Hollywood Jim
Platinum Member
A forum member asked me to describe how it felt to stop playing the drums for as long as I did. Please forgive me if this post sounds self-promoting, but I thought my experience was worth sharing. I will try and keep this short.
My father was a drummer and he was my drum teacher. My Father taught me all about how hard it is to make a living in the music industry. My Father had a day job as a carpenter. At a young age I had decided I wanted to get married and raise a family, so I worked hard at a backup plan. I went to college to become an electrical engineer.
The first pictures I have of me playing the drums was at age 3 in 1953. For me playing drums was just as natural as walking or breathing. I practiced playing the drums for many hours a day. As I grew up my drumming skills were in great demand and starting at age 15 I played with several bands. In 1971 at age 21 I had not gotten that "big break" in the music industry and I was about to graduate from college as an electrical engineer. Thanks to the US military lottery system I was also about to get drafted into the Army. I did not want to go to Viet Nam, so I joined the Navy. (I was sent to Viet Nam anyway. LOL )
When I went into the Navy I stopped playing the drums. I was stationed on a ship in the Pacific Ocean for three years.
Quitting the drums was very very difficult for me. Obviously being on a ship for 3 years helped keep me away from the drums. The withdrawal pains were severe. They went on for about four or five years. There were physical and emotional pains. Whenever I heard a song that I thought would be fun to play drums with I would start to break out in a cold sweat. I would get a knot in my stomach. I would start to cry. I would try and get away from the music and close my eyes, clench my fists and wait for the feeling to pass. As time went on the time crying and sweating would get shorter and shorter.
During this time the thought of drumming made me very sad and depressed. I had given it up so I could be a good husband and father. As long as I kept away from my favorite music I was able to manage it. The depression finally went away. Eventually after a few years the desire to play the drums finally became a manageable thing. I found I could live without it.
However, I always found myself tapping on the table and bouncing my feet to the music. My wife always makes me stop. I used to make the car bounce to the music using the brake while waiting for the light to change. My kids loved that, my wife hated that.
Funny thing all of these years I kept the new 1963 Slingerland set my Father brought for me when I was 13 years old but never played it after I joined the Navy. (Except for a couple of church functions)
Now 42 years later at age 63 I started playing again. I am loving it. Just like I never stopped. I’m addicted again. But this time I won’t stop until I can’t physically play anymore.
By the way I am so thankful to all of you forum members. I have learned a lot from you about drumming in the modern world. When I started playing the drums again I was very ignorant about all of the new equipment and drumming things that have been invented in the last 40 years.
Thank you.
.
My father was a drummer and he was my drum teacher. My Father taught me all about how hard it is to make a living in the music industry. My Father had a day job as a carpenter. At a young age I had decided I wanted to get married and raise a family, so I worked hard at a backup plan. I went to college to become an electrical engineer.
The first pictures I have of me playing the drums was at age 3 in 1953. For me playing drums was just as natural as walking or breathing. I practiced playing the drums for many hours a day. As I grew up my drumming skills were in great demand and starting at age 15 I played with several bands. In 1971 at age 21 I had not gotten that "big break" in the music industry and I was about to graduate from college as an electrical engineer. Thanks to the US military lottery system I was also about to get drafted into the Army. I did not want to go to Viet Nam, so I joined the Navy. (I was sent to Viet Nam anyway. LOL )
When I went into the Navy I stopped playing the drums. I was stationed on a ship in the Pacific Ocean for three years.
Quitting the drums was very very difficult for me. Obviously being on a ship for 3 years helped keep me away from the drums. The withdrawal pains were severe. They went on for about four or five years. There were physical and emotional pains. Whenever I heard a song that I thought would be fun to play drums with I would start to break out in a cold sweat. I would get a knot in my stomach. I would start to cry. I would try and get away from the music and close my eyes, clench my fists and wait for the feeling to pass. As time went on the time crying and sweating would get shorter and shorter.
During this time the thought of drumming made me very sad and depressed. I had given it up so I could be a good husband and father. As long as I kept away from my favorite music I was able to manage it. The depression finally went away. Eventually after a few years the desire to play the drums finally became a manageable thing. I found I could live without it.
However, I always found myself tapping on the table and bouncing my feet to the music. My wife always makes me stop. I used to make the car bounce to the music using the brake while waiting for the light to change. My kids loved that, my wife hated that.
Funny thing all of these years I kept the new 1963 Slingerland set my Father brought for me when I was 13 years old but never played it after I joined the Navy. (Except for a couple of church functions)
Now 42 years later at age 63 I started playing again. I am loving it. Just like I never stopped. I’m addicted again. But this time I won’t stop until I can’t physically play anymore.
By the way I am so thankful to all of you forum members. I have learned a lot from you about drumming in the modern world. When I started playing the drums again I was very ignorant about all of the new equipment and drumming things that have been invented in the last 40 years.
Thank you.
.