Why Do You Play?

Welcome to 2022. Let’s start off the new year with an exercise…Today I was inspired to post something a little more intimate than usual. In order for this post to be successful it will require feedback on your part and I look forward to reading your comments. The solicited response to the question I am posing is this: “What does playing the drums mean to you?” To help get you started I will go first. Playing the drums to me represents several benefits… 

First, it allows me to sharpen my creativity. Whether playing along to a recording, jamming with other musicians, or composing my own drum parts, creativity is a requirement to explore all of these situations. Drummers, in my opinion, are inherently creative individuals who are called upon to play patterns that often consist of syncopation, odd-time signatures and/or four-way independence. Doing something with all four of your limbs simultaneously requires a skill set that is rooted in creativity. Sometimes the results are very satisfying while other times it results in frustration. Either consequence forces me to press on with the goal of mastering an instrument that I will never-ever master. Being a musician of any kind is inherently creative. One of my favorite parts of my practice time is coming up with new and creative ideas using some skill set I just learned. The more I create, the more inspired I become to challenge myself. Creativity leads to inspiration which leads to more creativity.

Second, it brings me joy. Playing drums eclipses all other extracurricular activities that I do. It has been a major part of my life from the 7th grade on up. Whether playing in a drum line, on a stage, or in my bedroom, I can’t help but smile when I’m behind the kit or in front of a practice pad. Playing an instrument of any kind requires a lot of hard work and determination. Practice doesn’t always have to feel like work when you are enjoying what you are doing. To be honest, if I didn’t love learning the drums just as much as I do playing them I wouldn’t do it. I certainly would not have co-authored an instructional drum book or blog about it here. Even when I’m not playing I stare at my drum set with a sense of awe. When I’m not staring at them I’m either reading articles about drums in magazines or watching drum videos on YouTube. It dominates my attention span. Drums = happiness, inspiration and gratitude. It is what I do and what I love to do. I cannot imagine my life without the drums.

There you have it, why I play the drums. Now it’s your turn…