I'm not a great drummer. I'm good. I'm competent. I'm solid. And even though I'm not actively playing right now, if I practiced consistently for a few weeks I'd be gig-ready again. But still, I'm not great, and it's for a simple reason. I just haven't played enough. Now, I'm a great public speaker. I'm a great writer. And it's for a similarly simple reason: I've done those activities a lot. Someone was asking me how I've written 7 books in the past few years. Easy. I just write and write and write. Since drumming didn't stay a part of my life on a daily basis, I never got great at it. I still love playing, but I'll admit … [Read more...]
The Drums Were Only Part of the Lesson
I tell people that I'm a self-taught drummer, but that's not quite true. When I was twelve I had about 3 "lessons" from my Uncle Tommy, who was a wicked good drummer. He was my mom's brother and like all of her siblings (9 of them), he had played in drum corps growing up. Even as an adult, he continued to play in marching bands and he was fast, precise, and tight. All great things for a drummer. He stood me and two of my cousins at a 2x4 balanced on kitchen chairs, and he taught us how to hold a stick, how to count time, and what a paradiddle is. We only met a few times before the busyness of life discontinued our lessons, but it must … [Read more...]