What are your stories of when people found out you are drummer?

When people find out, they usually say "really!?, you're way too good looking to be a drummer!" But seriously, I get the "you look like a musician" all the time. Funny thing is, I think i look more like a brass player than a drummer.

I have to ask. What do brass players look like?
 
They wear silk lined vests with white shirts, sunglasses and cool brimmed hats, rarely, with a feather plume. Sometimes a pocketwatch with the chain. You also get the occasional thin black armband. There are usually rings, cufflinks and/or other metal ornaments hanging somewhere.There's a lot to look at. They say things like cat, man and you dig. Most are balding but have some manner of facial hair. They have great taste in shoes, two-tone being a favorite. They dress much nicer than anyone else in the band, gravitating towards gabardine. Sometimes a handkerchief is visible. There are an equal amount of bespectacled as non bespectacled horn players. It's rumored that they have brass balls. They look kind of like white pimps. Offstage, they are degenerates with no visible means of support..... or they are supported by their girlfriends or parents. They ride public transportation because they don't need/can't afford a car.


I'm totally kidding about the brass balls thing.

:)
 
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I tend not to tell people - I think that's because i'd feel like a fraud because I'm not really any good (yet - I'm working on it!)

Funny thing is that it took me about 2 months of learning to play bass before I was happy to tell people I was a bassist, but now I've been playing/learning drums for about 18 months, playing for hours a day, and taking way more seriously, and I still don't feel I can look people in the eye and say I'm a drummer!

Funny huh?
 
They wear silk lined vests with white shirts, sunglasses and cool brimmed hats, occasionally with a feather plume. Sometimes a pocketwatch with the chain. You also get the occasional thin black armband. There are usually rings, cufflinks and/or other metal ornaments hanging somewhere.There's a lot to look at. They say things like cat, man and you dig. Most are balding but have some manner of facial hair. They have great taste in shoes, two-tone being a favorite. They dress much nicer than anyone else in the band. Sometimes a handkerchief is visible. There are an equal amount of bespectacled as non bespectacled horn players. It's rumored that they have brass balls. They look kind of like white pimps. Offstage, they are degenerates with no visible means of support or they are supported by their girlfriends.

so.... you are writing my biography and this is the first paragraph .... I get it

thanks uncle L
 
I am usually reserved at work and don't talk much about my hobbies. Just a few months ago I wasn't in a band so I didn't talk much about it. When some found out they told me about a relative or someone who knows someone who plays.

Now that I am in two bands I broadcast it because I want people to come to the gigs. I had a few co-workers come to my first gig. They were surprised that I was a ham on stage, spinning my sticks, doing other things.

They also said they were surprised that I was a good drummer. Some Facebook friends were surprised with the videos I posted on there. Although I take all that with a grain of salt since I know I need improvement and that I am probably my own harshest critic.
 
IF that question comes up (I don't generally just offer the fact that I'm a drummer), it's usually met with; "OMG what do you think of Travis Barker?". To which, no offense to him [Barker], I usually just go with; "He's good." And end that conversation right then and there.

But, more consistently, get this sort of thing...a flow chart of responses and answers:

Oh you're a drummer?
-Yes
Are you in a band?
-No / Oh, okay, cool.
-Yes / Oh, nice, what's the name and what kind of music? (To which I'll explain in great detail, then they usually couldn't care less...I'll go on forever about music.)
Are you good?
-No / Haha, honesty is good.
-Yes / How long have you been playing? (To which I'll tell them, currently 17+ years, then I get this response...)
WOW, do you love Neil Peart? Are you better than Travis Barker???

I'm a professional "Oh you're a drummer? [insert useless question about it here]" Question Answer-er.
 
1. I'm glad I don't live near you.
2. Your neighbors must love you.
3. I have a friend who plays guitar really well.
 
Oh you're a drummer?
-Yes
Are you in a band?
-No / Oh, okay, cool.
-Yes / Oh, nice, what's the name and what kind of music? (To which I'll explain in great detail, then they usually couldn't care less...I'll go on forever about music.)
Are you good?
-No / Haha, honesty is good.
-Yes / How long have you been playing? (To which I'll tell them, currently 17+ years, then I get this response...)
WOW, do you love Neil Peart? Are you better than Travis Barker???

How could I forget that old chestnut? "Are you in a band?". Usually followed by "Do you play gigs?"
 
Around here people don't give a rat's arse whether you play the trombone or a guitar with 4 necks...

so I don't get much reaction when I break the news.
 
When I told one of my co-workers that I was in a band he said, "You tha lead singer??"...when I told him I played the drums he said, "You don't look like no drummer, you ain't got long hair."
 
When I told one of my co-workers that I was in a band he said, "You tha lead singer??"...when I told him I played the drums he said, "You don't look like no drummer, you ain't got long hair."
This type of reaction/conversation, is precisely why I tend to not offer that topic or bit of information up to anyone. Granted, I'm not in a band, it's still a fairly annoying response.
 
Because I live in Southern California, mostly what I hear around me are people touting that they can do alot of things (music, art, dancing). I swear there are alot of artists here that say "I do that too". This has become quite a turn-off for me. So I don't talk about what I do. If it comes up, I just say I play piano in a whorehouse.

I know, there's this really fine line between letting someone know what you do, and expressing it in such a way to promote yourself, so I don't even get close to skirting it. The people that need to know, will know, and everybody else will figure it out when the time comes.
 
Ah, best reply of my career to date: "Do you play for therapy?"
 
Therapy? What did they mean?

I honestly have no idea. What on earth did she expect me to say, "Yes I do, I'm a wreck"?

Clearly, I don't look like a "proper" drummer, whatever they look like.
 
"Really ? Are you gonna be famous ????"

i hate that one.
 
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