drums. I know that many different styles contribute to a better knowledge of drumming and that the more variety of styles and patterns you know, the better musician you become.

i'm still in highschool and i will be the drummer for the county honor jazz band. I give private lessons to those that want to learn how to drum. I have a few groups on the side and we play a variety of different music. Jazz, rock, psychedelic, jam band blues, latin, and anything else you can think of. I plan on going to the berklee school of music and majoring in music performance and education.

 

i started playing guitar in the middle of 7th grade (a little after i got into really listening to music) because i was really interested in being able to play the songs i was always hearing. When i learned them, it was such a big accomplishment and it was so fun to play along with all my favorite songs. as i kept on playing, my own stuff eventually came through and whenever i played some sort of solo or something like that, it it just felt so good whenever i played something that i knew was good. i do get alot of satisfaction from playing guitar and music and its generally just fun as well.

 

I am curious as to what the "philosophy" of drums is.

I got into playing music almost by accident but I was say it was more like fate. It was my 11th birthday and I had been given some money so I went looking at random shops across town. I went into a pawnshop where they were selling this broke down Squeir Bullet with some Crate amp from the 80's. I played violin when I was younger but I had no clue why I did it or anything (I actually got pretty good). So, I bought this guitar and amp and took it home and just fucked with it and really annoyed those in my house. Eventually, I realized that if I was figuring out riffs without any one else's instruction that I may have a pretty good ear for this thing. So, I bought an instructional book and learned to read tab, then learned some of my favorite songs. I've been practicing my ass off since and now I'm very good for my age and the length of time I've been playing. My little brothers wanted to be just like me so they went out and bought a drum set and a bass and now we have a little in-house band, I guess haha. I next bought two more guitars, banjo, keyboard and I have just fallen in love with it. So, that's my story.

 

Hey good luck to you and your writting, I started taking lessons when I was 8 years old and the reason I wanted to play drums was that it was just something inside my heart and soul and I knew this. A drum is that certain instrument that everyone can relate to, I mean if you walk by a drum or a kit you have to tap it , right. everyone has that beat inside them and some just take it further. I could not keep my feet still when I was a kid and I knew it had to be let out somehow or somewhere, I played in elementary school and junior high school orchs but I knew I wanted to rock. Don't get me wrong, I feel that we do need the basics and that learning rudiments and patterns are the first school of drum but I wanted to express myself through my hands and my feet. In playing and learning I used to go see many drummers who I felt were great, in the 60's we had this opportunity to do so in many club scenes out here in Los Angeles and at my young age of 13, and 14 years all you needed was long hair to get into clubs. I was in awe of a man by the name of Ed 'Cass' Cassidy who played for the band "Spirit", some people would not call him a great drummer but I would. If you ever heard Ed do a solo you would then know what I was talking about, he rarely had to but when asked to he would just go where most rock drummers couldn't. You see Ed Cass was a great Jazz drummer before he got into rock music. Watching Michael Shrieve at 17 years old with Santana was an amazing thing as you knew that he did nothing but live for his drums and all that time in his room was now at this point in time. After all these years I now play mostly Latin percussion drums and Djembes and I think that its my expression in my hands spiritually now that has been felt, you see the Djembe has been here since forever and not only had it been used for music and dance but also communcation. Ron Bushy who drums for Iron Butterfly first made his own drums just so he could play and then you listen to his solo on his monumental record, (Yes you know the one). then you know that he could have only one love and that was playing drums. If you have ever been around a drum circle or played in one then you know the high that is captured and felt, it starts to get in your gut just to listen and feel where that drum will take you. I have seen this in many people watching a drum circle and I have to smile because its just a cylinder and a skin but what it does to your blood and makes you feel like this is amazing. There is a movie and I emplore all you drummers to go rent this at your local video store and watch what it means to feel a drum and want nothing more than to express that to others. "The Gene Krupa Story" Sal Mineo played the part but Gene taught him to play for real and even gave him one of his kits. There have been many great drummers in history, rock, Jazz, whatever the style, it seems that one thing is true and thats the drum has grown a part of them and once that happens your lost forever to the drum and it is up to you to make that drum talk with your expression. I have a 2 year old son and we named his middle name Djembe, he play along side daddy with his small Djembe and I know that it is in him also. I can see his face when he hits his drum and what it does when he hears that tone. Anywho, if you feel it play it. No matter what it is if its a true expression of you then it can't be wrong. Just be true to your music and it will be true to you.. Peace In Music..