What is your greatest drum related success?

O

Otto

Platinum Member
Forget modesty!

Its a new year and time to spread good feelings and wonder.

What is your greatest drum related success?

No fair comparing your success to anyone else's inside your head...all are unique and without comparison!

Not sure if this is on-topic or not...so i put it here....mods feel free to relocate as needed.
 
Last edited:
my program at the high school I teach at. 30 years strong. Consistent Superior ratings at State events, including 21 years in a row at marching bband State Finals, and 32 out of the last 33 years making those finals. Numerous students going on to march DCI/WGI, and make upper level college music schools...the sense of community and family it has cultured...I am now teaching the kids of former students..."getting a drumline jacket" is a big thing at our school

also, one of my bands reached a moderate level of success ,and I got to do a bit of touring and playing in some historic clubs, with CBGB's being the pinnacle of that - b/c CB's is where many of my heroes got their start, so it is like a "holy center" of sorts to me...
 
Otto said:
Forget modesty!

Its a new year and time to spread good feelings and wonder.

What is your greatest drum related success?

No fair comparing your success to anyone else's inside your head...all are unique and without comparison!

Not sure if this is on-topic or not...so i put it here....mods feel free to relocate as needed.
Click to expand...

Probably feeling comfortable soloing. I know for most of my entire life I have always hated it - but after making some efforts over the past few years I feel a lot better about it. A mixture of building concepts, hands and patterns and maybe blind confidence driven by doing it consistently to audience approval in larger shows...whatever the exact blend it's not something I fear anymore which is fun.

There's lots of career stuff - but that's sort of a mixture of luck and hard work so I don't like to claim it as a drumming specific thing.
 
Sitting in with my Brothers band for a few songs on a few occasions always made me feel like l had been called up from the minors and given some ice time.


My band played a paying gig on New Years Eve 2019. That was one of my bucket list items.

we also played a paying St Patricks day gig at the lrish cub in Edmonton, another item crossed off my list.

My favorite moment of moments on the drums was when my band played at the Legion in Jasper Alberta. A great mountain weekend with my Darling Wife, great people, great music, great biking, scenery, a perfect John Denver weekend.

l have been with my band for over six years now. That above all is my greatest accomplishment on drums.

Rabbit hole post coming!!!

Barry
 
Hmmm... great topic and question! I think it's the ability to be critical and honest about my own playing. To hear back recordings to reflect on my playing and being able to think 'ouch, the timing there is way off' or 'i that fill isn't in time'. And then be able to work on it. To be self conscious on my playing (even live) is the best thing. I something record a video of myself during rehearsal for a) to hear/see the occasional error and to hear/see what is did wrong and b) self indulgence to see myself play haha. But at those moments i make mental notes to 'play that section better' or 'that fill/groove just doesn't fit in with the song'.
 
After ten years of no drums, I auditioned for an open slot at my church. I’d been there less than a year, but they gave me a tape of tunes and, just like when I was 10 years old, I practiced to them on a pad. Within two years I’d be sitting in with the Winans, Phil Driscoll and Phil Keaggy when they’d come to town. Many church-touring artists used the musicians available at the church they performed at and I always volunteered if I could.
 
Despite a very on and off again relationship with the instrument over the years, I've managed to stick around long enough to play most of the "major" clubs in my city. That's a big one for me.

Better still, possibly - was playing a festival date with a band whose bass player toured the world as part of another band who were regulars on shows like Dave Letterman and Jay Leno. That band had a drummer already but they liked me enough to offer me the gig. It was a one-time thing but it was a major confidence booster and it gave me a glimpse into the world of the working professional drummer vis a vis backstage treatment and amenities, being introduced by an MC etc.
 
cbphoto said:
After ten years of no drums, I auditioned for an open slot at my church. I’d been there less than a year, but they gave me a tape of tunes and, just like when I was 10 years old, I practiced to them on a pad. Within two years I’d be sitting in with the Winans, Phil Driscoll and Phil Keaggy when they’d come to town. Many church-touring artists used the musicians available at the church they performed at and I always volunteered if I could.
Click to expand...
Whoa..those are some BIG name Christian artists. I remember those musicians.
 
Playing with really good players who lift and enable you. Giving you confidence and authority and affirmation.
 
I guess is being able to share the stage with (in no particular order): Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel, Deicide, Malevolent Creation, Monstrosity, Six Feet Under, Man-O-war, Origin, Nile, Halford, and numerous others that have slipped my mind. The Milwaukee Metalfest was great fun also. Got to cover a Sepultura tune for the World of Pain tribute album too.
 
Bozozoid said:
Whoa..those are some BIG name Christian artists. I remember those musicians.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I had no idea at the time though. Our music director, Daniel Gardner, had recorded a couple albums with Don Moen (Hosanna Integrity Music) so he had a connection. I was just happy to sit behind the 10-piece Yamaha kit (in Sunrise Yellow) and go at it.
 
Having a beer with the main singer/guitarist/songwriter of my college band—which had broken up with a certain amount of acrimony—years later, and having him tell me that ever since he'd judged drummers by how much they played like me: and the more they sounded like me, the better he considered them. That was an unexpected but really moving bit of validation.
 
Probably just going 36 years and never NOT playing in a band. I was in original bands for my first fifteen years of playing, transitioned to playing in a lot of worship bands for about ten years, and finally playing in a cover band doing clubs and private stuff for the last ten years. It's a large source of enjoyment and I'm truly thankful to have played with so many cool people.
 
Getting asked to join a band before I even owned a drum kit.
And a great band too - stunning singer and professional musicians of great taste and ability: not chancers like me!
'How so?' I hear you ask? Taught myself on an e-kit for years (don't have anywhere to play a real kit) and had a handful of lessons, found myself at a loose end one night in a new town to me and went to an open-mic night at a great little tiny music venue. Became a regular and eventually plucked up courage to play (with real musicians for the first time in my life) and out of the blue got asked to join a new band.
It's been dream-like, life-changing experience, seriously. Not sure how I'll react if this bubble bursts, so I'm making the most of it while it lasts!
Yes, I do have a proper drum kit now ?

Ps. Anyone who thinks they've heard this story before and are getting sick of it - it's you not me. You're clearly imagining things under the pressures of lockdown. How many fingers am I holding up?
 
Last edited:
What is your greatest drum related success?
Click to expand...

Playing as the main act on a regae festival in front of 5000 people while the firefighters had to close the gates because the area was totally overcrowded and being support for various No. 1 acts here in Germany (namely Fettes Brot, Kettcar, Silbermond, Afrob, Gentleman and Culcha Candela).
 
Success? By any standards I've not had success, other than the fact that people in my local scene know who I am

I guess the "highest" I got, was a shot to compete in the International Blues Challenge in 2014 on Beale Street in Memphis.

We brought a knife to a gun fight there. The 15+ piece horn bands in tuxes and cool band music stands just plowed right over us.

I had a goal in 2003, after getting back into playing after a 20 year break, to play with a local guy who I thought was the best guitarist around.

It took 7 years (2010) before I was asked lol. In 2003 I was rusty and didn't yet find my groove. That started happening for me in 2008.

I did keep the gig for 8 years and left by my own choice in 2018.

So there's that
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top